Posts Tagged “Bolthouse Farms”

Bolthouse Introduces Carrot Dogs

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Have you ever eaten a hot dog that tastes like a carrot? Neither have we, but that’s about to change.

Bolthouse Farms of Bakersfield, CA has developed a new lineup of “carrot swaps.”

The name of the line is Wunderoots, and it includes Carrot Dogs, Carrot Fettuccine and Riced Carrot.

Both the Carrot Rice and Carrot Fettuccine kits can be prepared on a stove top or in the microwave. Carrot Dogs are designed to be grilled, according to a news release.

Bolthouse recommends merchandising all items from the line in the value-added section of the produce department. The Wunderoots items are expected to debut in spring 2021.

Carrot Dogs may be the most unusual the bunch. In creating the hot dog alternative, the company shaves carrots into the shape of a traditional hot dog, brines them for a smoky flavor, packages them and puts them through high pressure processing so they have a longer shelf life.

Bolthouse has three flavors of the Carrot Dog: Classic American, Chorizo and Sweet Italian.

While the product still tastes like a carrot, it is seasoned with spices traditionally not used as much with produce, and it has the texture of a hot dog.

Bolthouse contends it’s just the beginning of finding kind of new and creative ways to make, in this case carrots, but a broader mission on that is really about making plants more fun, more exciting.

The company expresses optimism about the Riced Carrot product, which will be available with sauces including Sesame Stir Fry, Green Chile and Yellow Coconut Curry.

Consumers are used to kind of vegetable noodles, but this vegetable rice is much better nutritionally than eating white rice.

The Carrot Fettuccine kits will be available with sauce options Marinara, Spicy Thai Basil and Red Coconut Curry.

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Bolthouse Farms is Acquiring Rousseau Farming Carrot Operations

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By Bolthouse Farms

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Building on its 100 plus years of carrot farming heritage, Bolthouse Farms announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Arizona-based Rousseau Farming Company’s carrot operations. This move, part of Bolthouse Farms long-term growth plans, further demonstrates its vision of Plants Powering People and its mission to feed and nourish people.

“This acquisition will help us scale to serve our customers better by bringing more fresh and healthy, locally grown carrots to them in the Southwest,” said Bolthouse Farms CEO Jeff Dunn. “We’ve had a longstanding relationship with the Rousseau family and are committed to partnering with companies that share our core values of sustainability, product quality and customer service. We look forward to continuing to grow our businesses and support the industry together.”

From a strategic standpoint, the acquisition will allow Bolthouse Farms to focus on providing customers more locally grown carrots as part of their regional strategy and “four corners” growing approach – Washington, Georgia, Eastern Canada and now Arizona, in addition to California. It will also bolster Bolthouse Farms’ plans for innovation in the carrot space. While the Company is already equipped when it comes to automation, processing and packing advancements, the Company plans to refine the product, introduce new varieties and optimize the growth cycle and supply chain.

Bolthouse Farms and Rousseau Farming Company both share rich histories in farming. The Bolthouse family started carrot farming in 1915 in Grant, Michigan and by 1950 established itself as a leading supplier in the Midwest—today, Bolthouse Farms is one of the top carrot producers in the U.S. with a reputation for flavor and quality. Similarly, the Rousseau family has been putting fresh produce on tables since 1892 and remains committed to providing consumers with locally grown produce more than 120 years later.

Will Rousseau, owner of Rousseau Farming Company, and a fourth generation Salt River Valley farmer concluded, “My family has focused on providing fresh produce for the American table for more than 125 years, and I believe partnerships like this are what will help us continue to evolve and certainly see us through another 100 years.”

Rousseau Farming Company’s name for carrot operations is not expected to change as a result of the acquisition. Additionally, Rousseau Farming Company will retain ownership of all other produce operations. The terms of the deal, which has been in development for the past few months, are not disclosed, as both companies are privately held.

About Bolthouse Farms
For more than a century, Bolthouse Farms has been known as the innovation leader in growing and distributing carrots and high-quality, innovative branded products. Employing more than 2,200 people and headquartered in Bakersfield in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley, Bolthouse Farms is one of the largest carrot growers and distributors in the U.S. Guided by its vision – Plants Powering People – the Company produces and sells super-premium juices, smoothies, café beverages, protein shakes, functional beverages and premium refrigerated dressings, all under the Bolthouse Farms® brand name. Visit Bolthouse Farms or follow us on InstagramFacebook and Twitter.

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Butterfly is Acquiring Bolthouse Farms from Campbell Soup Company for $ 510M

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By Butterfly Equity

LOS ANGELES, CA — Butterfly, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in the food sector, recently announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Bolthouse Farms from Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB) for $510 million in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.

Founded in 1915 and based in Bakersfield, CA and Santa Monica, CA, Bolthouse Farms is a vertically integrated food and beverage company focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing proprietary, high value-added natural, healthy products. The company has leading market positions in fresh carrots and refrigerated premium beverages in the U.S., along with a strong and growing presence in refrigerated salad dressings. Bolthouse Farms benefits from access to over 65,000 acres of premium growing land, nationwide fresh distribution capabilities, and a state-of-the-art carrot and beverage processing facility. The company has approximately 2,200 employees and operates facilities in Bakersfield, California, Hodgkins, Illinois, Wheatley, Ontario and Prosser, Washington.

Bolthouse Farms is Butterfly’s fourth investment within its “seed to fork” approach to investing in food across agriculture, aquaculture, food and beverage products, food distribution and foodservice. Going forward, Butterfly Operating Partner Jeff Dunn will assume the role of CEO of Bolthouse Farms, where he previously served as President and CEO from 2008 until 2012, when it was acquired by Campbell Soup Company. He continued leading the business for Campbell Soup Company from 2012 until his departure from the company in 2016.

“We are thrilled to partner with a vertically-integrated produce and fresh food leader with a history as rich as Bolthouse Farms, and we believe the company’s future is very bright especially given the continued rise of plant-based food in the diet of today’s consumer,” said Butterfly Co-Founder Adam Waglay.

“We are proud to support Bolthouse Farms in further bolstering its strong positioning within fresh carrots and chilled premium beverages, and are excited to back a group of seasoned operators as passionate about produce as Jeff and his team to lead what is already a strong organization,” said Dustin Beck, Butterfly’s other Co-Founder.

“Bolthouse Farms holds a special place in the produce industry and my team and I are deeply committed to strengthening and broadening Bolthouse Farms’ unique legacy,” said Mr. Dunn. “We can’t wait to get started.”

The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in summer 2019.

Butterfly was advised by Kirkland & Ellis on legal matters in connection with the transaction. Campbell Soup Company was advised by Centerview Partners, Goldman Sachs and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

About Butterfly:

Butterfly Equity (“Butterfly”) is a Los Angeles, California based private equity firm specializing in the food sector, spanning the entire food value chain from “seed to fork” via four target verticals: agriculture & aquaculture, food & beverage products, food distribution and foodservice. Butterfly aims to generate attractive investment returns through deep industry specialization, a unique approach to sourcing transactions, and leveraging an operations-focused and technology-driven approach to value creation. For additional information about Butterfly, please visit its website at www.butterflyequity.com.

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Eat Brighter Movement being Embraced by Retailers

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DSCN2879+1Sesame Street-branded products are in, or are planned for over 40 retailers representing more than 19,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada.  It is part of what is known as the Eat Brighter! movement.

A series of updates have been added to the program and marketing to allow produce industry members to incorporate the Sesame Street character images, royalty-free, into their marketing strategies. according to a press release from the Produce Marketing Association.

Five retailers received their own licensing to display Eat Brighter! in-store signage and dozens of other retailers have said they will accept Sesame Street-branded in their stores.  More retailers are expected to become licensed in coming weeks .

“We’re delighted by the response from both the supply- and buy-side of the industry,” Cathy Burns, president of PMA, said in the release. “We’ve spoken with each and every one of these companies, and they believe in the movement to help kids eat more fruits and vegetables. They are all industry leaders and recognize that success is defined through the collaboration and support they lend to one another.”

“The goal here is grand, but simple — to change the conversation around fresh produce and inspire kids to think about fruits and veggies in a completely different way,” Todd Putman, chief marketing officer of Bolthouse Farms and chairman of PMA’s marketing taskforce, said in the release.   “The U.S. is in a serious health crisis — one third of all kids are obese and our industry has the answer. The Eat Brighter! movement is exactly what we need to help the entire industry come together, change that conversation, and ultimately create healthier generations for decades to come.”

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Kid-Focused Produce Snacking Sections Now in Supermarkets

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DSCN2906+1Despite all the cheerleading for healthy eating, Americans still eat only about 1 serving of fruit per day, on average.  And our veggie consumption, according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls short, too.

So, with the back-to-school season underway and families thinking about what to pack in the lunch box, grocers are hoping to entice young consumers and their parents to the produce aisle by creating new, kid-focused snacking sections.

Giant Eagle is in the process of installing the go-to kid sections in about 200 stores in the mid-Atlantic and Ohio.  And Walmart is piloting the concept in 30 stores in California, with plans to roll it out to 1,500 stores later this fall.

Bolthouse Farms, the produce company that rolled out the successful extreme baby carrot campaign, is behind the effort.

The company has been developing products such as pureed fruit tubes that kids can suck and slurp, all-fruit smoothies and bags of baby carrots called Veggie Snackers that come with pouches of bright-colored, bold-flavored seasonings.

When kids open the package and shake in the seasoning, the carrots take on some of the characteristics of chips like Doritos. “They give you that crunch and flavor,” says Jeff Dunn, CEO of Bolthouse. “You’re going to lick your fingers, and get that same sensory [experience] you get with salty snacks.”

Dunn, a former Coca-Cola executive, is borrowing a lot of the marketing and design tactics used in the soda and snack industries to drive up demand in the healthy snacks business.

And many grocery retailers are eager to get in on the action. Laura Karet, CEO of Giant Eagle, says when she was first pitched the kid-focused destination in her stores’ produce aisles, she thought, “This is a win-win.”

“When I go into the produce section,” Karet says, “there’s not quite as much going on for [kids] compared to, say, the cereal aisle or the candy shelves.”

And she’s hoping the new approach will make the produce section pop for more kids. The price point, at $3.99 for multi-packs of Fruit Tubes and Veggie Snackers, is competitive, too.

 

 

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