Conagra Brands Acquires Parent of Fatty Smoked Meat Sticks

Aug. 12, 2024

Conagra did not say how much it paid for Sweetwood Smoke & Co., but it should fit in with the acquirer’s Slim Jim and Duke’s meat snacks.

Dave Fusaro

Conagra Brands acquired Sweetwood Smoke & Co., maker of Fatty Smoked Meat Sticks, presumably to fit in with Conagra’s Slim Jim and Duke’s meat snacks. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Conagra described Fatty meat sticks as made with pork and beef smoked with real hickory wood. Ryan Wood, founder and CEO of Sweetwood Smoke & Co., said he’s looking forward to working with Conagra.

"The acquisition of Fatty Smoked Meat Sticks is another step in reshaping our portfolio for faster growth," said Sean Connolly, president and CEO of Conagra Brands. "Adding a premium brand such as Fatty to our growing, better-for-you snack portfolio is consistent with our strategic focus on the snacking and frozen categories."

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.