Creighton Brothers Sold to Egg Giant Cal-Maine in $128.5M Deal

The acquisition expands Cal-Maine's shell egg platform and strengthens its prepared foods business.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 9:09pm

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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 will add 3.2 million laying hens, including 500,000 cage-free, and 865,000 pullets to Cal-Maine's operations, along with a feed mill, an egg products and hard-cooked egg processing plant, and more than 1,000 acres of land.

Why it matters

The acquisition strengthens Cal-Maine's position as the nation's largest egg producer and expands its geographic reach and production capacity to better meet growing consumer demand. It also enhances Cal-Maine's internal sourcing strategy for key ingredients used in its prepared foods business.

The details

Creighton Brothers, a family-owned company based near Wabash, Indiana, produces, grades and packages conventional and specialty shell eggs for retail and foodservice customers. Crystal Lake, a subsidiary, manufactures ready-to-use egg products for foodservice and food manufacturers. The deal includes facilities supporting Creighton Brothers' operations, including 177 employees.

  • Creighton Brothers was founded in 1925 and celebrated its 100th anniversary as a family-owned company in 2025.
  • The acquisition deal was announced on March 3, 2026.

The players

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.

The nation's largest egg producer, headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Its branded portfolio includes Eggland's Best, Land O'Lakes, Farmhouse Eggs, and MeadowCreek Foods.

Creighton Brothers LLC

A family-owned company based near Wabash, Indiana that produces, grades and packages conventional and specialty shell eggs for retail and foodservice customers.

Crystal Lake LLC

A subsidiary of Creighton Brothers that 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.

Mindy Creighton Truex

President of Creighton Brothers.

Sherman Miller

President and CEO of Cal-Maine Foods.

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What they’re saying

“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. I believe our dedication to excellence and doing things right will mesh well and provide an example to follow for another 100 years.”

— Mindy Creighton Truex, President of Creighton Brothers

“The acquisition of Creighton Brothers and Crystal Lake advances our strategy by expanding the scale and geographic reach of our shell egg platform. This incremental capacity strengthens our ability to align production with demand and consistently meet consumer expectations for choice, reliability and affordability.”

— Sherman Miller, President and CEO of Cal-Maine Foods

What’s next

The acquisition is subject to customary post-closing adjustments and is expected to be completed in the coming months.

The takeaway

This deal solidifies Cal-Maine's position as the nation's largest egg producer and enhances its ability to meet growing consumer demand for shell eggs and prepared egg products. It also demonstrates the continued consolidation in the egg industry as larger players acquire smaller, family-owned operations.