Gourmet News

Seroogy’s Chocolates Celebrates 125th Anniversary

Published September 10, 2024

Seroogy’s Chocolates, headquartered in De Pere, Wis., is celebrating its 125^th anniversary throughout 2024, including a special event from noon until 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, with prizes, drawings, discounts, free samples and more.

Third generation owners brothers Jim and Joe Seroogy are the grandsons and great nephews of Joe, Jim and Sol Seroogy, who founded the company in 1899.

The original owners operated a sandwich shop in the Green Bay area in the late 1890s. One of the brothers made a batch of fudge one day and offered pieces to their lunch customers. Within a short time, the fudge and other chocolates outsold the sandwiches and the business transitioned into a candy store.

A former grocery store at 144 N. Wisconsin St., De Pere, became the home for the company’s retail store, production and shipping departments in 1992. Expanding sales led to the opening of a second retail store at 784 Willard Dr., Ashwaubenon, near the Green Bay Packer’s football stadium, in 2008. Customers can also make purchases directly from the company’s website, www.seroogys.com.

With a Wisconsin manufacturer’s license, Seroogy’s chocolatiers make more than 300 varieties of chocolate candies in various sizes, novelty chocolates for every season and caramel corn. Popular chocolates are Chocolate Meltaways, Pecan and Cashew Snappers (layered nuts, caramel and chocolate), English Toffee and Caramels.

In addition, Seroogy’s has offered a fundraising program to nonprofit community organizations throughout Wisconsin and beyond for more than 50 years.

The stores are a convenient one stop shop for gifts, special occasions, holidays and entertaining. Along with their homemade chocolates, they sell coffee and tea, nuts and snacks, seasonal candy, gourmet condiments, home décor, Green Bay Packer’s merchandise and greeting cards. Seroogy’s designers also create custom gifts on request for an individual or an entire list of clients and employees for a business.

Daniel Jauquet is the company’s general manager. Robert Foster is the retail manager at both sites. The stores are open every day except major holidays.

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Cooper Street Snacks Acquires Harvest Valley Bakery

Published September 10, 2024

Better-for-you snack company Cooper Street Snacks has acquired Harvest Valley Bakery. Following the acquisition, the facility will be rebranded as Cooper Street Bakery, marking a significant milestone in the company’s strategic growth plan. This acquisition will bolster Cooper Street’s production capabilities and enhance its ability to meet growing demand while maintaining the highest standards of quality and food safety.

The acquisition aligns with company’s vision to strengthen its operational foundation and increase production efficiency. The newly acquired Cooper Street Bakery will operate independently from the Cooper Street Snacks brand but will play a crucial role in supporting the company’s expanding product lines.

The upcoming changes reflect Cooper Street’s commitment to investing in both infrastructure and personnel to support the bakery’s operations. By investing in upgrading the Harvest Valley Bakery facility, Cooper Street aims to modernize its production capabilities, improve efficiency, and uphold the highest food safety standards. This strategic investment will introduce advanced baking technologies and processes, allowing the company to meet the increasing demands of the market while maintaining its quality commitments.

To ensure a smooth transition and enhance operational effectiveness, Cooper Street has welcomed several high-level industry experts to the team. These professionals bring extensive experience in baking, contract manufacturing, and financial management. With their combined expertise, the company is well-positioned to oversee the facility’s operations, drive strategic investments, and maintain a high standard of food safety and product quality. The addition of this seasoned talent will support the company’s efforts to reliably deliver high-quality, food-safe products to its brand partners.

These appointments are expected to contribute significantly to the successful integration and operation of Cooper Street Bakery, ensuring that the facility delivers high-quality, food-safe products to brand partners reliably.

The acquisition of Harvest Valley Bakery is a strategic move designed to enhance Cooper Street’s production capacity and operational efficiency. With substantial investments and the addition of key personnel, Cooper Street is set to improve its production capabilities and continue providing exceptional products to its brand partners.

The transition to Cooper Street Bakery is anticipated to be completed in early fall 2024, with ongoing updates provided as the integration progresses. This acquisition underscores the company’s commitment to growth and excellence in the snack food industry.

Cooper Street is a family-owned brand that offers a unique spin on traditional snacks with a focus on Better-for-you ingredients, unique flavors . Known for its delicious, lower-calorie cookies and granola bakes made with real fruit and no artificial ingredients, the company has been a favorite among health-conscious consumers. The brand is dedicated to providing high-quality products and continuously innovating to meet the needs of its customers.

For more information and a chance to pick-up your own pack of twice-baked cookies, visit https://cooperstreet.com/. For more updates, follow them on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to get the latest scoop.

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ProAmpac Recognized at 2024 AmeriStar Awards

Published September 9, 2024

ProAmpac, a leader in flexible packaging and material science, won recognition at the 2024 AmeriStar Awards, securing two wins in the Sustainable Packaging category and contributing to a third recognition for an innovative e-commerce solution. The accolades showcase ProAmpac’s dedication to sustainability and innovation with the RAP Sandwich Wedge for Sammi’s; ProActive Recyclable RP-1000 Paper Series for Marks & Spencer’s organic potatoes; and the insulated paper bag known as ProActive Recyclable FiberCool.

“The recognition by AmeriStar reflects our relentless pursuit of innovative and sustainable packaging solutions,” said Chad Murdock, president of the fiber division at ProAmpac. “We’re honored to have our efforts acknowledged, especially as we continue to advance in areas like the fiberization of packaging that contribute to a more circular economy.”

Developed for Sammi’s grab-and-go sandwiches, the high-barrier RAP Sandwich Wedge, with a premium shelf appearance, utilizes a fiber-based carton board with a transparent window. This innovative solution employs modified atmosphere packaging, optimizing product preservation and visibility while maintaining very low oxygen levels for extended shelf life and decreased food waste.

“Our technical team is at the forefront of fiber packaging innovation across diverse markets,” said Lynsey Maddison, director of product development at ProAmpac. “We are committed to advancing these technologies to help our customers achieve more sustainable packaging solutions. As we continue to explore new applications and improvements, our goal remains to drive impactful, eco-friendly advancements in the industry.”

In addition to these two awards, ProAmpac contributed to a win in the Packaging that Saves Food category with the ProActive Recyclable FiberCool, an insulated paper bag for e-commerce delivery. This fiber-based, curbside-recyclable solution replaces a bulky traditional multi-package system, reducing packaging weight and drastically enhancing thermal retention.

“Our work on FiberCool exemplifies how we can innovate to meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging without compromising on performance,” said Ray Recchia, global innovation manager at ProAmpac. “By improving thermal insulation, we help reduce food spoilage and waste, giving customers more flexibility with their groceries after delivery,” adds Recchia.

As ProAmpac continues to innovate, it remains dedicated to enhancing sustainability and product performance. For more information on ProAmpac’s award-winning packaging solutions, visit ProAmpac.com or contact Marketing@ProAmpac.com.

ProAmpac is a leading global flexible packaging company with a comprehensive product offering, providing creative packaging solutions, industry-leading customer service and award-winning innovation to a diverse global marketplace. ProAmpac’s approach to sustainability – ProActive Sustainability – provides innovative sustainable flexible packaging products to help our customers achieve their sustainability goals. We are guided in our work by five core values that are the basis for our success: Integrity, Intensity, Innovation, Involvement and Impact. Cincinnati-based ProAmpac is owned by Pritzker Private Capital along with management and co-investors. For more information, visit ProAmpac.com or contact Media@ProAmpac.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 (PRI). For more information, visit PPCPartners.com.

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