Bonduelle, a French maker of canned, frozen and fresh-cut vegetables and delicatessen items, has an agreement to acquire Ready Pac Foods, the U.S. market leader in single-serve salad bowls.
Ready Pac, based in Irwindale, Calif., makes packaged salad products under the Bistro Bowl, Ready Snax and ElevAte brands, as well as other packaged, fresh-cut fruits and mixed vegetables. It has four production facilities – Irwindale; Jackson Ga.; and Florence and Swedesboro, N.J. – and about 3,500 full-time employees. Sales were $677 million in 2015, according to our Top 100© list.
The deal would make the U.S. the largest market for Bonduelle, which is headquartered in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. The price was not disclosed.
Bonduelle recently enacted a strategic ambition to grow its international footprint and change its product profile. In 2007 it bought Aliments Carrière in Canada, in 2007 and American vegetable canner Allens in 2012.
Ready Pac Foods will become Bonduelle's fifth business unit, along with Bonduelle Long Life Europe, Bonduelle Fresh Europe, Bonduelle Eurasia Markets and Bonduelle Americas (the last being canned and frozen vegetables in North and South America.
