Sweetmore Bakeries has purchased California-based peer Fantasy Baking Co., giving the US bakery group its first manufacturing facility on the West Coast.
The value of the transaction has not been made public.
In a statement issued yesterday (25 August), the Chicago-headquartered company said the acquisition advances its plan to create a “coast-to-coast network for premium sweet baked goods”.
Backed by Shore Capital Partners, Sweetmore said the deal “further expands the company’s scale” and “strengthens its position” across the cookie and baked bar categories.
Fantasy Baking is now the sixth site within the Sweetmore network. The business joins Main Street Gourmet, Biscotti Brothers, Azteca Bakeries, Meurer Brothers and Sweet Eddie’s.
Sweetmore Bakeries CEO David Veenstra said: “Fantasy Baking gives us a true West Coast manufacturing footprint and deeper category capabilities that strengthen our ability to serve customers’ various product needs nationwide.
“Between their R&D bench strength and their reach into better-for-you trends, this addition makes Sweetmore an even stronger strategic national partner.”
Established in 1979 and based in Sylmar, Fantasy Baking produces branded and private-label sweet baked goods. Its portfolio includes cookies, fruit-filled bars and dessert bars.
The manufacturer also makes protein bars and breakfast bars, alongside dry blends, ice-cream ingredients and inclusions. Fantasy Baking has an internal research and development laboratory.
Fantasy Baking CEO Russ Case said: “For over 45 years, the Fantasy Baking team has built our business on doing right by our customers – innovation, quality, and service our partners can rely on.
“Joining a like-minded partner like Sweetmore allows us to continue this tradition while providing access to scale and resources that will enable Fantasy to serve a broader audience and expand its capabilities.”
The acquisition comes after Shore Capital Partners recapitalised Sweetmore last year. At that time, private-equity partner Richard Boos said the investment would support the bakery group’s “next phase of growth”.
