Sara Lee Sheds Business Unit
Richelieu Foods Inc. acquired the sauces and dressings business from Sara Lee Foodservice, which manufactures a variety of products, including salad dressing, mayonnaise and barbeque sauce for national restaurant and foodservice distribution customers. The transaction closed on August 30, 2008, and terms were not disclosed. Sara Lee's retail sauce and dressing products are not impacted by this transaction.
"This is a transformational acquisition for Richelieu," says Vincent Fantegrossi, president and CEO of Richelieu Foods, which is a manufacturer of dressing, sauces and frozen pizza focused primarily on private label retail and foodservice customers. "We are now able to provide an expanded product line to all of our customers, new packaging formats and greater manufacturing capacity and flexibility throughout our customer base."
As part of this transaction, Richelieu acquires the sauces and dressings manufacturing facility located in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Richelieu will become a manufacturer for the Sara Lee Foodservice DSD Coffee network, which will continue to supply its customers with sauce and dressing products. It plans to continue to operate the Elk Grove facility and integrate this division into its existing business after a short transition period with Sara Lee Foodservice.
"This acquisition positions Richelieu as one of the most significant national manufacturers of sauces and dressings for the private label channels," says Henk Hartong, chairman of Richelieu Foods. "We are pleased to welcome so many new customers to our business and will look forward to continuing to provide the outstanding service and high quality products that these customers have come to expect from Sara Lee Foodservice and the Elk Grove facility."
"This is a transformational acquisition for Richelieu," says Vincent Fantegrossi, president and CEO of Richelieu Foods, which is a manufacturer of dressing, sauces and frozen pizza focused primarily on private label retail and foodservice customers. "We are now able to provide an expanded product line to all of our customers, new packaging formats and greater manufacturing capacity and flexibility throughout our customer base."
As part of this transaction, Richelieu acquires the sauces and dressings manufacturing facility located in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Richelieu will become a manufacturer for the Sara Lee Foodservice DSD Coffee network, which will continue to supply its customers with sauce and dressing products. It plans to continue to operate the Elk Grove facility and integrate this division into its existing business after a short transition period with Sara Lee Foodservice.
"This acquisition positions Richelieu as one of the most significant national manufacturers of sauces and dressings for the private label channels," says Henk Hartong, chairman of Richelieu Foods. "We are pleased to welcome so many new customers to our business and will look forward to continuing to provide the outstanding service and high quality products that these customers have come to expect from Sara Lee Foodservice and the Elk Grove facility."