FRISCO, TEXAS — RG1 Holding Co., LLC, a subsidiary of Ruiz Food Products, Inc., has acquired the assets of Culinary International, LLC, a Vernon, Calif.-based contract manufacturer of ready-to-eat frozen and refrigerated foods, including handhelds, appetizers, entrees and tortillas. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The acquisition includes Culinary International’s 75,000-square-foot manufacturing facility located in Vernon and its nearby 43,200-square-foot dry goods and cold storage facility. The transaction is expected to provide Ruiz Foods with additional flexible manufacturing capacity on the West Coast.
“Culinary International has been a respected and valued supplier for over six years, and we are very proud of this long-term relationship,” said Dan Antonelli, president and chief executive officer of Ruiz Foods. “Their expertise in producing retail and foodservice frozen Mexican products will enhance our capacity for flexible manufacturing on the West Coast. Our commitment to our customers is paramount to our operations, and this acquisition will enhance our customer service levels as we leverage our core values of innovation, safety, quality, teamwork, integrity and respect.”
Robert Sabahat, CEO of Culinary International, added, “We have enjoyed a long and fruitful partnership with Ruiz Foods as a co-manufacturer for some of their most important products. Our mutual commitment to food safety and quality will only serve to reinforce their core values and commitments to customer service.”
Ruiz Foods said Mr. Sabahat will lead the transition while Sean Minooei, who has overseen manufacturing operations at the Vernon plant, will continue to provide operational oversight as director of operations.
Founded in 1964, Ruiz Foods manufactures prepared frozen foods for distribution to retail, convenience stores, clubs, vending, industrial and foodservice. The company has five facilities in the United States and its brands include El Monterey, Tornados, Artisan Bistro and Plantivore.