Hillshire Brands Co. (HSH) will look at making acquisitions next year and is focused on creating more chicken items as consumers demand healthy options, Chief Executive Officer Sean Connolly said.
“It’s a great acquisition environment,” Connolly said today at The Year Ahead: 2014, a two-day conference in Chicago sponsored by Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Hillshire, owner of meat brands Jimmy Dean and Ball Park, bought gourmet jerky maker Golden Island for $35 million in September. The foodmaker is facing competition from Kraft Foods Group Inc. (KRFT)’s Oscar Mayer meats and Hormel Foods Corp. (HRL), owner of Jennie-O turkey, as well as declining U.S. consumer confidence.
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