US tomato-products firm Violet Foods has acquired the Muir Glen brand from General Mills.
In a statement issued yesterday (27 January), Violet Foods, backed by private-equity firm Amphora Equity Partners, said the acquisition represents a “significant expansion” for the business.
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However, the company did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction.
According to its website, Muir Glen produces a range of organic products, including canned and jarred tomatoes, pasta and pizza sauces, salsas and ketchup, with all tomato production based in California.
General Mills has owned the Muir Glen brand since 2001.
Violet Foods, which manufactures pizza sauce, pasta sauce and other tomato-based products, plans to integrate Muir Glen’s organic tomato range with its own “established position” in fresh-pack tomato offerings.
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By GlobalDataJim Mitchell, Violet Foods’ president, said: “By combining Muir Glen’s 35-year legacy in organic tomatoes with Violet Foods’ expertise in high-quality, fresh-pack tomato products, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate innovation and facilitate growth for our customers.”
Headquartered in Williamstown, New Jersey, Violet Foods owns brands such as Sclafani, Fattoria Fresca and Don Pepino.
The company acquired the Don Pepino and Sclafani sauces and canned tomato brands from B&G Foods last May.
The sale comes as General Mills continues a “global transformation” programme, launched last year to improve productivity across the business.
As part of that plan, General Mills intends to close a pizza-crust facility in St. Charles, Missouri, by the end of June.
The company also plans to shut three Missouri facilities acquired over the past three years by the end of its 2029 fiscal year.
Amphora Equity Partners managing partner David West said: “We are grateful to General Mills for their collaboration throughout the transaction process.
“We are eager to build on the momentum that they created with this incredible brand.”
