Fond du Lac-based Meurer Brothers Bakery (pronounced Moy-er ) was founded by brothers Dave and Mike Meurer in 1993, but family roots in bakery actually date back to 1929. The bakery’s artisanal approach has set it apart, hand-making its premium Danish pastries from scratch. According to the brand, its Mini Danish are 'gently laminated, aged and filled with fresh made-from-scratch fillings, baked to a flakey tenderness and finished off with its signature icing pattern'. The business has experienced consistent growth, primarily targeting the instore bakery (ISB) market in the US.
This ethos aligns perfectly with MSG’s aim to become a leading operator serving the ISB, restaurant, club and convenience sector.
“Our aim is to be our customers’ trusted partner across differentiated and premium bakery categories, and adding Meurer Brothers’ complementary products and capabilities is a significant step forward on that journey,” said David Veenstra, CEO of MSG.
Transformational growth
MSG – founded by Steve Marks and Harvey Nelson in 1987 – operates out of an SQF certified 68,000 sq. foot manufacturing facility in Akron, Ohio, developing a range of custom wholesale baked goods like muffins, cookies, granola, brownies, bars and other sweet goods.
Chicago-based private equity firm Shore Capital Partners partnered with MSG in September 2019 to help guide the company through a period of tremendous growth.
“We are proud of the custom and solutions-oriented bakery model we have built and scaled as a team and are excited to continue to serve our customers with a diverse range of high quality and differentiated products through a new phase of transformational growth,” said Nelson at the time.
“Our partnership with Shore Capital will allow us to accelerate our organic growth through expanding on our product capabilities, serving additional retail ISB and specialty foodservice customers and broadening our footprint by pursuing acquisitions with other differentiated bakeries in adjacent categories and channels.”
MSG’s strategic growth plan included the acquisition of Biscotti Brothers in 2020. The business operates out of an SQF certified 60,000 sq. foot bakery in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, producing speciality cookies, with an emphasis on biscotti and pizzelle.
Richard Boos, chairman of MSG and partner at Shore Capital, added, “Shore is thrilled to add Meurer Brothers Bakery to our Main Street Gourmet bakery platform. We look forward to partnering with Meurer Brothers’ management to continue growing these phenomenal businesses and providing unmatched quality, service, and customisation to customers with unique bakery needs.”