Campbell to Acquire Plum Organics
Campbell Soup Company announces it has entered into an agreement to acquire Plum Organics, a leading provider of premium, organic foods and snacks that serve the nutritional needs of babies, toddlers and children. The company is based in Emeryville, Calif. “Plum” is the No. 2 brand of organic baby food in the United States and is currently the No. 4 baby food brand overall.
Denise Morrison, Campbell’s president and chief executive officer, says, “Plum Organics’ nutritious, on-trend products are a great addition to our North American portfolio of leading brands. The acquisition will help deliver on our dual mandate to strengthen our core businesses and to expand into faster-growing categories and adjacencies. It represents another step toward our long-term goal of shifting Campbell’s center of gravity.”
Baby food is an approximately $2 billion category in the United States. From 2010 to 2012, the premium and organic segments grew at an average annual rate of 43 percent.
The acquisition of Plum will provide Campbell with an attractive platform to extend its core categories of simple meals, snacks and beverages and enhance its access to a new generation of consumers. Plum’s products have strong distribution in key customer channels, including online, natural and baby specialty outlets. With the addition of Plum Organics' products, Campbell’s portfolio of kids-focused soups, beverages and snacks will have annual sales of more than $1 billion.
Plum, started in 2007 by co-founder Neil Grimmer, has used rapid innovation to launch over 150 products for babies, toddlers and kids in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Top Plum products include organic baby food in convenient squeezable pouches; “Super Puffs,” a line of bite-sized nutritious puffed snacks; “Plum Mighty Four,” a new line of nutritious toddler snack pouches; and “Plum Kids” “Mashups,” a line of fun squeezable fruit, veggies and Greek yogurt.
Campbell plans to operate Plum as a standalone business within its Campbell North America division. Senior members of Plum Organics’ management team, including Grimmer, will join Campbell, and continue to lead Plum and its mission-driven culture from Emeryville. As President of Plum, Grimmer will report to Mark Alexander, President-Campbell North America.
Related Articles:
Campbell Soup Company Keeps in Touch with Consumers
Campbell Appoints Chief Marketing Officer
Campbell Completes Bolthouse Farms Acquisition
Denise Morrison, Campbell’s president and chief executive officer, says, “Plum Organics’ nutritious, on-trend products are a great addition to our North American portfolio of leading brands. The acquisition will help deliver on our dual mandate to strengthen our core businesses and to expand into faster-growing categories and adjacencies. It represents another step toward our long-term goal of shifting Campbell’s center of gravity.”
Baby food is an approximately $2 billion category in the United States. From 2010 to 2012, the premium and organic segments grew at an average annual rate of 43 percent.
The acquisition of Plum will provide Campbell with an attractive platform to extend its core categories of simple meals, snacks and beverages and enhance its access to a new generation of consumers. Plum’s products have strong distribution in key customer channels, including online, natural and baby specialty outlets. With the addition of Plum Organics' products, Campbell’s portfolio of kids-focused soups, beverages and snacks will have annual sales of more than $1 billion.
Plum, started in 2007 by co-founder Neil Grimmer, has used rapid innovation to launch over 150 products for babies, toddlers and kids in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Top Plum products include organic baby food in convenient squeezable pouches; “Super Puffs,” a line of bite-sized nutritious puffed snacks; “Plum Mighty Four,” a new line of nutritious toddler snack pouches; and “Plum Kids” “Mashups,” a line of fun squeezable fruit, veggies and Greek yogurt.
Campbell plans to operate Plum as a standalone business within its Campbell North America division. Senior members of Plum Organics’ management team, including Grimmer, will join Campbell, and continue to lead Plum and its mission-driven culture from Emeryville. As President of Plum, Grimmer will report to Mark Alexander, President-Campbell North America.
Related Articles:
Campbell Soup Company Keeps in Touch with Consumers
Campbell Appoints Chief Marketing Officer
Campbell Completes Bolthouse Farms Acquisition