Arbor Investments acquires South Coast bakery

US-based private equity investor Arbor Investments has acquired South Coast Baking for an undisclosed amount.

California-based South Coast Baking has been manufacturing frozen cookie dough since 2011, and operates two facilities in Springdale, Arkansas, and the other in Irvine, California.

Arbor Investments vice-president Brody Lynn said: "South Coast is a critical piece to our long-term strategy in the baking segment.

"Kent and his team have built a tremendous company with high-quality products and a customer-driven culture that will fit seamlessly into our baking platform."

South Coast Baking supplies its products to several grocery retailers, quick-service restaurants, club stores and foodservice distributors in North America.

The firm will be a part of Arbor Investments’ baking platform, called Le Petit Pain, which includes Best Maid Cookie Company, Hudson Baking Company and New French Bakery.

South Coast Baking founder and CEO Kent Hayden said: "As the Company enters its next growth phase, partnering with Arbor and joining the Le Petit platform creates exciting opportunities for our customers and employees."

The Le Petit Pain platform is managed by an Arbor operating partner Mike Schultz, an executive with several years of experience in the baking industry, and formerly worked as an executive at CSM Bakery Products and Minneapolis-based Best Brands Corporation.

Schultz said: "The addition of South Coast transforms Le Petit Pain into a formidable player in the North American baking landscape.

"The company’s complimentary product offering and strategic manufacturing locations will create significant opportunities to expand the platform’s geographic reach across all product categories."

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Image: South Coast Baking is best known as a frozen cookie dough manufacturer in North America. Photo: courtesy of everydayplus via freedigitalphotos.