LINCOLNSHIRE, ILL. — Marcus Lemonis, host of CNBC’s TV show “The Profit,” has invested in the food industry again. On Dec. 31 he announced a partnership with Betty Lou’s, Inc., a health snacks company based in McMinnville, Ore. The company manufactures, supplies and co-packs food ingredients, health bars and crackers. Last July Lemonis Fischer Acquisition Company, L.L.C., a joint venture created by Marcus Lemonis, L.L.C. and Fischer Enterprises, L.L.C., agreed to acquire Crumbs Bake Shop, a New York-based cupcake specialty store chain, as part of the company’s filing of voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New York.
Betty Lou Carrier started Betty Lou’s in 1978. The company’s snack products are sold at grocery supermarkets and health food stores as well as on-line at www.bettylousinc.com. Betty Lou’s accommodates food allergies, sensitivities and dietary preferences by offering products that are gluten-free and free of refined sugars, hydrogenated oils and bioengineered foods. The company has two gluten-free facilities, one is 35,000 square feet and the other is 100,000 square feet.
“After doing business with Betty Lou Carrier, I saw that she possessed the three essential P’s of business success: people, process and product,” said Mr. Lemonis, a Chicago-based entrepreneur. “I am excited to partner with Betty Lou’s on her food manufacturing dream that started more than 30 years ago through baking healthy snacks for her own children.
“She is a world-class visionary that has made many strides in her community and the co-packing industry, and I look forward to working with her and her company to reach monumental heights by broadening our reach of Betty Lou branded packaged goods and co-packaged products.”
Ms. Carrier said, “We’ve had tremendous growth over the past 30 years, and I attribute that to our people, our product quality and consistent focus on providing only the best finished goods. This partnership gives us access to the additional resources needed to take the company’s development to the next level, and we will now be better equipped to give our customers a faster turnaround through receiving assistance with elements such as regulation, marketing, package designs and most importantly sales.”
