Flagship Food Group has announced that one of its subsidiaries has acquired certain assets of gluten-free manufacturer Glutenfreeda Foods, including its brand portfolio and its manufacturing facility near Seattle, Washington.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but Flagship indicated that the deal will increase its brand distribution in thousands of new retail outlets in the US and Canada. Flagship also aims to boost its manufacturing capabilities in the Pacific Northwest on the back of the deal.
Glutenfreeda was founded in 2006 on the premise that there was significant consumer demand for gluten-free food that tasted good. The brand produces granola, oatmeal, burritos, sandwich wraps, tortillas and flatbreads.
Its products are found in retailers across North America including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Publix, Loblaws, Wegmans and Kroger. The company also has a direct-to-consumer business through its partnership with Amazon Prime.
Glutenfreeda operates a 25,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Burlington, Washington. Flagship will take over operations in the facility and has agreed to hire nearly all of the employees of the company.
CEO of Glutenfreeda, Yvonne Gifford, said: “It’s been an amazing journey building and running this company. We have great products and great customers. What we needed was a great business partner. Flagship is the perfect fit for our business, our team and our production facility.”
Flagship CEO Rob Holland praised Glutenfreeda in its ‘tremendous’ portfolio of gluten-free products that represent what consumers want in their food.
“Their brand mission is similar in many ways to the commitment we’ve made with our Lilly B’s brand and other products in our portfolio, and we see tremendous opportunity to combine forces to better serve our customers.
“Through our partnership, we hope to vastly expand the distribution of both brand portfolios while staying true to what makes them important to our consumers.”
Last week, Flagship announced the construction of a $30 million frozen distribution facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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