Rind Snacks, a US fruit snack maker, has acquired granola company Small Batch Organics, marking its first acquisition in the food and beverage industry. The deal will drive significant margin growth and operating efficiencies through vertical integration. In the wake of the acquisition, Vermont-based Small Batch Organics will see its products rebranded to Rind in 2024. This purchase is a major milestone in Rind’s evolution from a leading dried fruit brand into a vertically-integrated healthy snack platform. With this acquisition, Rind CEO Matt Weiss stated, “The addition of Small Batch and its dedicated team enhances our ability to craft premium, healthy and innovative snacks for more customers in a flexible and highly scalable manner.”
Rind and Small Batch share a special kinship that makes this outcome such a natural fit. Our products and values are highly complementary. There are plans to introduce “several collaborative innovations” between the two companies including the launch of the first joint product, Rind Cherry Cashew Crunch, featuring upcycled cherries, cashews, and vanilla granola clusters. Retailers including Walmart and Wegman’s will stock the snack. The company said the expanded business would sell into around 12,000 retail stores “and is slated to generate over $25m in retail sales by year’s end”.
Rind Snacks launched in 2018 with a goal to minimize waste by making “upcycled fruit snacks”. It manufactures fruit-and nut-based products under the Rind brand name. Rind CEO Matt Weiss mentioned, “The expanded Rind product range will include ‘several collaborative innovations’ between the two companies.”Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
The company shared that Lindsay Martin, the founder of Small Batch Organics, will oversee production and new product development for the combined business. Lindsay Martin expressed her enthusiasm for the acquisition and the shared values of the two companies. In her words, “Rind and Small Batch share a special kinship that makes this outcome such a natural fit.” This collaboration will allow them to fulfill their shared mission of providing premium, healthy, and innovative snack options to customers.
