Stir Foods acquires Van Law Food Products in US

US-based Stir Foods has acquired Van Law Food Products, a contract and private label manufacturer of custom sauces and dressings for CPG, retail and foodservice customers.

Stir Foods is engaged in the production of soups, sauces, dressings and fresh salsas for retail, industrial and foodservice customers.

Headquartered in Orange County, California, Stir Foods is a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, a Chicago‐based private equity investment firm.

Wind Point Partners principal Joe Lawler said: “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.”

Wind Point Partners acquired Stir in December 2017 in partnership with Stir Foods CEO Milt Liu.

Van Law currently operates a 300,000ft² SQF facility in Fullerton, California.

The merger of Van Law with Stir will see the creation of a diversified custom sauce and dressing company with broader packaging capabilities.

Milt Liu said: “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.

“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.”

Wind Point intends to further enhance Stir’s platform by collaborating with Milt, Van Law and Stir management, as well as a combination of organic growth and innovation.

For this deal, Reed Smith served as legal counsel to Wind Point, while Harris Williams served as financial advisor and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck served as legal counsel to Van Law.

Last September, Stir acquired Sabra’s salsa business unit.

In April 2016, Wind Point Partners purchased private label pork rind snack manufacturer Evans Food Group.