Patriot Pickle, a Swander Pace Capital company, on Monday said it acquired First Place Foods of Garland, Texas.
Swander Pace is a private equity firm dedicated to investing in middle-market consumer products portfolio companies. Patriot Pickle manufactures and distributes fresh, high-quality pickles across the U.S. to restaurant chains, supermarkets and delis.
The acquisition is an opportunity for Wayne-based Patriot Pickle to expand geographically, capitalize on national sales opportunities, and provide its customers with dual source manufacturing.
“Fresh, refrigerated pickles are a key growth area for our foodservice and institutional partners, and we are excited to be able to better serve them more directly with this acquisition,” Bill McEntee, CEO of Patriot Pickle, said.
“For more than 15 years, First Place Foods has been a high-quality manufacturer and supplier of pickles and other pickled vegetables to our valued customers across the country. We are excited to partner with Patriot Pickle and Swander Pace for this next phase of growth,” Pat Hunn, First Place Foods president, said.
“The broader pickled and fermented foods category has enjoyed strong topline growth as consumers continue to gravitate towards healthier snacks, and Patriot Pickle is well-positioned to take advantage of this consumer tailwind. First Place Foods is the second acquisition for Patriot Pickle, and we believe there are additional opportunities to continue building out this exciting growth platform,” Corby Reese and Tyler Matlock, managing directors at SPC, said.
