Litehouse, Inc., a 100% employee-owned manufacturer of refrigerated salad dressings, dips and cheeses, has entered into an agreement to acquire Sky Valley Foods, effective June 1. Sky Valley produces organic shelf-stable dressings, condiments, marinades and sauces under the Organicville and Sky Valley brands. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“For some time Litehouse has been looking to offer products that could be sold in the center aisles of the grocery store,” said Kelly Prior, president of Litehouse. “Before moving forward, we needed to ensure that the products we brought to market had the same high-quality standards and reliance on real ingredients as our core Litehouse products. As we looked at Sky Valley Foods and their commitment to real food, real ingredients and better quality, we found great synergies.”
The purchase of Sky Valley Foods will grow Litehouse’s portfolio with center-store, clean label and organic products, the company said. And, as part of the acquisition, Litehouse will acquire a 132,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Danville, Va., that will expand Litehouse’s manufacturing presence on the East coast.
“Litehouse built its reputation on offering best-in-class customer service, and the addition of Sky Valley Foods is a strategic move to provide our East coast customers with a local Litehouse manufacturing facility,” Mr. Prior said. “Coupled with our Idaho, Michigan and Utah facilities, we continue to expand our ability to meet growing consumer demand with state-of-the-art manufacturing operations. We are excited and appreciative for the opportunity to become part of the Danville, Va., community. At Litehouse, one of our core values is stewardship, and we are committed to having a positive impact on the community of Danville and our new employee owners.”
Following the transaction, Sky Valley Foods founder Rachel Kruse will join the Litehouse team to help facilitate the strategy and direction of the Organicville and Sky Valley brands and products, Litehouse said.
“I am very excited to join the Litehouse team and have the opportunity to continue driving the development of products that promote better eating and meet the consumer’s growing demand for better-for-you products,” Ms. Kruse said.
By Rebekah Schouten
Source: Food Business Foods
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