Milling & Baking News - April 9, 2019 - 12

Business

C.H. Guenther acquires supplier
of buns and English muffins
SAN ANTONIO - C.H. Guenther &
Son L.L.C. has acquired Mid South
Baking Co., supplier of buns and English muffins to quick-service restaurants in the southern United States. Financial terms of the transaction were
not disclosed.
Founded in 1978, Mid South provides buns and English muffins to
3,500 McDonald's restaurants in 18
states. The company operates two
baking plants, in Bryan, Texas, and
Pelahatchie, Miss.
"C.H. Guenther's culture, scale,
product set and manufacturing expertise will allow Mid South to grow our
reach and better serve our customers,"
said Steve Warden, president of Mid
South. "They are well-aligned with
our emphasis on customer service and

product quality, and we believe we
can accomplish great things together."
C.H. Guenther & Son, owned by
Pritzker Private Capital,
produces branded and
private label food products. With the acquisition of Mid South, the
company now employs
more than 3,500 in 24
food manufacturing locations in the
United States, Canada and Western
Europe. The company's roots date to
1851, when Carl H. Guenther built a
flour mill near Fredericksburg, Texas.
The business moved to San Antonio in
1859 and was renamed Pioneer Flour
Mills in 1898. The original name was
readopted in 1999. Following a period
of rapid expansion in the 2000s, the

ADM announces launch of
organic wheat flour portfolio
CHICAGO - Archer Daniels Midland
Co. has introduced a line of organic
flours. The portfolio initially includes organic all-purpose flour and organic premium bread flour. The company plans to
launch other organic-milled products.
"We're excited to bring our customers
some of the most reliable organic flours
on the market," said Kevin Like, vicepresident of commercial and sales for
ADM Milling Co., Overland Park, Kas.
"With this new line, developers can now
more easily deliver consistent taste and

texture in their baked products and meet
the growing organic packaged foods
demand driven by label-conscious consumers."
Chicago-based ADM said the new line
makes use of its wheat sourcing network,
and its flour mill is certified organic
through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"Increased demand for organic flour
has also allowed us to offer our producer
partners additional cropping options in
the northern Plains," Mr. Like said. "As

DALLAS - Recently, Press Waffle Co.
made an appearance on the television show
"Shark Tank" to pitch national development
of its brand to the show's group of investors
known as "Sharks." That episode, which
aired on Sunday, March 24, revealed that the
company has indeed earned a significant investment for its national expansion.
Brothers and co-founders Bryan and
Caleb Lewis negotiated with the potential
investors for over an hour, and had four
competitive offers, before they eventually
accepted an offer from Barbara Corcoran
of $300,000 for 15% of the company.
Press Waffle Co. is the first Dallasbased restaurant to be funded on "Shark
Tank." The brothers had hoped for an
12 / April 9, 2019

Milling & Baking News

PRESS WAFFLE FACEBOOK

Waffle shop receives investment
in appearance on 'Shark Tank'

From left, Caleb Lewis and Bryan Lewis, cofounders of Press Waffle.

offer from Ms. Corcoran, as she has a reputation for success with restaurant brands.
"We definitely went in with our eye on
Barbara," Caleb Lewis said. "We have seen
how she has helped restaurant brands like

business was acquired by the Pritzker
Group in 2018.
"Steve and the rest of the Mid South
team have an impressive track record
of success building the company into
the market-leading bakery it is today,"
said Dale Tremblay, chief executive officer of C.H. Guenther.
"They have been able to
scale with their customers while maintaining
the highest levels of service, quality and safety.
We are thrilled to welcome Mid South to the C.H. Guenther
family and look forward to working
together to better serve our collective
customers."
The acquisition of Mid South is
the third for C.H. Guenther in the
past year. In January, the company
acquired German bakery supplier
Wback, and in 2018, C.H. Guenther
acquired Cookietree Bakeries. MBN

the call for organic expands, ADM is supporting cultivation of organic acres in order to supply our customers."
ADM has selected a centralized location, its facility in Lincoln, Neb., to house
the organic flour operations.
"This facility is U.S.D.A. organic-certified and has dedicated receiving, storage
and blending capabilities, which allows
for greater spec consistency and optimal
performance," Mr. Like said. "Additionally, the facility has optimized logistics to
all markets with bulk rail, bulk truck and
bag options available."
ADM's organic portfolio already includes ancient grains, beans and pulses,
nuts and seeds, and flavors and colors. MBN
Cousin's Maine Lobster and Tom & Chee
grow exponentially after 'Shark Tank,'
and we knew that she would be the right
partner to help us accomplish the goals we
have for this company."
Press specializes in authentic Liege
waffles. These dough-based waffles have
a brioche-like texture and are loaded with
caramelized clusters of Belgian pearl
sugar. Waffles are fully customizable and
can be served with a variety of fruits,
sauces and house-made whipped creams.
Monthly specials at each Press location
include limited-time offerings such as Cereal Waffles and Chicken & Waffles.
The investment will fund Press Waffle
Co.'s plans to pursue franchisees outside
of Texas. The company currently has three
locations in the state (Plano, Fort Worth,
and Friendswood) as well as a fourth location set to open in Oklahoma City. MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - April 9, 2019

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