Pennant Foods, Itasca, Ill., said it agreed to purchase the frozen dough business ofGeneral Mills Bakeries & Foodservice. Included are four bakeries in Bakersfield, Calif.; Hazelton, Pa.; Vinita, Okla.; and Montreal, Que., Canada. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. General Mills said it expects to finalize the transaction by the end of its fiscal year (ending in late May).
A unit of Fresh Start Bakeries, Pennant supplies foodservice and in-store bakery customers with frozen bread dough as well as frozen cookies, croissants, puff pastry, cinnamon rolls, muffins, Danish and bakery ingredients under the Pennant, La Francaise and Sweet Bites brands.
"The addition of these capabilities will greatly enhance Pennant's ability to serving the growing needs of our key customers, as well as open new markets to the company," said Jim Clough, Pennant president. "We are a customer-centric organization that has enjoyed a strong market position over the years and this strategic acquisition is indicative of our overall optimism and commitment to growth in our focus categories."