TORONTO — Give and Go Prepared Foods Corp. has acquired the muffin business of United Baking Co., Inc., and its subsidiaries Uncle Wally’s L.L.C. and Vision Enterprises, L.L.C. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Known as Uncle Wally’s, the Shirley, N.Y.-based company’s product portfolio features a broad range of muffin flavors, sizes and packaging formats, and its products are sold through grocery stores and clubs across the United States.
Joel Flatt, c.e.o. of Give and Go |
“Since partnering with Thomas H. Lee Partners in mid-2016, Give and Go continues to focus on improving its scale and product line both organically through our proven innovation capabilities as well as through selective acquisitions,” said Joel Flatt, chief executive officer of Give and Go. “The acquisition of Uncle Wally’s represents the first expansion of our manufacturing footprint in the U.S. Uncle Wally’s adds a key in-store bakery program to our offering and allows us to be closer to our U.S. customers. We look forward to building on the combined capabilities of both of our companies to continue to strengthen our value proposition for our customers.”
Founded in 1989, Give and Go Prepared Foods is an Etobicoke, Ont.-based maker of thaw-and-serve baked foods. The company’s products include Two-Bite Brownies, Cinnamon Crunchies, Butter Tarts and Two-Bite Coffee Cakes. The company markets its products throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, Europe, Australia and Japan. Give and Go operates four production facilities located in Toronto.
Both Give and Go and Uncle Wally’s sell predominately through the in-store bakeries of North American retailers and grocers, and the Uncle Wally’s muffin program is considered a key complementary addition to Give and Go’s portfolio of thaw-and-sell products. The acquisition is expected to allow both companies to leverage the collective service, innovation, manufacturing expertise and distribution resources to better serve their customers. In particular, Uncle Wally’s is expected to leverage Give and Go’s management infrastructure along with its salesforce and customer relationships in the in-store bakery channel.
The leadership team of Uncle Wally’s will be joining Give and Go and will assume new roles in the combined company’s manufacturing, sales and marketing organizations.
“We are very excited to join forces with Give and Go,” said Lou Avignone, c.e.o. of Uncle Wally’s. “Over our 20-year history, Uncle Wally’s tremendous growth and leadership in the muffin category has been supported by our premium quality muffins and deep customer relationships. Give and Go, as a leader in the in-store bakery market, shares our passion for producing the finest quality products.”