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GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2014 www.gourmetnews.com Specialty Distributors & Brokers SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 1 8 BRIEFS ConAgra Foods Acquires Chinese Potato Processor TaiMei Potato Industry Limited As part of its ongoing business strategy to grow the company's international presence, ConAgra Foods Inc. announced that it has acquired TaiMei Potato Industry Limited, a potato processor in Shangdu, Inner Mongolia. This acquisition expands ConAgra Foods' Lamb Weston ® operations in a market that has growing demand for frozen potato products. Established in 2010, TaiMei is located in one of the largest potato growing regions in China. The facility provides Lamb Weston the ability to make frozen potato products closer to its expanding customer base and meet the growing demand for frozen potato products in Asia. ConAgra Foods is one of North America's largest packaged food companies with branded and private branded food found in 99 percent of America's households, as well as a strong commercial foods business serving restaurants and foodservice operations globally. For more information, visit www.conagrafoods.com. TreeHouse Foods to Acquire Flagstone Foods TreeHouse Foods Inc. recently announced that it will acquire Flagstone Foods, a leading provider of private-label healthy snacks, one of the fastest growing on-trend categories in the food industry. TreeHouse has agreed to pay Gryphon Investors and other shareholders $860 million in cash for the business. Flagstone Foods is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of private-label healthy snacks in North America, and holds the number one private-label position in the trail mix and dried fruit categories. The company has approximately 1,365 employees and is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information on Flagstone Foods, visit www.flagstonefoods.com. TreeHouse Foods is a food manufacturer servicing primarily the retail grocery and foodservice distribution channels. For more information on Treehouse Foods, visit www.treehousefoods.com. United Natural Foods Acquires Tony's Fine Foods United Natural Foods Inc. has completed its previously announced acquisition of all of the stock of Tony's Fine Foods for total consideration of approximately $195.3 million. The final purchase price is subject to a customary post- closing net working capital adjustment. With the completion of the transaction, Tony's is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of UNFI and will continue to operate as Tony's Fine Foods. Founded in 1934 by the Ingoglia family, Tony's sells products primarily to retail and specialty grocers, foodservice customers and other distribution companies. Tony's Fine Foods is headquartered in West Sacramento, California and is a leading distributor of perishable food products including a wide array of specialty protein, cheese, deli, foodservice and bakery goods throughout the Western United States, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. For more information on United Natural Foods, visit www.unfi.com. Black Caviar Company Begins Exclusive Distribution of Authentic Russian Osetra Black Caviar Black Caviar Company recently announced its partnership with Russian Caviar House, making it the exclusive distributor of CITES-certified Russian sturgeon caviar in the United States. Following a decade-long halt prohibiting the importation of Russian caviar, the partnership enables Black Caviar Company to sell the highest-quality black Russian caviar within the United States. Using modern technology, Russian Caviar House produces a sustainable sup- ply of Osetra caviar by actively preserving the natural habitat and microclimate of the Suda River where the sturgeon are raised. CITES-certified, Russian Caviar House is working closely with authorities to ensure that collection and products conform to all location-specific and international laws. "We are proud to be the first and only com- pany to distribute authentic Russian Black Caviar in the United States," said Gabriel Goldfine, Black Caviar Company's Caviar Ambassador. "Black Russian caviar is the world's most prized, and our partnership with Russian Caviar House empowers us to pro- vide customers with the finest, 100 percent authentic, black Russian caviar they seek." Black Russian caviar is not only a delicacy, it carries beneficial health aspects as well. One serving of caviar provides more than half the daily recommended requirement of vitamin B12, which is important in convert- ing carbohydrates into energy. It is also a powerful antioxidant that is a rich source of omega-3 fats, which are important for the immune system, lowering blood pressure and providing beneficial amino acids. Black Caviar Company offers various products at a range of price points: 1 ounce of Osetra Caviar Premier retails for $190, while 1.8 ounces retails for $330. Osetra Pressed Caviar Premier Glass Jar (2.2 ounces) retails for $400. And 4.4 ounces of Osetra Caviar Premier retails for $760, while 8.8 ounces retails for $1,480. All premium Russian caviar is delivered overnight and arrives in an elegant box with thermal packaging. Along with the caviar comes a deluxe collector's booklet containing detailed information as well as a CITES certificate of authenticity. GN The Growler Station Takes Idaho by Storm with the Growler Station Express Gaining Momentum In less than four months, 12 Growler Sta- tion Express™ locations have opened throughout Idaho with the majority of the store-in-store solutions located in the Boise and Twin Falls area. The GS Express setups are located mainly within convenience stores and Albertsons grocery stores. Two additional locations are scheduled to open next month, resulting in a total of 19 Growler Station Express locations in the Idaho market in less than one year. As the exclusive U.S. distributor of the Pegas™ counter pressure beer growler fill- ing equipment, The Growler Station has combined state-of-the-art growler filling with an industry-leading Digital Eco System, offering a turnkey, self-contained, store-in- store growler filling kiosk with its own dig- ital menu system: The Growler Station Ex- press. The company's retail partners enjoy knowing that with The Growler Station Ex- press they not only increase their business, but they will increase their profits. "We are very excited about our rapid ex- pansion within the Idaho market," said Tony Lane, Executive Vice President and co- founder of The Growler Station. "By part- nering with brand name convenience stores and with Albertsons stores, we are expecting significant growth in Idaho in the coming months and years, to complement our con- tinued expansion throughout the U.S." In addition, The Growler Station has partnered with Jacksons Stores to launch their growler filling station brand named "The Beer Pump, powered by The Growler Station." Across the United States, The Growler Station has partnered with Total Wine, ABC Fine Wine and Liquors, Price Chopper Grocery Stores and many conven- ience stores, resulting in a national foot- print of over 80 locations and growing. "The Growler Station Express solution generates on the low end approximately $700 per square foot and on the high end approximately $1,800 per square foot in re- tails sales," said Piero Broccardo, CEO of The Growler Station. "The relatively small footprint and high dollar per square foot sales metric makes The Growler Station Express solution a great option for any re- tailer looking to generate sales from poten- tial dead space within their store environment." GN KeHE Distributors Acquires Health and Wellness Brand Nature's Best KeHE Distributors LLC recently an- nounced that it has agreed to acquire Na- ture's Best, a California-based distributor of health and natural food products. The combined resources of KeHE and Na- ture's Best will expand KeHE's national distribution capabilities, broaden its nat- ural and organic expertise and enhance its distribution solution across all food retail channels. "We are thrilled to welcome Nature's Best into the KeHE family," said KeHE President and Chief Executive Officer, Brandon Barn- holt. "The addition of this great group of people and longstanding tradition of serv- ice fits perfectly into our operations. This combination positions KeHE to fulfill our vision of being the preferred supply chain partner in the natural, specialty and fresh products marketplace in North America." "Nature's Best's two LEED ® Gold Certi- fied warehouses, state-of-the-art warehouse management system and highly respected Cadia ® product line will be significant and brings immediate enhancements to our value proposition," Barnholt added. "Addi- tionally, we are highly focused on continu- ing the tradition of service excellence the Nature's Best group of world class inde- pendent and chain customers have come to expect." Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. BMO Capital Markets is acting as exclusive finan- cial advisor, and Winston & Strawn LLP is acting as legal advisor to KeHE in connec- tion with this transaction. KeHE Distributors LLC provides natural and organic, specialty and gourmet, inter- national and multicultural and fresh prod- ucts to natural food stores, chain grocery stores, independent grocery stores and other specialty product retailers through- out North America. KeHE is an employee- owned company with over 3,500 employees in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.kehe.com. Nature's Best was acquired in 1969 by or- ganic pioneers Gladys and Walter Lind- berg, who opened the doors to their retail nutrition store in Los Angeles in 1949. The store grew into a chain that was considered the first health food superstore in Southern California. Since acquiring Nature's Best, the Linberg's have grown the company into the largest privately owned wholesaler dis- tributor of health and natural food prod- ucts in the country, with certified organic distributor credentials. GN

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