Norwalk’s Heartwood Partners acquires NativeSeed Group

The Norwalk-based private equity firm Heartwood Partners LLC has acquired NativeSeed Group from Victor Schaff, a pioneer of the native seed industry. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed and the management team of the acquired company will remain in place.

Headquartered in Carpinteria, California, NativeSeed Group is a provider of native seeds and erosion control products used in land reclamation and conservation, as well as various construction, commercial, and consumer applications. The company”™s output goes to market under various brands including Granite Seed, S&S Seeds and Pacific Coast Seed.

NativeSeed Group utilizes a vertically integrated sourcing and production platform comprised of farming, wildland collection, and procurement of native grass, wildflower, and shrub seeds. Farming of seed occurs on four strategically located farms across the western states, including the Bruce Seed Farm in Montana, L&H Seed Farm in Washington, Hedgerow Farms in northern California and S&S Seed Farm in southern California.

“Native plant communities are hearty, more draught tolerant, promote diverse habitats, and help restore lands damaged by development or natural disasters,” said James Sidwa, partner at Heartwood Partners. “NativeSeed Group is a perfect fit with our focus and experience investing in the agriculture sector and companies with strong ESG foundations as well as our approach towards growth through investment in people, processes, and add-on acquisitions. We intend to drive future growth by leveraging the company’s strong market position to expand existing and new geographies and customer-types both organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions.”