The facility purchase is the Illinois-based producer’s latest move in its strategy to further enhance Hearthside’s entry into the functional bar category, and further growth and development of its network.
Hearthside – headquartered in Downers Grove – is a bakery, nutrition bar and snack contract manufacturer for some of the world’s top brands. The company operates 25 production facilities, including four in Europe, employing around 7,900 workers.
In 2018, Hearthside was acquired by Charlesbank and Partners Group.
Strong M&A moves
Earlier this month, the company announced it is acquiring Greencore USA, a leader in frozen contract packaging and a producer of refrigerated, freshly made sandwiches and salad kits.
Last year, Hearthside also purchased Standard Functional Foods Group, a contract manufacturer of nutritional and functional bars, located in Nashville, Tennessee.
In June, Hearthside inaugurated its fourth European nutritional bar production facility – in the Netherlands – and announced it was doubling its nutritional bar capacity in its Boise, Idaho, operation in response to the continued demand for nutritional bars.
The Kellogg Company announced in August 2016 that it was closing the Seelyville plant, which affected 150 jobs. Earlier this year, Germany-based Saturn Petcare announced plans to set up operations on the site; however, the company could not reach a purchasing agreement with Kellogg and moved operations to another site.