Wind Point Partners, Chicago, and portfolio company Stir Foods, an Orange, Calif.-based custom manufacturer of soups, sauces, dressings and fresh salsas for retail, industrial and foodservice customers, acquired Van Law Food Products, a contract manufacturer and private label manufacturer of custom sauces, dressings and beverage products for consumer packaged goods, retail and foodservice customers. Van Law operates a 300,000-square-foot, SQF-certified headquarters facility in Fullerton, Calif.
The combination of Stir and Van Law creates a more diversified custom sauce and dressing company with broader packaging capabilities, including large and small pouch and a full set of rigid options (plastic and glass).
"I am delighted to welcome the Van Law team to Stir. In this new phase, we are confident that together we will be able to accelerate growth and create value for all of our stakeholders," says Milt Liu, chief executive officer of Stir. "The combination of these two operations is highly complementary, and will enable us to better serve our combined customer bases through enhanced R&D and new packaging formats. Additionally, the facility in Fullerton is well-invested with a good workforce and capacity to continue to grow. This is an excellent addition for Stir."
"The acquisition of Van Law fits squarely with our value creation plan. This investment will accelerate our ability to grow with our customers through more diversified manufacturing capabilities and a commitment to continued investment in innovation. We look forward to continuing to build the platform into a national leader," adds Joe Lawler, principal with Wind Point Partners.
"I'm proud of my team's steadfast commitment to our customers at Van Law, and we are excited to join forces with Stir," says John Gilbert, president of Van Law. "The combination with Stir and financial backing of Wind Point will enable all of us to continue to grow with our customers through enhanced culinary expertise, new products/packaging and new geographies."
Wind Point Partners acquired Stir in December 2017.