SAN ANTONIO — C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc. has acquired Tribeca Oven, Inc., a New Jersey-based manufacturer and marketer of artisan bread and rolls. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“Peter Lobel, the Tribeca founder, and his executive team have built a highly successful artisan bread business around quality products and an engaged and committed workforce,” said Dale W. Tremblay, president and chief executive officer of C.H. Guenther & Son. “We strongly believe that with C.H.G. resources and depth, coupled with the strengths of Tribeca, we can accelerate the already strong growth and expansion of the business.”
Mr. Lobel founded Tribeca in New York City in 1988 as a fresh bread bakery. In 2005 Tribeca transitioned from a fresh bakery to frozen par-baked, and Mr. Lobel brought in two executives to help build and expand the business: Marc Essenfeld, as c.e.o., and George Erasmus, as executive vice-president of innovation. Mr. Lobel will remain as consultant to Mr. Tremblay while spending more time in his native Zimbabwe. Mr. Essenfeld and Mr. Erasmus will continue in their executive leadership roles with Tribeca.
“I am thrilled to see this great company be merged into C.H. Guenther & Son,” Mr. Lobel said. “They have an incredible legacy of more than 163 years of private ownership, employee commitment, exceptional growth and premium quality standards. I am pleased to help Dale over the next year and am excited to see Marc, George and the combined Tribeca and C.H.G. teams take this business to the next level.”
Founded in Texas in 1851 by German immigrant Carl Hilmar Guenther, C.H. Guenther & Son produces a variety of branded and customer food products for retail and food service customers and consumers. With this acquisition, Guenther will have 10 production facilities in the United States, three in Canada and three in Europe (U.K. and Belgium).
Guenther late last year acquired three baking businesses in Canada: Golden West Baking Co., Gizella Pastry Ltd. and Les Boulangeries Rene, Inc. Both Golden West and Les Boulangeries Rene specialize in buns and English muffins for the quick service baking industry and are suppliers to McDonald’s.