Arbor Investments has acquired California-based commercial bakery, South Coast Baking, a frozen cookie dough manufacturer.
South Coast Baking (SCB) operates out of two manufacturing facilities, one in Irvine, CA (headquarters) and the other in Springdale, AR. The company sells its products to club stores, grocery retailers, foodservice distributors and quick-service restaurants. SCB was founded in 2011 by baking industry veteran Kent Hayden (www.southcoastbaking.com).
“South Coast is a critical piece to our long-term strategy in the baking segment,” said Arbor Vice President Brody Lynn. “Kent and his team have built a tremendous company with high-quality products and a customer-driven culture that will fit seamlessly into Le Petit Pain, our baking platform.”
Le Petit Pain includes New French Bakery, a maker of artisan breads based in Minneapolis; Best Maid Cookie Company, a maker of gourmet cookies based in River Falls, WI (east of Minneapolis); and Hudson Baking Company, a maker of desert bars based in Hudson, WI (also east of Minneapolis).
The Le Petit Pain platform is overseen Mike Schultz, an Arbor Operating Partner. Mr. Schultz has twenty years of executive experience in the baking industry, including as a former executive at CSM Bakery Products and Minneapolis-based Best Brands Corporation. “The addition of South Coast transforms Le Petit Pain into a formidable player in the North American baking market,” said Mr. Schultz. “The company’s complimentary product offering and strategic manufacturing locations will create significant opportunities to expand the platform’s geographic reach across all product categories.”
Arbor invests in the food, beverage and related industries. The firm has acquired or invested in over 44 food companies in North America. Arbor was founded in 1999 and is based in Chicago (www.arborpic.com).
Winston & Strawn (www.winston.com) was Arbor’s legal counsel on this transaction.
© 2016 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 3-3-16