Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the nation’s largest egg producer, has announced it will acquire the shell egg, egg products and prepared foods assets of Creighton Brothers LLC, including Crystal Lake LLC, for approximately $128.5 million. The deal, which is subject to customary post-closing adjustments, will be funded through cash on hand.
Creighton Brothers—which is based near Warsaw, Indiana in Kosciusko County—produces, grades and packages conventional and specialty shell eggs for retail and foodservice customers. Crystal Lake manufactures ready-to-use egg products for foodservice and food manufacturers, including liquid, frozen and hard-cooked eggs, along with pre-cooked egg patties, omelets and scrambled eggs.
The acquired assets include facilities supporting approximately 3.2 million laying hens — including 500,000 cage-free — and 865,000 pullets, along with a feed mill, an egg products and hard-cooked egg processing plant, and more than 1,000 acres of land.
Creighton Brothers was founded in 1925 and celebrated its 100th anniversary as a family-owned company in 2025.
“With mixed personal emotions and great pride, I’m excited to see the legacy of Hobart and Russell Creighton and their families continue and grow with a new family at Cal-Maine,” said Mindy Creighton Truex, President of Creighton Brothers. “I believe our dedication to excellence and doing things right will mesh well and provide an example to follow for another 100 years.”
Cal-Maine President and CEO Sherman Miller said the purchase strengthens his company’s ability to meet growing consumer demand while enhancing operational efficiency.
“The acquisition of Creighton Brothers and Crystal Lake advances our strategy by expanding the scale and geographic reach of our shell egg platform,” Miller said. “This incremental capacity strengthens our ability to align production with demand and consistently meet consumer expectations for choice, reliability and affordability.”
Miller added that having liquid egg capacity nearby also strengthens Cal-Maine’s internal sourcing strategy for key ingredients used in its prepared foods business, improving supply security and margins over time.
The Creighton Brothers and Crystal Lake operations — along with their 177 employees — will be fully integrated into Cal-Maine’s existing business.
“We are proud to welcome this exceptional team to the Cal-Maine Foods family,” Miller said. “Their high-quality operations reflect remarkable dedication and capability, and we look forward to achieving even greater success together.”
Cal-Maine Foods is headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Its branded portfolio includes Eggland’s Best ®, Land O’Lakes ®, Farmhouse Eggs®, and MeadowCreek Foods.
