Food and Beverage

Our Expertise

Finding balance between success today and growth tomorrow

From intense competition and shifts in customer trends to cost fluctuations and compliance pressures, the food and beverage industry is rapidly evolving, and there’s no secret formula for success. Whether you’re balancing a mature portfolio of brands, focusing on fast growth, navigating complex issues like IRA tax credits and operational technologies, or contemplating a transaction, our consultants have an in-depth understanding of your concerns and your need for specialized solutions.

With decades of experience, our national practice serves middle-market privately held, family-owned, and private equity-owned companies across all facets of the food and beverage value chain, including production, processing, packaging, distribution, and logistics. We also specialize in serving customers in the retail, restaurant, and franchise areas. From startup entities to national brands, our diverse range of clients includes growers, confectioners, breweries, wineries, and processors of frozen food, snack food, protein, nutraceuticals, and dairy products, among others.

Made-to-order solutions

Our food and beverage accounting and consulting experts will help your business thrive today and into the future. Let us help you navigate the industry’s top challenges.

Boost profitability with cost and margin intelligence

Our cost and margin intelligence team will help you understand where you make money, where you don’t, and what it costs to serve your customers, while our data analytics team will help you transform this data into actionable insights to improve performance.

Enhance your tax position and keep up with regulatory compliance standards

Is your tax position optimized for today’s needs and tomorrow’s opportunities? Our tax team covers every area of food and beverage industry regulations and compliance including risk and liability assessments, R&D tax credits, Section 45x tax creditsstate and local nexus assessments, transfer pricing and cost segregation, and international regulations. From proactive tax planning to preparation for liquidity events, our experts have you covered.

Integrate technology for better decision making

Is your technology infrastructure generating efficiencies, gathering accurate data, and helping drive informed decisions? Can your system support productivity-enhancing technology like AI? Whether you want more value from your current system or need to replace it with a new system, our experts will help guide you through ERP assessment, implementation, and selection.

Mitigate ongoing supply chain issues

Is your supply chain responsive and agile? We have the expertise to help you improve your supply chain performance, including planning and forecasting, sourcing and supplier management, distribution logistics, inventory management, and more. We’ll work alongside you to develop a supply chain strategy that reduces risk and disruption, improves visibility, and increases your ability to meet customer expectations.

Protect your organization from cybersecurity risk
Is your sensitive data adequately protected? Are your systems strong enough to withstand a cyberattack? Our cybersecurity experts will evaluate the strength of your cybersecurity program and help you fortify any weaknesses. Cybersecurity isn’t just a job for the IT team — everyone who uses technology in your company plays a vital role in protecting the company from cyberthreats. We’ll align your people, processes, and policies to minimize vulnerabilities and maximize defenses.
Uncover M&A opportunities and plan for a transaction

Are you considering a merger, acquisition, or sale of your food and beverage business? Do you need to secure financing to realize capital investment projects? We’ll help you understand every aspect of your transaction to ensure maximum value. As your single source for transaction advisory, our team has expertise in succession planning, buy- and sell-side strategy, due diligence, valuation, pre- and post-acquisition integration, divestitures, and carve-outs. If you’re planning an exit, our Wealth Management team can also help you develop a personal financial strategy that brings maximum results for your business and family.


Our Offerings

Our accounting and consulting experts have the deep food and beverage industry knowledge needed to address your organization’s unique situation. We’ll help you ensure you’re operating at peak performance and ready for whatever comes next.

Audit and assurance

Get insight into your financial position from accountants with deep food and beverage expertise.
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Tax planning and consulting

Improve your tax position with guidance from our food and beverage experts.
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State and local tax

Make sure you’re compliant and optimize your tax position, no matter where you operate.
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Cost and margin intelligence

Do you know what it costs to serve your customers? We’ll help you improve your margins.
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Supply chain optimization

Let our experts ensure you’re as cost-optimized and disruption-proof as possible.
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Operations improvement

Our experts will find opportunity for improvement to ensure you get the most from your operations.
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Inventory management

Our experts will help you reduce waste and improve profitability with better-managed inventory.
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M&A and transaction advisory

Each phase of your business’ life cycle requires strategy. Ensure you’re equipped for what’s next.
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ERP consulting

A strong ERP system creates the right foundation for adding new technologies to your business.
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Cybersecurity consulting

We’ll help strengthen your cyber defenses and protect your data and critical operations.
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Managed IT

Our experts can support your IT operations and strategic infrastructure investment goals.
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Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) consulting

Our experts will help you demonstrate your values and commitment to your stakeholders.
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Outsourced accounting

Take accounting off your plate and leave it to a responsive and agile team of experts.
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Real estate portfolio strategy

We’ll help you match your real estate footprint to your organization’s needs.
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Manufacturing leaders: You can’t avoid risk — so don’t. Learn how to risk the right way.

Insights

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Client Experience

The food industry partner you never knew you needed

Our clients receive the best of both worlds: the flexibility and personal touch you’d expect from smaller firm, and the resources we bring as a national firm. Each client relationship is unique and scalable. You can trust that we’ll be more than your service provider — we’ll be your partner and confidant.

Clients also love that they don’t need to train our staff. We already know the industry, and we put in the work to understand your unique business. We’ve been on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the last couple decades, so our staff tends to stick around — you won’t find a revolving door of account managers here, but you will find the unexpected value of having a trusted partner to confide in. As our food and beverage industry leader, Paul Edwards, puts it, “It’s not what we do, it’s how we do it.”

Our clients say

"We felt like their values aligned totally with our values. There’s tremendous alignment and accessibility. We needed somebody that did more than just review our accounting and financial statements once a year. We needed support throughout the year — and Plante Moran provided that. They opened our eyes to new opportunities.”

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Sean Zecman
President, National Food Group