1440 Foods Buys Protein Bar Maker Fitcrunch

Nov. 5, 2024

Portfolio company 1440 Foods, owner of the Pure Protein, Met-Rx and Body Fortress brands, acquired Fitcrunch, a protein bar brand from celebrity chef Robert Irvine, Union Capital Associates, L.P. and its founders.

In the process, Fitcrunch’s CEO Patrick Cornacchiulo will become CEO of 1440 Foods. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.

Fitcrunch was founded in 2012 by Bakery Barn and Robert Irvine to make high-protein snacks, including bars, wafers and powders catering to fitness enthusiasts and everyday consumers looking to enhance their diets.

The buyers called it “a highly complementary addition,” 1440 Foods is owned by 4x4 Capital and Bain Capital.

1440 is in the process of renovating a building in Jeffersonville, Ind., to manufacture its on-the-go, healthy snack products. The company will renovate 200,000 sq. ft., installing new equipment and investing a total of more than $60 million in the plant. Hiring is under way currently, and 1440 anticipates an opening date in 2025 for the facility.

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.