San Francisco – Gryphon Investors (“Gryphon”), a San Francisco-based private equity firm, and The Original Cakerie (the “company”) today announced that Gryphon is making a majority investment in the company, a leading manufacturer of high-quality frozen desserts for retail and foodservice customers across North America. Terms of the recapitalization were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close in early December.
The Original Cakerie, founded in 1979 and privately held, is based in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, with a second production facility in London, Ontario. The company serves over 300 customers in the United States and Canada. President and CEO Dave Hood will continue to lead the company following the acquisition.
“Consumers value affordable indulgence across economic cycles, and they are increasingly searching for quality products and clean-label ingredients when they choose to indulge,” said Keith Stimson, Partner and Head of Gryphon’s Consumer Group. “We have had a proactive focus on establishing a platform in the high-quality premium baked goods space, in order to benefit from these consumer trends, as the in-store bakery sections of supermarkets as well as foodservice customers continue to look for high-quality dessert offerings.”
Dennis O’Brien, Partner and Head of Gryphon’s Operations Resources Group, said, “Gryphon has a long-standing track record of success investing in the food and beverage space, and assisting founder-owned businesses like The Original Cakerie in further developing their category leadership. The Original Cakerie is a uniquely attractive platform for expansion in the North American baked goods sector, and we believe Gryphon’s Operations Resources Group and executive advisors will provide management with highly relevant and practical resources as they continue to build the company.”
Among Gryphon’s previous investments in the food industry are Flagstone Foods, Trusthouse Services Group, and Eight O’Clock Coffee.
Matt Farron, a Principal in Gryphon’s Consumer Group, added, “The Original Cakerie is poised for ongoing rapid growth as it continues to bring innovative, delicious dessert products to its retail and foodservice partners. We look forward to working with Dave and his team to continue to drive The Original Cakerie’s growth both organically as well as through strategic add-on acquisitions.”
Mr. Hood noted, “We are very excited to partner with Gryphon, given their proven track record in the food sector and the significant resources they bring to the table to assist us in building the company and accelerating our growth. Gryphon’s investment will provide our customers and employees with the opportunity to be associated with an exciting growth platform and enduring leader in the premium baked goods space. We welcome Gryphon’s partnership as we enter our next stage of growth.”
BMO Capital Markets acted as exclusive financial advisor to Gryphon and Houlihan Lokey acted as exclusive financial advisor to The Original Cakerie on the transaction. Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Stikeman Elliott LLP acted as legal advisors to Gryphon and McCarthy Tétrault LLP and K&L Gates LLP acted as legal advisors to The Original Cakerie.
About The Original Cakerie
The Original Cakerie, based in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, was established in 1979 as a small industrial bakery producing high-quality desserts for local restaurants in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Today the company is a leading manufacturer of high-quality frozen desserts for retail and foodservice customers across North America.
About Gryphon Investors
Based in San Francisco, Gryphon Investors (www.gryphoninvestors.com) is a leading private equity (“PE”) firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management. For numerous consecutive quarters and years, Gryphon has been ranked in Preqin’s prestigious quarterly PE report as one of North America’s top-decile firms based on consistency of strong investment returns. With approximately $1.4 billion of cumulative equity commitments, the firm has an extensive track record of leading equity investments of $35 million to $100 million per portfolio company with sales ranging from approximately $50 million to $400 million. Gryphon prioritizes investment opportunities where it can form proactive partnerships with owners and executives to build leading companies, utilizing Gryphon’s capital, specialized professional resources, and operational expertise.
Source: Gryphon Investors / The Original Cakerie
