CHICAGO — Arbor Investments announced today the acquisition of California-based commercial bakery, South Coast Baking, LLC ("South Coast" or the "Company"). Founded in 2011 by baking industry veteran Kent Hayden, South Coast is one of the preeminent frozen cookie dough manufacturers in North America with an outstanding reputation in the baking industry for product quality, innovation and customer service. The Company operates out of two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities strategically located in Irvine, California and Springdale, Arkansas and is a trusted partner to a number of North America's leading club stores, grocery retailers, foodservice distributors and quick-service restaurants.
South Coast will join Arbor's baking platform, Le Petit Pain Holdings, which includes New French Bakery, Inc., Best Maid Cookie Company, Inc. and Hudson Baking Company, Inc. New French Bakery is a Minneapolis-based commercial bakery that manufactures a comprehensive offering of premium take-and-bake and fresh artisan breads. Best Maid Cookie is headquartered in River Falls, Wisconsin and is a manufacturer of gourmet cookies in both fully baked and frozen dough formats. Hudson Baking is a manufacturer of decadent crispy dessert bars located in Hudson, Wisconsin. The Le Petit Pain platform is overseen by Arbor Operating Partner, Mike Schultz, a twenty year executive in the baking industry, including as a former executive at CSM Bakery Products and Minneapolis-based Best Brands Corporation.
"South Coast is a critical piece to our long-term strategy in the baking segment," said Arbor Vice President Brody Lynn. "Kent and his team have built a tremendous company with high-quality products and a customer-driven culture that will fit seamlessly into our baking platform."
"The addition of South Coast transforms Le Petit Pain into a formidable player in the North American baking landscape," said Mike Schultz. "The Company's complimentary product offering and strategic manufacturing locations will create significant opportunities to expand the platform's geographic reach across all product categories."
"As the Company enters its next growth phase, partnering with Arbor and joining the Le Petit platform creates exciting opportunities for our customers and employees," said Kent Hayden, CEO and founder of South Coast. "It is refreshing to find partners who share our strategic vision and have a track record of unparalleled success in the baking industry. The senior teams at South Coast and Le Petit are very familiar with each other and have an enormous amount of mutual respect, so it is great to finally be a part of the same organization."
About Arbor Investments
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Arbor Investments is a specialized private equity firm that focuses exclusively on acquiring premier companies in the food, beverage and related industries. The firm has acquired or invested in over 44 food, beverage and related companies in North America.
Winston & Strawn LLP served as Arbor's legal counsel in connection with the transaction.
Source: Arbor Investments
