UK soup and pie manufacturer Baxters Food Group has acquired Truitt Bros, a US-based contract manufacturer of shelf-stable, thermally processed foods.
Edinburgh-based Baxters, which also manufactures sauces, chutneys and preserves, said the deal – struck for an undisclosed sum – is part of its US growth strategy.
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Truitt started out as a canning business but now preserves meals in pouches using thermal processing and retort equipment. It produces more than 400 varieties of shelf-stable meals.
It operates from sites at Salem, Oregon, its HQ, and East Bernstadt, Kentucky, and has more than 500 employees. It sells its products to companies ranging from start-ups to the world’s largest brands.
Audrey Baxter, executive chairman and group CEO of Baxters Food Group, said: “Truitt Bros is an industry innovator, providing high quality customised products to a wide variety of food companies across the US.
“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 [the US food business Baxters acquired in 2014] to develop an integrated North American business.”
