HC Private Investments, a Chicago-based family office, has established Artisan Bakery, a premium baked goods and snack manufacturer, through the acquisitions of Snackwerks and Specialty Bakers.
With a combined heritage dating back to 1901 and a national manufacturing footprint, Artisan Bakery is positioned to deliver premium, indulgent bakery products across retail and co-manufacturing channels. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
As part of the deal, industry veterans Liz Barnett, Jeff Grogg, Purav Patel and Kirk Trofholz will join the company’s board of directors.
Trofholz, former CEO of Nielsen-Massey and president of Dawn Foods, will serve as executive chairman, bringing category expertise and operational leadership to Artisan Bakery. In addition, Grogg, previous owner of Snackwerks, will remain a significant equity owner.
“I am excited to partner with HCPI and Kirk Trofholz to build a bakery platform that emphasizes speed-to-market, innovation and customer collaboration,” Grogg said. “Snackwerks’ agile manufacturing and Specialty Bakers’ established distribution create the ideal combination to serve both emerging and established brands in a way traditional bakeries cannot.”
Headquartered in Marysville, Pennsylvania, Specialty Bakers is a market leader with several in-store bakery products. Jack Eckerd, who has been with Specialty Bakers since 2000, will continue to serve as CEO for the combined company.
Headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, Snackwerks is a co-manufacturer for established and fast-growing brands, driven by its advanced R&D and production capabilities. Snackwerks’ product portfolio spans cookies, granola and snack bars, with the capability to produce a wide variety of other items as well.
“Our vision is to preserve the craft and quality of each bakery while providing the operational scale, R&D support and strategic leadership needed to thrive in a fast-evolving food landscape,” said Trofholz, executive chairman.
“As grocery retailers continue to prioritize prepared foods to attract and increase foot traffic, we believe we are well positioned to offer in-store bakery customers a differentiated model to create leading indulgences with the highest quality ingredients and flexible packaging options serving both family and individual formats.”
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