Michael Horn
Michael Horn
Managing Director
Business Experience
Mr. Horn, a member of the Vant Group since 2025, is an accomplished business leader with over a decade of business ownership experience. He served as President & CEO of AC Horn Manufacturing from 2014 to 2024, a company founded by his great-grandfather. Before taking the helm, he held the role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing from 2011 to 2014.
Michael stepped into leadership as the President & CEO after the unexpected passing of his father in a bicycle accident in July 2014. AC Horn was a manufacturer of industrial food machinery, primarily serving the nut and popcorn industries with products like nut roasters and nut butter mills. Remarkably, 80-90% of nut butters produced in the U.S. utilize at least one AC Horn nut mill.
When Michael joined the business, the company was struggling. It had not been profitable for over a decade. The shop infrastructure was aging; the company had no strategy and Michael’s father’s health was in decline. Under Michael’s leadership, sales increased and by the third year the company was once again profitable. He successfully revitalized the company by phasing out legacy revenue streams, enhancing its product offerings, and reinvesting in the aging facilities. “Over a 12-year period we reinvested close to 6 million in capital machinery to make the company more efficient.”
While his father’s passing was a major setback, the company continued to grow. Michael revived the brand, and the company became a market leader. In February 2024, Michael orchestrated the sale of AC Horn to Probat, the global leader in coffee roasting machinery. Probat was seeking a diversified portfolio and was acquiring companies with complimentary products outside of coffee roasters.
At the time of the sale, the company was 117 years old and in its fourth generation, and Michael was the majority owner. Following the transition, Michael served as General Manager for nine months before completing his exit in December 2024. The decision to sell was strategic, taking risk off the table after successfully reviving the company from an extended period of decline. “After a decade of rebuilding, my family and I recognized that sustaining further growth was unlikely due to shifting macroeconomic conditions and the limitations of our business systems. Our product line was too niche with limited growth potential beyond where we had already grown. Our biggest cost drivers continued to increase. Thus, it was best suited as part of a larger portfolio within a global organization”.
Education and Early Career Experience
Michael is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University.
Prior to joining AC Horn, Michael served as an Intelligence Officer in the US Army from 2005 to 2011, including a deployment to Iraq in 2008.
Personal Background
Michael is happily married to his wife, Nicole. The couple has been happily married for 20 years. They reside in Grapevine, Texas with their son, Evan where they have lived since 2012. When the Horns are not watching Evan play baseball, they enjoy travelling, spending time at Lake Grapevine, taking ski trips to Colorado in the winter, and keeping up with their spirited Golden Retriever, Georgie.
Contact Info
LinkedIn
Phone: 254.368.9954
Email: [email protected]
Mr. Horn, a member of the Vant Group since 2025, is an accomplished business leader with over a decade of business ownership experience. He served as President & CEO of AC Horn Manufacturing from 2014 to 2024, a company founded by his great-grandfather. Before taking the helm, he held the role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing from 2011 to 2014.
Michael stepped into leadership as the President & CEO after the unexpected passing of his father in a bicycle accident in July 2014. AC Horn was a manufacturer of industrial food machinery, primarily serving the nut and popcorn industries with products like nut roasters and nut butter mills. Remarkably, 80-90% of nut butters produced in the U.S. utilize at least one AC Horn nut mill.
When Michael joined the business, the company was struggling. It had not been profitable for over a decade. The shop infrastructure was aging; the company had no strategy and Michael’s father’s health was in decline. Under Michael’s leadership, sales increased and by the third year the company was once again profitable. He successfully revitalized the company by phasing out legacy revenue streams, enhancing its product offerings, and reinvesting in the aging facilities. “Over a 12-year period we reinvested close to 6 million in capital machinery to make the company more efficient.”
While his father’s passing was a major setback, the company continued to grow. Michael revived the brand, and the company became a market leader. In February 2024, Michael orchestrated the sale of AC Horn to Probat, the global leader in coffee roasting machinery. Probat was seeking a diversified portfolio and was acquiring companies with complimentary products outside of coffee roasters.
At the time of the sale, the company was 117 years old and in its fourth generation, and Michael was the majority owner. Following the transition, Michael served as General Manager for nine months before completing his exit in December 2024. The decision to sell was strategic, taking risk off the table after successfully reviving the company from an extended period of decline. “After a decade of rebuilding, my family and I recognized that sustaining further growth was unlikely due to shifting macroeconomic conditions and the limitations of our business systems. Our product line was too niche with limited growth potential beyond where we had already grown. Our biggest cost drivers continued to increase. Thus, it was best suited as part of a larger portfolio within a global organization”.
Education and Early Career Experience
Michael is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University.
Prior to joining AC Horn, Michael served as an Intelligence Officer in the US Army from 2005 to 2011, including a deployment to Iraq in 2008.
Personal Background
Michael is happily married to his wife, Nicole. The couple has been happily married for 20 years. They reside in Grapevine, Texas with their son, Evan where they have lived since 2012. When the Horns are not watching Evan play baseball, they enjoy travelling, spending time at Lake Grapevine, taking ski trips to Colorado in the winter, and keeping up with their spirited Golden Retriever, Georgie.
Contact Info
Phone: 254.368.9954
Email: [email protected]