BLOOMINGTON, MINN. — Schwan’s Co. has acquired Better Baked Foods and Drayton Foods from NE Foods Inc., a move that will help the company “increase its capabilities in the U.S. pizza market,” Schwan’s Co. said. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Better Baked Foods, based in North East, Pa., manufactures pizza, french bread pizza and sandwich items for private label customers and food service venues. In retail stores, the company sells products under the brands Better Baked Classics, Daybreak Classics, Papa Presto, Zap-A-Snack and Odyssey. The business, which includes Better Baked Foods of Erie, L.L.C., operates production facilities in North East, Pa., Erie, Pa., and Westfield, N.Y.
Drayton Foods, based in Fargo, N.D., makes pizza crusts, dough balls, breadsticks and dinner rolls for its food industry customers and offers its Two Sicily’s brand in retail stores.
“We are focused on adding to our capabilities and growing our share of the U.S. pizza market,” said Dimitrios Smyrnios, chief executive officer of Schwan’s Co. “We are extremely happy to add Better Baked Foods and Drayton Foods to our family of businesses as both are highly regarded for providing quality foods to their retail, food service and home-delivery customers nationwide.”
The acquisition of Better Baked Foods and Drayton Foods follows Schwan’s Co.’s acquisition of MaMa Rosa’s Pizza in June.
“The U.S. consumer’s passion for pizza continues to evolve and grow in exciting ways,” Mr. Smyrnios said. “The addition of Better Baked, Drayton and MaMa Rosa’s to Schwan’s will deepen our collaborations with strategic food service and retail customers on innovating and growing the pizza category and meeting consumer demand.”
