DENVER, COLORADO, US — Ardent Mills LLC on June 2 announced the completion of its acquisition of Hinrichs Trading Co. (HTC), a chickpea sourcing, cleaning and packaging business.

Based in Pullman, Washington, US, HTC operates across five locations in Washington and Montana. The company has long-term production contracts with chickpea growers across US production areas and has more than 30 years of experience in the production and supply of chickpeas.

Ardent Mills said the acquisition represents another step in the company’s strategic plan to expand its specialty ingredient capabilities while building closer grower connections. The addition of Hinrichs to the Ardent Mills business portfolio will help the company meet growing demand for pulse and plant-based ingredients.

“We are very pleased to reach today’s milestone and to welcome the talented Hinrichs Trading Co. team to the Ardent Mills family,” said Dan Dye, chief executive officer of Ardent Mills. “Together, we will bring nutritious grain-based and specialty ingredient solutions to our customers and help further nourish our communities.”

HTC will bring Ardent Mills strong connections to producers, expertise in seed varieties, and finished products processing, all to be combined with Ardent Mills’ insights, risk management and research and development resources, Ardent Mills said. The acquisition will allow Ardent Mills to offer field-to-formulation solutions for customers, the company added.