USA – Scottish food producer, Baxters Food Group, has acquired US-based contract manufacturer Truitt Bros for an undisclosed sum.
Headquartered in Salem, Oregon, Truitt Bros also operates a site in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, and has more than 500 employees.
“The acquisition is a vital part of our US and global growth strategy and offers us the opportunity to capitalise on our existing US business.”
Audrey Baxter – Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Baxters Food Group
The company is a contract manufacturer of shelf-stable, thermally processed foods, with a diverse customer base ranging from start-ups to large brands.
“Truitt Bros is an industry innovator, providing high-quality customised products to a wide variety of food companies across the US,” said Audrey Baxter, executive chairman and group CEO of Baxters Food Group.
“The acquisition is a vital part of our US and global growth strategy and offers us the opportunity to capitalise on our existing US business.
“We will be working closely with the leadership teams at Truitt and Wornick to develop an integrated North American business,” she added.
Earlier this year, Baxters launched a range of plant-based soups to meet growing consumer demand for vegan-friendly options.
The new range of tinned plant-based soups, which marks new territory for the brand, comes in three ‘nutritious’ variants: Jackfruit, Three Bean & Chipotle; Sri Lankan Sweet Potato; and Butternut Squash & Lentil Dhansak.
With the launch, Baxters aims to provide a convenient and ‘vibrant’ choice for consumers following a vegan diet, or seeking to eat more plant-based foods.
The new soups are said to be inspired by traditional recipes from around the world, including Mexico, Sri Lanka and India and to burst with ‘natural’ and ‘wholesome’ flavours.
Lorraine Rothwell, European marketing director at Baxters Food Group, said: “At Baxters, we’ve always championed new and innovative products. From being the first brand to introduce twist-off jar lids for our preserves in the 60s to developing the first ever vegetarian-specific tinned soup range in the 80s, innovation is at our core. So, we’re excited to launch our first ever plant-based range to the market.
“Creating this range is something we’ve been working on for a while. Not only did we want something that was vegan-friendly, but we wanted to showcase our commitment to introducing new and exciting recipes that also provide plenty of flavour and nutrients.”
In 2015, Baxters celebrated its 150th anniversary with the release of a limited-edition can for its original Royal Game soup, featuring a commemorative label.
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