Chicago-based Hometown Food Co., a wholly-owned portfolio company of Brynwood Partners VII L.P. and Brynwood Partners VIII L.P., has acquired the Arrowhead Mills and SunSpire brands from The Hain Celestial Group for $15 million subject to customary post-closing adjustments. The transaction includes a manufacturing facility in Hereford, Texas, and its employees. “We are delighted to […]
Category: Suppliers
Kroger Will Exit E-Cigarette Business, Citing Questions, Complexity
In a statement from a Kroger Co. spokesperson this afternoon, the Cincinnati, Ohio-based grocery chain said it is getting out of the e-cigarette business. “Kroger is discontinuing the sale of electronic nicotine delivery products, or e-cigarettes, at all store and fuel center locations due to the mounting questions and increasingly-complex regulatory environment associated with these […]
Cannabis Legalization Could Be Worth $128.8B In Taxes, 1.6M Jobs
New Frontier Data released its new study Cannabis In the U.S. Economy: Jobs, Growth and Tax Revenue, 2019 Edition. The report looks at the current state of legal cannabis jobs and tax revenues and projects the impact that full federal legalization would have on the U.S. economy, especially tax revenue generation and job creation. New […]
Kroger Stores Selling Peekaboo Ice Cream With Hidden Vegetables
Whole vegetables hidden in ice cream is available in 1,800 Kroger family of stores now that the retailer is offering Peekaboo brand. The Miami, Florida-based company is expanding its reach by partnering with Kroger, America’s largest grocery retailer. Peekaboo is the only manufacturer of organic ice cream infused with veggies. The products are designed to […]
Ferranti To Succeed Gisel As CEO Of Rich Products Jan. 1
Rich Products’ decade-long succession plan will take effect Jan. 1, 2020, when CEO Bill Gisel becomes executive vice chair of Rich Holdings Inc. and Richard Ferranti, currently president and COO of Rich Products, becomes CEO. In that role, Ferranti will lead Buffalo, New York-based Rich’s $4 billion global food business. Rich Holdings is the holding […]
Texans Mark 100th Anniversary Of Pecan Being Named State Tree
The Texas Pecan Board, with pecan growers from across the state, gathered Oct. 1 at the state capitol, marking the 100th anniversary of the pecan tree being named the state tree and kick off Texas Pecan Month with a gubernatorial proclamation. According to new Texas consumer survey data released at the event, pecans are highly […]
Michigan Lawmakers Fund Program Supporting State Farmers, Families
Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Fair Food Network recognized Michigan lawmakers for their bipartisan support for a homegrown program supporting farmers and families. The House and Senate approved $1 million for the healthy food incentive program Double Up Food Bucks in the state 2020 budget that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Oct. 1. This is in addition to […]
Palm Beach Capital Makes Investment In J. Polep Distribution Services
Palm Beach Capital has made an investment in J. Polep Distribution Services, a convenience store and grocery distributor serving more than 6,000 customers in the northern U.S. Financial terms were not disclosed in the Sept. 30 announcement. Based in Chicopee, Massachusetts, J. Polep distributes candy and snacks; fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods; cigarettes and cigars; […]
Red Thread Coffee Co. Relaunches With A New CEO
Red Thread Coffee Co., the women-founded and women run company that makes the only cold brew where the entire line is certified organic, Fair Trade and single origin with no sugar or additives, is relaunching under new CEO Kelly Reilly, an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience. Red Thread also launched a […]
Impossible Burger Makes East Coast Grocery Debut In Wegmans, Fairway
After a launch on the West Coast, the Impossible Burger has made its East Coast grocery store debut at all 100 Wegmans grocery stores in seven states and at two Manhattan locations of Fairway Market. Though widely available in restaurants since 2016, the award-winning Impossible Burger became available in grocery stores Sept. 20, when it […]
Fourth-Generation Farmers Create Dairy-Free, Plant-Based Sorbatto
Created by fourth-generation farmers, Wapato, Washington-based Sorbatto offers fresh frozen desserts made from blueberries grown on the family farm in six flavors. Sorbatto’s fresh frozen desserts provide the creamy texture of ice cream without the dairy. Each of its six flavors start with their farm-fresh blueberry base for a frozen dessert that is up to […]
Debut Of Big Slice From Rustic Crust Includes Social Media Promo
Rustic Crust, maker of all-natural ready-made pizza crusts, has a new angle when it comes to pizza geometrics. Its new Big Slice—available exclusively at 2,400 Walmarts nationwide—is literally a giant pizza slice, more than 15 inches long and triangular. Made with all-natural premium ingredients—no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives—the Big Slice is handcrafted and wood-fired. […]
Michigan Grocers Division Honors Busch’s, H.T. Hackney
The Michigan Retailers Association (MRA) Grocers Division has named Busch’s Fresh Food Market and H.T. Hackney Co. as its 2019 Al Kessel Outstanding Achievement Award winners. Launched in 2013, the award memorializes former Michigan Grocers Association Director Albert “Al” Kessel, Jr., who founded the Flint-based Kessel Food Market chain. To reflect his generous spirit, one […]
Bakery Manufacturer, Supplier Dawn Foods Opens Digital Innovation Hub
Global bakery manufacturer and ingredients supplier Dawn Foods has opened its first-ever Digital Innovation Hub, located in Boston. Under the leadership of Chief Digital Officer Bob Howland, the Innovation Hub team will play an instrumental role in developing digital solutions for Dawn’s bakery customers. Dawn says it selected Boston for its Digital Innovation Hub due […]
Kind Fruit Bites Removed From Retail As Kids Want ‘Candy’-Like Options
Kind Healthy Snacks is calling attention to the use of synthetic dyes in a wide variety of foods consumed by children. The company not only hopes to highlight the excess use of synthetic dyes in obvious culprits—like cereals and sugary beverages—but also unexpected, seemingly healthy foods like fruit snacks, yogurt and applesauce. The consumption of […]
Campbell Soup Co. Completes Sale Of Kelsen Group To Ferrero Affiliate
Campbell Soup Co. says it has completed the sale of Kelsen Group to a Ferrero affiliated company for $300 million, subject to customary adjustments. Camden, New Jersey-based Campbell will use the proceeds from the divestiture, first announced in July, to reduce debt. Based in Nørre Snede, Denmark, Kelsen is a producer of baked snacks whose primary […]
H-E-B Honors Afia Foods With 2019 Minority Supplier Of The Year Award
Majority-woman-owned, minority-owned Afia Foods received H-E-B’s 2019 Minority Supplier of the Year Award. Filling a gap in the frozen food sector with Mediterranean food, Afia employs members of Austin’s refugee community in its production facility. After losing two of her children and virtually everything her family had in Syria before and during the war, Farrah […]
Column: Consumer Demand For Fresh Products Expands Role Of HPP
by Brad Key, Universal Pure Consumers’ shopping and eating behavior is changing, with many spending more time shopping the perimeter of the store for fresh products. In line with this trend, the perimeter—which includes fresh meat, deli, produce, bakery, seafood and prepared foods—is reported to comprise up to 40 percent of a store’s footprint in […]
Rainier Fruit Launches Second Annual Pears For Pairs Campaign
Selah, Washington-based Rainier Fruit is holding its second annual holiday marketing program, Pears for Pairs. The campaign, designed to exemplify Rainier Fruit’s “Wholesome to the Core” company values of giving back to the community, launches in stores in September. Rainier will contribute a portion of the proceeds of bulk pear and bag pear sales this […]
‘Spice King’ Lorren’s Gourmet Spices Headed To 1,500 Walmarts
by Lorrie Griffith/editor in chief Keith Lorren remembers climbing up to get into the spice cabinet when he was just 3 years old. He needed the spices to add to water to make “soup.” His grandmother inspired him to want to make soup. She had watched her father, Gene Johnson, who operated a soul food […]
