Utz adds seven brands to its portfolio

Utz Quality Foods LLC has acquired seven snacking brands in a deal with Chicago-based branded food company, Conagra Brands.

The Hanover-based snack food company purchased Conagra’s direct store delivery snacks business for an undisclosed amount of money, the companies said this week.

Conagra has a portfolio of snacking businesses worth $2 billion which includes Slim Jim, Vlasic and Orville Redenbacher’s. The company said in September that it would be entering a definitive agreement with Utz to sell its businesses that relied on direct store delivery (DSD), a process where manufactured products are taken from a supplier to a retail store and bypass a distribution center.

“We continue to reshape our portfolio and focus our resources on priorities that support Conagra’s business strategy and create value for shareholders,” said Sean Connolly, president and CEO of Conagra. “While Conagra has a large and growing snacks business, we do not currently operate with a DSD model. We believe this business will have more opportunity for growth under Utz, an established DSD operator.”

Brands that were part of the deal include Erin’s Popcorn, Tim’s Cascade Snacks, Hawaiian Snacks and El Restaurante in Algona, Washington, Pop-N-Thin and Snyder of Berlin in Somerset County and Husman’s in Cincinatti, Ohio.

Snyder of Berlin, based in Somerset County, is a maker of potato chips, pretzels, popcorn and corn snacks. The company was founded in Hanover and split from its counterpart, Snyder’s of Hanover, in the 1950s to open a plant in Berlin. Pop-N-Thins is a product created by Snyder’s of Berlin.

Utz Quality Foods operates 11 manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania, Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana and Massachusetts. The company’s brands include Utz, Golden Flake, Boulder Canyon and Good Health.

Utz has not announced what it plans to do with the acquired brands or their manufacturing facilities. Dylan Lisette, CEO of Utz, said the company is excited to add both the brands and their capabilities to the company’s portfolio.

“These brands bring a strong consumer following and unique craft heritage,” Lissette said. “Their distribution and manufacturing capabilities, along with their customer relationship, enhance our ability to further grow our brand portfolio further west.”