Kohlberg & Company completes purchase of Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery, Van’s®, Chef Pierre® and Bistro Collection® from Tyson Foods (2024)

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Home / news / Kohlberg & Company completes purchase of Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery, Van’s®, Chef Pierre® and Bistro Collection® from Tyson Foods

By nheigelmann

  • Investment Status:2018
  • Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery Commences Operations With A Lineup Of Iconic Premier Frozen Bakery Brands, Led By A Dynamic Team Of Food Industry Veterans

    (Oakbrook Terrace, IL, July 30, 2018) – Today, Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery is commencing operations with the closing of the sale of Tyson Foods’ Frozen Bakery business to private equity firm Kohlberg & Company. Drawing on its heritage as a leading bakery and dessert maker, the new Sara Lee® Frozen

    Bakery will focus on its iconic Sara Lee®, Van’s®, Chef Pierre® and Bistro Collection® brands, especially in the fast-growing premium dessert food service market.

    Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery will establish its headquarters in the Chicago suburb of Oakbrook Terrace, and continue operations at two manufacturing facilities in Traverse City, Michigan, and Tarboro, North Carolina, just outside of Raleigh-Durham. The new management team, led by Chief Executive Officer Craig Bahner, President and Head of Sales Don Davis, and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Gronbeck, will be recruiting 60-80 new senior-level professionals in the areas of sales and marketing, research and development, finance, human resources, and supply chain, bolstering the resources and team needed to accelerate innovation in these competitive categories. The new company will employ approximately 1,300 people at the headquarters and plant locations.

    Bahner, who has a long history of building iconic brands at Procter & Gamble, Wendy’s and Kellogg Company, said, “Tyson Foods did a great job with this portfolio of businesses, but their primary focus was on protein. Moving the frozen bakery products into a standalone company concentrated in the frozen bakery business will enable us to continue delivering quality products while accelerating growth, increasing innovation and achieving operational excellence.”

    “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to energize this outstanding portfolio of brands,” said Chairman CJ Fraleigh, who worked for Sara Lee from 2005 to 2011, including serving as its North American CEO. “We have assembled an exceptional management team, and our partners at Kohlberg have a long track record of success in carve outs and reemerging businesses. Together we will accelerate Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery’s growth.”

    In addition to hiring new employees, Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery will invest in its research and development efforts, and will soon begin building a new R&D facility and test kitchen, including a pilot plant. This facility will be co-located with the corporate headquarters to facilitate collaboration and accelerate innovation.

    “From this point onward, our customers will benefit from Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery’s singular focus on being the frozen bakery products of choice, and we’re investing in our people, processes and infrastructure to make it happen,” said President and Head of Sales, Don Davis.

    “We are very excited to create a great growth-oriented company that allows our employees’ careers and families to thrive, with a culture that respects and values all,” added Bahner.

    About Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery
    Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery is a leading maker of frozen bakery and dessert products headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, with production facilities in Michigan and North Carolina. The company’s product lines include Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery, Van’s, Chef Pierre and Bistro Collection. Each day, the company’s employees delight consumers and deliver outstanding products, service and value to customers. For more information, visit www.saraleefrozenbakery.com.

    About Kohlberg & Company
    Kohlberg & Company, L.L.C. (“Kohlberg”) is a leading private equity firm headquartered in Mount Kisco, New York. Since its inception in 1987, Kohlberg has organized eight private equity funds, through which it has raised $7.5 billion of committed equity capital. Over its 31-year history, Kohlberg has completed 76 platform investments and approximately 170 add-on acquisitions, with an aggregate transaction value of approximately $18 billion. For more information, please visit WWW.KOHLBERG.COM.

    ###

    Media Contact:
    Meghan Gross, Pierpont Communications 617-543-6167
    [emailprotected]

  • Kohlberg & Company completes purchase of Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery, Van’s®, Chef Pierre® and Bistro Collection® from Tyson Foods (2024)

    FAQs

    Did Tyson buy Sara Lee? ›

    The successor company, Hillshire Brands, re-located its headquarters from Downers Grove to Chicago in 2012. In 2014, Hillshire, along with the Sara Lee operations, was acquired by Tyson Foods.

    Who is the owner of Sara Lee Frozen Bakery? ›

    Craig Bahner - Chief Executive Officer - Sara Lee Frozen Bakery | LinkedIn.

    Who owns Chef Pierre? ›

    About Sara Lee Frozen Bakery:

    The company's growing family of brands includes Sara Lee®, Chef Pierre®, Van's®, Bistro Collection®, Superior on Main® and Cyrus O'Leary's®.

    What is the revenue of Sara Lee? ›

    Sara Lee Branded Apparel has 99 employees, and the revenue per employee ratio is $141,414. Sara Lee Branded Apparel peak revenue was $14.0M in 2022.

    What is the mission statement of Sara Lee? ›

    Making life's moments a little sweeter. We will be the world's most beloved bakery by creating irresistible foods, growing with our customers, and delivering value for all.

    How much is John Tyson of Tyson Foods worth? ›

    Who is the owner of Home Bakers? ›

    Home Baker Stories - Anupama Darshan - Homebakers.co.in.

    Why did Sara Lee stop making banana cake? ›

    Sara Lee discontinued the distribution of the cake amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In a social post, the company said that if any of its items dropped below a specific sales threshold, supermarkets would remove them from shelves.

    Who owns Bimbo bakeries? ›

    Bimbo Bakeries USA is part of Grupo Bimbo, which is traded in the Mexican Stock Exchange.

    How long do chef pierre muffins last? ›

    Features & Benefits
    Outer Case
    Frozen Shelf Life (In Days)365
    Refrigerated Shelf Life (In Days)N/A
    Thawed Shelf Life (In Days)28
    KosherKVH-D
    13 more rows

    Where are chef Pierre pies made? ›

    Sara Lee Frozen Bakery is headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Oakbrook Terrace with a state-of-the-art Research & Development facility and bakeries in Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, and Washington.

    What happened to Sara Lee products? ›

    Some 10 years later, Sara Lee began unraveling its clothing businesses. It first sold off its rights to Wonderbra, Playtex, and Dim pantyhose in Europe, and then later spun off its entire North American branded clothing businesses, including Hanes underwear and the Wonderbra, into a new company called Hanesbrands Inc.

    Does Sara Lee Corporation still exist? ›

    Sara Lee Corporation, major American producer of frozen baked goods, fresh and processed meats, coffee, hosiery and knitwear, and household and shoe-care products. It is headquartered in Downers Grove, Ill.

    Where is Sara Lee headquarters located? ›

    Image of Where is Sara Lee headquarters located?
    Downers Grove is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, whose surname serves as the eponym for the village. Per the 2020 census, the population of the village was 50,247. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago located between I-88 and I-55.
    Wikipedia

    How much is Sara Lee stock? ›

    LAST: 18.50CHANGE: 0.13ASK: 22.70
    CHANGE(%): 0.70BID: 20.90

    What is Lee Health mission and vision? ›

    Our mission is to be a trusted partner, empowering healthier lives through care and compassion. Our vision is to inspire hope and be a national leader for the advancement of health and healing. Lee Health's Mission, Vision & Values reflect who Lee Health is today, and where we are headed.

    Where is Sara Lee ice cream made? ›

    Our desserts are a labour of love, inspired and crafted by real bakers in Coastal NSW since 1971. Sara Lee has a long history of producing delicious desserts using quality, authentic ingredients.

    Who actually owns Tyson? ›

    John Tyson is chairman of Tyson Foods, which produces about 20% of America's beef, pork and chicken. The conglomerate owns beloved brands like Hillshire Farms, Jimmy Dean and Aidells sausages. Tyson Foods was originally founded by his grandfather in 1935.

    Who owns the majority of Tyson Foods? ›

    Tyson Foods is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Tyson Limited Partnership with 20% of shares outstanding. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 11% of common stock, and BlackRock, Inc. holds about 7.1% of the company stock.

    How much does the CEO of Tyson make? ›

    Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King earned total compensation of $12.014 million, up 33% from last year. King's base salary of $1.296 million was raised from $980,464 last year.

    Who owns Mrs Jones the Baker? ›

    Having worked around the globe, Barry and Lucy Jones have perfected the craft of baking in some of the world's most iconic hotels. Ever since their eyes first locked over a Crème Brulee at The Savoy in London, they've been crafting exquisite baked delicacies and desserts together.

    Who owns baked in Brooklyn bakery? ›

    Joseph Ayoub - Owner - Baked in brooklyn | LinkedIn.

    Who owns the Baker's Dozen? ›

    Sneh Jain, Co-Founder and Managing Director, The Baker's Dozen claims that the company has grown over 5x in the past two years.

    What happened to the cake every time the lady bake? ›

    The old lady tried, again and again, to bake a too small cake for Saint Peter. But the size of the cake always appeared to her bigger and the lady was even unable to give this cake to the saint. Was this answer helpful?

    Why did cake sink in? ›

    Adding too much baking powder or baking soda can make a cake sink. When too much amount of leavening agents are added, there can be too many air bubbles develop in the batter and the cake may rise too much without enough support, then it sinks.

    Why are there no Little Debbie Banana twins? ›

    Banana Twins are one of the Little Debbie Snack cakes that have been around since 1965. The moist banana flavored cakes were filled with their signature creme filling. The cakes came twin wrapped, so you could share if you wanted to. They were recently discontinued due to a lack of interest.

    What is the largest bakery company in the world? ›

    Grupo Bimbo is the leader and largest baking company in the world and a relevant participant in snacks. Grupo Bimbo has 215 bakeries and more than 1,600 sales centers strategically located in 34 countries thorughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.

    What is the largest cake company in the world? ›

    Largest Bakery Companies Research Summary

    The largest bakery company in the world is Nestle, with a 2022 net sales of $94.4 billion. As of 2022, the global bakery industry has a market size of $497.5 billion. There are over 6,700 retail bakeries in the U.S.

    Is Bimbo owned by cartel? ›

    Criminal Cartel Threatens Mexican Baked Goods Company Bimbo, Owned By Billionaire Servitje Family.

    Do muffins last longer in the fridge? ›

    Homemade muffins stay fresh for up to four days if stored correctly at room temperature and a few extra days longer refrigerated.

    Do Costco muffins last longer in the fridge? ›

    Costco keeps their bakery muffins at room temperature, and you can too. However, if you want them to last 3-4 days longer, keep Costco muffins in the fridge.

    Should bakery muffins be refrigerated? ›

    Refrigerating the muffins will alter their flavor and texture. Room temperature is the way to go from maximum freshness.

    Who makes McDonald's pies? ›

    All of the pies sold at US McDonald's are made in Tulsa. For more than 50 years, all the pies sold in US McDonald's have been made exclusively at Bama Companies in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Bama also makes biscuits and hotcakes for the fast-food chain.)

    Who makes the best pies in the world? ›

    50 Best Rated Pies in the World
    • Tart. Crostata. ITALY. ...
    • Savory Pie. Quiche au fromage. FRANCE. ...
    • Savory Pie. Shepherd's Pie. ENGLAND. ...
    • Sweet Pie. Apple Pie. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ...
    • Savory Pie. Quiche. FRANCE. ...
    • Savory Pie. Svanetian khachapuri. Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti. ...
    • Sweet Pie. Sfakianopita. Chania. ...
    • Sweet Pie. Marionberry Pie. Oregon.
    Apr 24, 2023

    Who trained Gordon Ramsay? ›

    After earning a vocational diploma in hotel management from North Oxon Technical College in 1987, he moved to London and began honing his culinary skills under chef Marco Pierre White at the restaurant Harvey's and under chef Albert Roux at La Gavroche.

    What is Chef Jean Pierre's last name? ›

    Chef Jean-Pierre Brehier is a Fort Lauderdale legend and a frequent guest on the Today show. He hosted Fearless Entertaining with Jean-Pierre and Sunshine Cuisine on PBS and is the author of two best-selling cookbooks.

    Who is Gordon Ramsay's mentor? ›

    He Was Mentored By Guy Savoy

    His stay in the French capital was shaped by Guy Savoy and Joel Robuchon, two legendary chefs in the food world. Later, Ramsay referred to Guy Savoy as his “mentor”.

    What is the most popular product at Sara Lee? ›

    Our most popular frozen dessert is the classic French Vanilla Cheesecake, and our top ice cream is the Sara Lee French Vanilla ice cream. We love them too, so we are never surprised that these are the perennial favourites.

    Is Sara Lee bread good for you? ›

    Made with 35% whole grain, this Sara Lee white bread is a good source of fiber and folic acid. It doesn't contain any high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, artificial colors or flavors. What it does have is calcium and vitamin D.

    What happened to Hillshire Farms? ›

    In 2014, Tyson Foods bought the "Hillshire Brands Company" and remains the current owner of the brand.

    How much is Sara Lee bakery worth? ›

    Sara Lee Corporation on November 9 announced it has signed an agreement to sell its North American Fresh Bakery business to Grupo Bimbo, one of the world's largest baking companies, for $959 million.

    Did Tyson Foods buy Sara Lee? ›

    Kohlberg & Company completes purchase of Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery, Van's®, Chef Pierre® and Bistro Collection® from Tyson Foods.

    Who owns Sara Lee Deli? ›

    It all began when Charles Lubin bought a small chain of neighborhood bakeries in 1948 and, inspired by his own family, renamed the business “The Kitchens of Sara Lee” after his then 8-year-old daughter. Lubin took great pride in the quality and taste of everything he made.

    How many employees does Sara Lee have? ›

    Sara Lee International Corp is an industry leader with 27,746 employees and an annual revenue of $6.2B that is headquartered in the United States.

    What is the news about Sara Lee? ›

    The winner of the 2015 WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) competition Tough Enough season 6, Sara Lee was found to use a fatal combination of drugs and alcohol, as per the report. Sara Lee passed away on October 5, 2022, at her home in In San Antonio, Texas, USA.

    How old is Sara Lee? ›

    What brands does Tyson Foods own? ›

    Tyson Foods is a modern, multi-national, protein-focused food company producing approximately 20% of the beef, pork and chicken in the United States in addition to a portfolio of foods under the Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, BallPark®, Wright®, Aidell's® and State Fair® brands.

    Does Sara Lee own Jimmy Dean? ›

    History. Dean founded the Jimmy Dean Sausage brand of breakfast sausage, which was originally called "Pure Pork Sausage." The Jimmy Dean Sausage company did well, in part due to Dean's own extemporized, good-humored commercials. Dean sold the company to the Sara Lee Corporation in 1984 for $80 million.

    Did McCain buy Sara Lee? ›

    McCain acquired the Sara Lee business from Hillshire Brands Co. in 2013 for approximately $85 million. At the time, the move was described as a way for McCain to expand its range of products across desserts, meals and snacking occasions.

    When did bimbo buy Sara Lee? ›

    In 2011, BBU completed its largest acquisition to date: Sara Lee's North American fresh bakery business.

    Does Wendy's use Tyson chicken? ›

    It supplies Yum! Brands chains that use chicken, including KFC and Taco Bell, as well as McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Wal-Mart, Kroger, IGA, Beef O'Brady's, small restaurant businesses, and prisons.

    Who is Tyson Foods biggest competitor? ›

    The main competitors of Tyson Foods include Pilgrim's Pride (PPC), Conagra Brands (CAG), Lamb Weston (LW), Chewy (CHWY), Clorox (CLX), J. M. Smucker (SJM), International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), Campbell Soup (CPB), Molson Coors Beverage (TAP), and Hormel Foods (HRL).

    Where does Tyson Foods get their meat? ›

    We don't own or operate any feedlots, so we buy cattle from nearly 4,000 independent feeders and ranchers. They supply our beef plants in the Midwest, South and Pacific Northwest. We buy pigs from up to 2,000 independent farmers to supply our pork plants in the Corn Belt.

    Who inherited Jimmy Dean's money? ›

    Because Dean died without a Will, his assets were passed to his heirs using intestate law. As his mother predeceased him, his father inherited his entire estate.

    Who owns Sara Lee Deli meats? ›

    Today, Sara Lee Premium Meats, and the entire family of Hillshire Farms products, are proud to be a part of the Tyson Foods family, and we continue to honor Charles Lubin's legacy by delivering the best tasting, highest quality premium meats.

    How much is McCain Foods worth? ›

    He currently serves as the president, CEO, and Director of Maple Leaf Foods and earns a salary of approximately $1.08 million per year, with total annual compensation of $6.8 million. Today, Michael McCain is worth about $1.385 billion and was listed as one of the top 34 richest people in Toronto in 2022.

    How much is the McCain Foods family worth? ›

    George Wallace Ferguson McCain (April 9, 1930 – May 13, 2011) CC ONB was a Canadian businessman and co-founder of McCain Foods. With an estimated net worth of $US 4.15 billion (as of 2018), McCain was ranked by Forbes as the 13th wealthiest Canadian and 512th in the world.

    What is the largest bread company in the world? ›

    The largest bakery company in the world is Nestle, with a 2022 net sales of $94.4 billion. As of 2022, the global bakery industry has a market size of $497.5 billion. There are over 6,700 retail bakeries in the U.S.

    What is the largest baking company in the world? ›

    Grupo Bimbo is the leader and largest baking company in the world and a relevant participant in snacks. Grupo Bimbo has 215 bakeries and more than 1,600 sales centers strategically located in 34 countries thorughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.

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