Gourmet News

Sugar Foods Promotes Brule to President, CEO

Published July 29, 2024

Sugar Foods, a leading producer of crunchy toppings, croutons, beverage ingredients, pizza toppings and more beloved products for prominent foodservice, grocery, retail and restaurant brands, has named Andrea Brule to the role of president and chief executive officer. Brule, who has been with Sugar Foods since 2004 and serves as president, succeeds Marty Wilson, who is retiring. Wilson will remain as an advisor to Brule and the Sugar Foods leadership team.

“I am deeply honored to serve as only the fourth CEO in Sugar Foods’ 80-year history and am grateful to Marty for his many years of mentorship,” said Brule. “Sugar Foods has always held a special place in my heart, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside the rest of our leadership team as we continue to strengthen our customer relationships, enhance our capabilities across product categories and drive long-term growth.”

During her 20-year tenure with the company, Brule has led strategy development and execution across Sugar Foods’ sales channels, product categories, marketing, pricing and R&D. As the company’s president, she has been instrumental in guiding Sugar Foods’ strategic initiatives to expand its product portfolio, develop customer-focused innovations and execute the company’s growth plan, including both organic and acquisition growth.

“Andrea is an incredibly talented executive, and she is the right leader for Sugar Foods’ next chapter of growth and expansion,” said Wilson. “Since joining the team and through her recent tenure as President, Andrea has made immeasurable contributions to Sugar Foods, our team and our customers. Our company has built a strong foundation, and I am thrilled for the growth opportunities and innovation potential ahead with Andrea as CEO.”

“Andrea is a terrific leader, with strategic vision, strong values and proven operational acumen,” said Chris Trick, investment partner at Pritzker Private Capital. “We congratulate Andrea on her well-earned appointment, and we are delighted to continue our successful partnership with Sugar Foods as we support the company’s growth.”

Sugar Foods is a multinational food products company serving all segments of the marketplace – foodservice, retail, specialty and quick-service outlets. Founded in New York City in 1948, its brands include Fresh Gourmet, Mrs. Cubbison and N’Joy, along with private label and licensed products, and the company is a leader in producing crunchy toppings, croutons, beverage ingredients, pizza toppings and more products beloved by consumers. The company has won numerous industry awards for product innovation, operational excellence and customer service. Backed by more than 1,400 employees, it operates five manufacturing and distribution facilities across the United States and Mexico. For more information, visit sugarfoods.com.

Pritzker Private Capital partners with middle-market companies based in North America with leading positions in the manufactured products and services sectors. The firm’s differentiated, long-duration capital base allows for efficient decision-making, broad flexibility with transaction structure and investment horizon, and alignment with all stakeholders. Pritzker Private Capital builds businesses for the long term and is an ideal partner for entrepreneur- and family-owned companies. Pritzker Private Capital is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. For more information, visit PPCPartners.com.

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Nutritional Growth Solutions to Produce, Distribute The Healthy Chef in North America

Published July 29, 2024

Nutritional Growth Solutions Limited, a U.S.-based health, nutrition, and wellness company, has entered into an exclusive Intellectual Property License Agreement with The Healthy Chef Pty Ltd. to exclusively produce and distribute The Healthy Chef products in the United States and Canada.

The Healthy Chef was founded in Australia in 2006 by Teresa Cutter, a nutritionist, wellness coach and celebrity chef, with the premium brand reflecting her belief that wholefood nutrition is essential for optimal health and wellbeing. The Healthy Chef products are primarily sold through their Direct-To-Consumer eCommerce platform with a loyal Australian customer base, underpinned by a rich library of product innovation, content, cookbooks, recipes, and intellectual property, including seven U.S. trademarks.

Stephen Turner, NGS CEO and managing director, commented on signing the exclusive IP License Agreement: “We are thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with The Healthy Chef in North America, marking a pivotal step-change for the company. This milestone signifies our first IP licensing agreement to partner with synergistic Australian brands poised for success in the U.S. marketplace. This enhanced, capital light model leverages our existing team expertise, infrastructure and distribution platforms in the U.S., enabling the business to scale rapidly without needing additional capital or significant increases in corporate costs.”

The exclusive IP Licence will enable NGS to maximise its USA infrastructure and significantly fast track the path to positive cashflow and profitability with increased scale. The Healthy Chef provides a cornerstone comprehensive branded business that is:

Highly complementary to the existing NGS business and Healthy Heights brand portfolio
Synergistic opportunities to scale with operational cost optimization
Increased quality revenue expected to be above US$1 million in the first year of trading
High margin and profit accretive
Combined online and offline distribution network in the USA with cross-selling opportunities
Capable of seamless transition and integration with current USA operational model
No significant additional corporate costs to grow the business at scale

NGS will engage Cutter as a consultant to provide the Company with services such as brand ambassadorship, and product and recipe development under a consulting services deed.

Cutter said, “This strategic partnership with an industry leader in nutrition offers an unrivaled opportunity for The Healthy Chef brand to reach millions more consumers seeking health and wellness products. Both businesses share a common vision regarding the future of food, health and wellbeing. I look forward to partnering with NGS in North America to represent and grow this amazing brand.”

The Healthy Chef is a premium producer of wellness and health products under the brand The Healthy Chef with a loyal customer base in Australia and significant library of product innovation, content and intellectual property generated over 17 years.

The Healthy Chef premium range of functional food products are proudly made in Australia from the purest wholefood ingredients with science-based formulations to deliver maximum health impact, and are free from gluten, fillers and sugar without compromising on taste.

Nutritional Growth Solutions is a U.S.-based health, nutrition, and wellness company. NGS develops, produces and sells clinically tested nutritional supplement formula for children following 20 years of medical research into pediatric nutrition at Schneider Children’s Medical Centre, Israel’s largest pediatric hospital. The nutritional supplements market has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, but most attention has been focused on adult users and children under three years of age. The three to twelve-year-old consumers represent a larger market opportunity and NGS is highly differentiated from its competitors with clinically tested products and an expanding product portfolio to capture this market opportunity.

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Imperial Dade Acquires Arizona’s Excell Direct

Published July 29, 2024

Imperial Dade, a leading North American distributor of foodservice packaging supplies, industrial products, and janitorial supplies, has acquired Excell Direct, LLC. The transaction represents the 91st acquisition for Imperial Dade under the leadership of Robert and Jason Tillis, chairman and CEO of Imperial Dade, respectively. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.

Founded by Stewart and Crystal Leary, their tireless work ethic and customer first approach has helped Excell become a premier distributor of foodservice and janitorial products in Arizona. The company commands an exceptional reputation in the market and operates with the same hyper focus on customer service as it had when it was founded. By leveraging Imperial Dade’s market leading platform, Excell’s customers can expect the same exceptional customized service coupled with an even diversified offering of products and solutions.

“I enthusiastically welcome Stewart, Crystal and the entire Excell family to Imperial Dade. This is a perfect fit without our growing organization and we are excited for this next chapter of profitable growth,” said Robert Tillis. “Imperial Dade continues to expand its presence in Arizona, and we are looking forward to continuing together in our mission to organically grow and provide unmatched customer service across North America,” said Jason Tillis.

“On behalf of Excell Direct, we are thrilled to be part of Imperial Dade. They share the same relentless focus on delivering the best service and product offering to the customer. We look forward to the next chapter together and strengthening our vendor relationships,” said Stewart Leary, CEO & president of Excell Direct.

Founded in 1935, Imperial Dade serves more than 120,000 customers across North America. Since Chairman Robert Tillis and CEO Jason Tillis assumed their roles in 2007, the company has grown both organically and through acquisitions to become a leader in the foodservice, packaging and janitorial supplies industry. For additional information, visit www.imperialdade.com.

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