Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL) has completed the acquisition of Give & Go Prepared Foods and completed its first add-on with the buy of NAFTA Foods and Packaging.
Give and Go Prepared Foods provides branded and private label bakery programs across a range of consumer segments including mini-treats, cupcakes, and better-for-you-snacking. Company brands include Two-Bite, Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe, Mason St. Bakehouse, and The Worthy Crumb Pastry Co. Give and Go has 3 production facilities totaling 240,000 square feet and a 40,000 square foot freezer in Toronto. The company, led by CEO Joel Flatt, was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Toronto (www.giveandgo.com).
“Joel Flatt and the Give & Go management team have created a winning portfolio of on-trend, value-added solutions for their customers in the in-store bakery. The company has been a pioneer in innovation across sweet baked goods categories,” said Jeff Swenson, Managing Director of THL.
Simultaneous with closing, Give & Go completed the add-on acquisitions of Create-a-Treat Ltd. and NAFTA Foods and Packaging Inc. (NAFTA CAT), a maker of edible craft products and the largest North American manufacturer of gingerbread house kits. NAFTA CAT sells under the Create-a-Treat and Orbit brands, as well as under private label brands. NAFTA CAT has three manufacturing facilities in Toronto. The acquired assets of NAFTA CAT will be formed into a new division within Give & Go called Create-a-Treat (www.createatreat.com).
“We are excited about our new partnership with THL whose experience in the consumer goods sector will be a terrific asset for the company as we continue to invest in new products and accelerate our acquisition strategy,” said Mr. Flatt. “NAFTA CAT is an excellent example of the type of acquisition we are seeking in order to grow our platform. I am confident that we found the perfect partners to aggressively expand and scale the Give & Go platform.”
Both Give & Go and NAFTA CAT products are sold predominately through the in-store bakeries of North American retailers and grocers.
Thomas H. Lee Partners, founded in 1974, is one of the oldest private equity investment firms in the United States. Industries of interest include consumer and healthcare, media and information services, and business and financial services. Since its founding, THL has raised approximately $20 billion of equity capital and invested in more than 130 businesses with an aggregate purchase price of more than $150 billion. The firm is based in Boston (www.thl.com).
© 2016 Private Equity Professional • 8-3-16
