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GOURMET NEWS MARCH 2014 www.gourmetnews.com Specialty Distributors & Brokers SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 1 4 BRIEFS ConAgra Named Food Processing's 2013 Processor of the Year ConAgra Foods Inc. has undergone several transformations in its 94-year history. It began simply as a grain miller, Nebraska Consolidated Mills. This was the case until 1971 when a visionary CEO charted a new course for the company, changed its name and began acquiring branded products. The new ConAgra defined the better-for- you products category when it created the Healthy Choice brand in 1988. With the acquisition of Ralcorp, ConAgra is trans- forming again, into the nation's largest pri- vate brand manufacturer. "We understand how consumer behavior is changing," said Gary Rodkin, ConAgra CEO since 2005. "We know people want great-tasting, everyday food for every dollar they spend. And we don't think this partic- ular consumer mindset is going away. Value is here to stay. Initially, the industry reacted slowly to this sea change in consumer be- havior, thinking that things would go back to normal as the economy improved. How- ever, it soon became apparent there was a 'new normal,' and we realized we were at that proverbial fork in the road." Reflecting ConAgra's commitment to sound financial performance, innovative product development, leading manufactur- ing technology, managerial excellence, gen- eral industry leadership and service, the company was recently named Food Pro- cessing's 2013 Processor of the Year. Food Processing is a media franchise covering all job functions and all food cat- egories within the food and beverage in- dustry. The Food Processing franchise explores the latest in ideation, research and development, processing technologies and packaging, and marketing. Being named Food Processing's Processor of the Year is an important honor in the food industry. To learn more about ConAgra and why the company was chosen for the Processor of the Year award, read Food Processing's full story at www.foodprocessing.com/ a rt i c l e s / 2 0 1 3 / p ro c e s s o r- o f - t h e - y e a r- conagra-foods. GN Natural American Foods Sold to Peak Rock Capital Natural American Foods, Inc., one of the world's largest producers and distributors of honey and other food products, recently announced completion of its successful sale to an affiliate of Peak Rock Capital. "This is a very desirable outcome, and we are extremely pleased with the smooth transition to our new owner- ship," said Natural American Foods CEO Rolf Richter. "We thank Peak Rock for their dedication to helping us establish a strong, well-capitalized foundation that will allow us to focus on what is most im- portant—making the highest quality honey products for our commercial and retail customers." Richter, who joined the company in July 2012 with more than 20 years of major food brand experience, led Natural American Foods through its sale to Peak Rock and remains at its helm. Richter is joined by additional new members of management who have also joined the company since 2012 to head the new leadership team. Natural American Foods produces a full range of honey and commercial sweeteners for some of the world's best known food manufacturers and food service customers, as well as national re- tailers and distributors. The company's footprint is significant, with global pro- curement operations and an on-site lab- oratory where its products are tested for quality and safety. "At Natural American Foods, we pride ourselves on integrity in all that we do, in- cluding producing the highest quality products and upholding top standards in honey procurement and production, ac- cording to our vigilant compliance processes," said Richter. "As we look to the future, we will continue to evolve with new innovations and seek to work together with others to continually raise the bar on in- dustry standards." Headquartered in Onsted, Mich., Natu- ral American Foods is one of the world's largest producers and distributors of honey and has been producing high-qual- ity honey under the Miller's American brand for more than a century. The com- pany provides top quality honey and re- lated food products to industrial and retail customers as well as the American con- sumer. For more information, visit www.naturalamericanfoods.com. GN Reily Foods Company Acquires Independent Coffee Roasters New England Tea & Coffee Company New Orleans-based Reily Foods Company recently announced its acquisition of the New England Tea & Coffee Company, one of the country's largest independent coffee roasters. This transaction is not expected to change the day-to-day operations of the New England Tea & Coffee Company, which will now operate as a subsidiary of Reily Foods Company. All production and distribution activities of New England Cof- fee will continue as usual, and no employee changes are expected. New England Coffee is a leading mar- keter of bagged coffees, flavored coffees and has one of the fastest growing single pod coffees on the market. "New England Coffee and Reily Foods are both multi-generation, family-owned companies with many shared values," said David Darragh, President and Chief Exec- utive Officer of Reily Foods. "Both compa- nies are passionate about producing great coffee, providing superior customer service and consumer value and opportunities for its employees. New England Coffee enjoys a strong, well-earned reputation in the in- dustry. We look forward to working with all of the New England Coffee Company employees to achieve strong growth and expanded opportunities." "We are confident that this transaction positions New England Coffee, our em- ployees and customers exceptionally well for the future," said James Kaloyanides, a shareholder in New England Coffee. "David Darragh and the Reily team are in a position to take our company to heights we could not have imagined before." New England Coffee adds to Reily Foods' already considerable roasting ca- pacity and packaging capabilities, creat- ing a network of three strategically located roasting facilities. Reily Foods Company has been offering consumers high-quality products and service since 1902. The company manufactures and markets high quality coffees and teas and a wide variety of specialty brands across many categories, including cake flour, chili season- ings, mayonnaise, salad dressings, sauces and brownie mixes. Reily Foods' products are sold in grocery stores and restaurants throughout the United States with select products sold internationally. Visit www.reilyfoods.com for more information. For more information on New England Cof- fee, visit www.newenglandcoffee.com.. GN Back to Nature Foods Company Acquires the SnackWell's Business from Mondelez Global Back to Nature Foods Company, LLC, a portfolio company of Brynwood Partners VI L.P., recently announced that it has acquired the SnackWell's cookies and snacks business from Mondelez Global LLC. SnackWell's was originally launched by Nabisco, Inc. in 1992 as a line of reduced-fat and fat-free cookies and crackers. The brand offers its loyal consumers a healthy snacking alternative with great tasting products, all with reduced-fat content. SnackWell's offers products including Creme Sandwich Cookies, Devil's Food Cakes, Fudge Pretzels, Yogurt Pretzels and Popcorn products in portion control sizes. Brynwood Partners has a well-established track record of reviving smaller brands or businesses that are divested from large corporations. Some of Brynwood Partners' investments include Zest bar soap, Turtles chocolates, Flipz chocolate covered pretzels, TrueNorth nuts, Kretschmer wheat germ, Lightlife meat alternatives and Balance Bar. Continental Mills, Inc. Purchases Dry Mix Manufacturing Facility in Illinois Continental Mills, Inc. has acquired a 190,000- square foot manufacturing facility located in Effingham, Ill. from Harlan Bakeries, effective December 27, 2013. The dry mix manufacturing facility was built by Krispy Kreme in 2001, and sold to Harlan Bakeries, a family-owned company, in 2008. This facility can manufacture up to 225 million pounds of dry mixes and increases the company's manufacturing footprint, which includes facilities in Kent, Wash., Hopkinsville, Ky. and Manhattan, Kan. "The purchase of this facility expands our manufacturing capacity in the East, and supports our long term growth strategy," said John Heily, President and CEO of Continental Mills. "We are very excited to integrate the facility and employees into our organization." The WhiteWave Foods Company to Acquire Organic Produce Company Earthbound Farm The WhiteWave Foods Company, a leading consumer packaged food and beverage company in North America and Europe, recently announced that it has entered into a joint venture agreement with China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited, a leading Chinese dairy company. The joint venture intends to manufacture, market and sell a range of nutritious products in China. "This joint venture is consistent with WhiteWave's strategy to expand into new geographies and provides a unique opportunity for us to access the Chinese market, one of the world's largest consumer markets with a rapidly growing, multi-billion dollar nutritious products segment," said Greg Engles, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at WhiteWave.

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