These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding expected synergies and benefits of a potential combination of Conagra Brands and Thanasi and BIGS, expectations about future business plans, prospective performance and opportunities, regulatory approvals and the expected timing of the completion of the transaction. Ford Vehicles Could Soon Repossess Themselves. Conagras last acquisition of a natural products company was last September, when it picked up Frontera Foods and Red Fork. Thanasi Foods is a manufacturer and distributor of packaged snack foods. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, Hunt's, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim and Orville Redenbacher's, as well as emerging brands, including Alexia, Blake's and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. Pork, Peaches, Cane Sugar, Less than 2% of: Salt, Spices, Brown Cane Sugar, Dried Tomato, Vinegar, Dried Onion, Celery Powder (Celery Powder, Sea Salt), Yeast Extract, Dried Garlic, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid. (NYSE: Justin "Duke" Havlick, Duke's and BIGS founder and chief executive officer, said, "What started 13 years ago as a simple passion for fire roasting seeds and slow smoking meats, has grown . Justin Duke Havlick. Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP served as legal counsel to Thanasi Foods LLC and BIGS LLC. The valley's cooler climate helps our local farmer friends produce chiles with an unforgettably-smoky and sweet taste. Dukes is a fast-growing premium meat snack brand, with products including Dukes Smoked Shorty Sausages and Dukes Steak & Brisket Strips. These special Southern-style Smoked Shorty Sausages are made with 100% pure hickory wood to add a bold, rustic smoked flavor that complements the ripe sweetness of the peaches. Both of the founders will stay involved with the business. U. p until 2007 or so, the jerky and snack meat market was mostly shared between four major players. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. This is an incredibly exciting time for our brands and our team, and we are looking . 80 . San Francisco, CA 94111 This is another exciting step in our ongoing efforts to reshape our portfolio to be more premium and modern, said Sean Connolly, president and chief executive officer of Conagra Brands. For example, you dont want to pair a spicier beer with a spicy jerky. Snacks & Candy Conagra Brands to Acquire Thanasi Foods Duke's Meat Snacks and Bigs Seeds will join portfolio already stocked by Slim Jim and David Seeds By Abbey Lewis on Mar. Financial terms were not disclosed. Gluten-free Nutrition . Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Jensen Werley Greg O'Neal, left, is vice president of marketing, and Justin Havlick is founder and chief executive of Thanasi Foods, creator of Duke's meat snacks and BIGS seeds. "This is another exciting step in our ongoing efforts to reshape our portfolio to be more premium and modern," said Sean Connolly, president and chief executive officer of Conagra Brands. Encore was a key strategic partner for me and our team at Thanasi. Dukes Roasted Cayenne Beef Jerky & Left Hand Wake Up Dead. BIGS partners with some of America's most iconic and loved ingredient brands to bring big, bold flavors to its seeds. For the love of jerky, Justin "Duke" Havlick Current Product Lineup Smoked Shorty Sausages - Chorizo & Lime (1.25oz) Smoked Shorty Sausages - Chorizo & Lime (5oz) Smoked Shorty Sausages - Original Recipe (1.25oz) Smoked Shorty Sausages - Original Recipe (5oz) Smoked Shorty Sausages - Hatch Green Chile (1.25oz) - Justin Duke Havlick. Even "Top Gun" couldn't save the F/A-18 Super Hornet. We are looking forward to working with the Thanasi team to grow the brands further and create value for our shareholders.". The buyer is Justin "Duke" Havlick, president and CEO of Boulder-based Thanasi Foods, which sells Frank's Redhot Beef Jerky, Jim Beam Beef Jerky, Stubbs BBQ Beef Jerky, Duke's Smoked Shorty. About a year ago, in late January, Hershey, Pa.-based confectionery giant Hershey (HSY) - Get Free Report acquired Sonoma, Calif.-based Krave Pure Foods Inc., the maker of Krave jerky products, for roughly nine times its revenue of $35 million, or more than $300 million. Company Founder and President Justin "Duke" Havlick is doing exactly what he loves to do: combining his love of food with his love of the outdoors (he lives in Boulder, CO, after all). - Justin Duke Havlick. Conagra Their brands include Duke's Smoked Shorty Sausages and Bigs Sunflower Seeds. Following the completion of the transaction, the Dukes and BIGS brands will continue operating out of Boulder, Colorado. It's not the easiest way to do things, or the quickest, but I think you'll agree you can taste the difference. This is an incredibly exciting time for our brands and our team, and we are looking . His inspiration was to bring unique flavors and a specialty, craft focus to two categories (seeds and smoked meat snacks) that were, at the time, somewhat less differentiated. It's no wonder why hatch chiles have become famous through the decades. All Rights Reserved BNP Media. Financial terms were not disclosed. Repeat. The general rule of pairing beer and jerky is to start with the milder items and work your way up to the bolder flavors. The carmaker's new patent is raising some eyebrows. Copyright 2023. To ensure that valuable tech wont be handed over to Ford. This unique combination creates a robust harmony between the herbal and spice notes of both beer and jerky. 17, 2017 (smoked with hickory and hops) was paired with Devils Backbone's Striped Bass Pale Ale. With an ongoing commitment to corporate citizenship, Conagra Brands has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for six consecutive years. Honestly for me, just being fortunate enough to be in this position to lead such a great team for 13 years has been a remarkable journey and I feel this is ashoutout to all the entrepreneurs in our lives to say you can do anything that you put your mind to, Havlick said. We undertake no responsibility for updating these statements. Justin "Duke" Havlick, Duke's and BIGS founder and chief executive officer, said, "What started 13 years ago as a simple passion for fire roasting seeds and slow smoking meats, has grown into two terrific brands that are recognized in households across the U.S. The Duke's jerky brand name was started in 2004 by Justin Havlick, aka "Duke". CAG) Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. Small batch care: Batch case qty. Business Wire Encore Consumer Capital, a private equity firm that invests exclusively in leading consumer products companies, has completed the sale of Thanasi Foods, marketer of the Dukes and BIGS snack brands, to Conagra Brands, one of North Americas leading branded food companies. Their brands include Duke's Smoked Shorty Sausages and Bigs Sunflower Seeds. General Mills, along with a number of the other food giants, has been stocking up on makers of natural and organic food due to the decline in the volume of more highly processed foods that include ingredients not considered natural. This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to All rights reserved. Encore came in as minority partner that really assisted some of our earlier members on a transition out, Havlick told NOSH. Our database of leading suppliers and service providers for the food and beverage industries. The valuation was said to be five times the approximately $20 million in revenue Epic was estimated to have generated in 2015. Havlick added, "What started 13 years ago as a simple passion for fire roasting seeds and slow smoking meats, has grown into two terrific brands that are recognized in households across the U.S. A new video series from Manufacturing.net - Security Breach, looks to offer the insight and tools needed to ready your company's defenses. Slow dried with no nitrites added (except for those naturally occurring in sea salt and celery powder). We begin with a simple blend of classic spices before adding chopped green Italian parsley and a touch of real . The buyer is Justin "Duke" Havlick, president and CEO of Boulder-based Thanasi Foods, which sells Frank's Redhot Beef Jerky, Jim Beam Beef Jerky, Stubbs BBQ Beef Jerky, Duke's Smoked Shorty. CAGNY This batch was freshly crafted with roasted hatch chiles. The Deal reported in December that Epic was seeking a sale, aided by investment bank Piper Jaffray & Co. This batch was freshly crafted with peach bbq relish. The company was acquired by Conagra Brands in 2017. Encores current and prior investments include food and beverage companies (Aidells Sausage Company, Ancient Harvest, Brownie Brittle, Ciao Bella, Full Sail Brewing, Isopure, Navitas, PhillySwirl), personal care products companies (butter LONDON, MyChelle Dermaceuticals, LORAC, Tarte Cosmetics), and pet products companies (ThunderWorks, Zukes), among others. Sodium 2 g. Sugars Nutrition Facts . This is an incredibly exciting time for our brands and our team, and we are looking forward to working with the Conagra Brands team on the next chapter in our journey to take Dukes and BIGS to another level. Havlick continued, The Conagra Brands team values our brand beliefs and is committed to continuing to use quality ingredients and the craft methods that deliver the creativity and flavor our consumers and fans love today.. Justin 'Duke' Havlick of Duke's Jerky. Justin's address history includes 485 College Ave, Boulder, CO 80302. The Good Juju provides a delicious transition to a sweet spice of ginger, leaving your palateclean, refreshed and savoring a perfect balance between spice and heat. Justin "Duke" Havlick, Duke's and BIGS founder and chief executive officer, said, "What started 13 years ago as a simple passion for fire roasting seeds and slow smoking meats, has grown into two terrific brands that are recognized in households across the U.S. General Mills said Epic will become part of its Berkeley, Calif.-based Annie's division, which is headed by John Foraker, that unit's president. Based in Boulder, CO, BIGS produces a line of premium, USA-grown seed snacks, including jumbo, fire-roasted in-shell sunflower seeds, sunflower seed kernels, and homestyle-roasted pumpkin seeds. Readers of this press release should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. - Justin Duke Havlick. Products distributed by Thanasi Foods are available in approximately 45,000 supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery stores, and drug stores in the United States and Canada. The valley's cooler climate helps our local farmer friends produce chiles with an . No liquid smoke. Justin "Duke" Havlick, Duke's and BIGS founder and CEO, said, "What started 13 years ago as a simple passion for fire roasting seeds and slow smoking meats, has grown into two terrific brands that are recognized in households across the U.S. 111 Pine Street Suite 1825 Havlick founded the company 13 years ago with investment from friends and family. The sweetness of the beer calms the spiciness of the pepper, leaving a well-balanced aftertaste that is very satisfying! Robert Brown, managing director of Encore Consumer Capital, said, Thanasi Foods founder and CEO Justin Duke Havlick decided to bring on a strategic and financial partner, and we are honored that he chose Encore to help the company grow. The strips are smoked slowly until they reaches a level of utmost tenderness and replicate a fall-off-the-bone feel and taste. BOULDER Conagra Brands Inc. (NYSE: CAG) has agreed to acquire Thanasi Foods LLC, maker of Duke's meat snacks, and BIGS LLC, maker of BIGS seeds. By providing your email, you agree to our. No worries. 312-549-5355 Focused on crafting the highest-quality smoked meat snacks available, the family-operated business refuses to take shortcuts and is committed to producing its products in small batches with real, whole ingredients, fresh never-frozen pork and chicken, 100% grass-fed beef, and authentic hardwood smoke pairings. Duke has raised the steaks The roots go deep on this meat. dukesmeat.com. This is an incredibly exciting time for our brands and our team, and we are looking . 2023 It's not the easiest way to do things, or the quickest, but I think you'll agree you can taste the difference. 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