"This is an incredibly exciting time for our brands and our team, and we are looking forward to working with the Conagra Brands team on the next chapter in our journey to take Duke's and BIGS to another level," said Justin "Duke" Havlick, Duke's and BIGS founder and chief executive officer. Visit our privacy Something to keep in mind while pairing is the intensity of flavors. https://twitter.com/vendingmagazine Jensen Werley Greg O'Neal, left, is vice president of marketing, and Justin Havlick is founder and chief executive of Thanasi Foods, creator of Duke's meat snacks and BIGS seeds. The FINANCIAL -- On March 16 Conagra Brands, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire protein-based snacking businesses Thanasi Foods LLC (Thanasi), maker of Duke . Encore provided Thanasi with growth capital and partial liquidity for existing shareholders. Receive full access to our market insights, commentary, newsletters, breaking news alerts, and more. Encore Consumer Capital has completed the sale of Thanasi Foods, marketer of the Duke's and BIGS snack brands, to Conagra Brands. and cookie policy to learn more about the cookies we use and how we use your I believe smoked meats should be made with real ingredients. Encore came in as minority partner that really assisted some of our earlier members on a transition out, Havlick told NOSH. About a year ago, in late January, Hershey, Pa.-based confectionery giant Hershey (HSY) - Get Free Report acquired Sonoma, Calif.-based Krave Pure Foods Inc., the maker of Krave jerky products, for roughly nine times its revenue of $35 million, or more than $300 million. VLASIC PICKLES NAMED OFFICIAL PICKLE OF THE APP AND TITLE SPONSOR OF 2023 CINCINNATI TOURNAMENT, CONAGRA BRANDS ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF 2023 CAGNY CONFERENCE PRESENTATION WEBCAST. "There are no secrets in our kitchen and we take pride in our ability to share our ingredients and recipes with our consumers," says founder/owner Justin 'Duke' Havlick. data. The founder maintained a significant minority share of the Company. And trust us, they are nothing less than craft perfection! . Ford Vehicles Could Soon Repossess Themselves. Justin "Duke" has 3 jobs listed on their profile. Founded in 2004 by Justin "Duke" Havlick, the company continues with Duke's same original vision of producing sausage snacks that are made from 100% grass-fed beef, flavorful ingredients, and creative smoke parings. 4. CAGNY * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. CHICAGO, March 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Conagra Brands, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire protein-based snacking businesses Thanasi Foods LLC ,. We could not be more proud of what he and the team have accomplished in building two premier brands in protein-based snacking Dukes smoked meat snacks and BIGS seeds., Encore provided strategic guidance to and unwavering confidence in our team to help us execute our vision, said Justin Havlick, Founder of Thanasi Foods. About DUKE's Shorty Sausages . This is an incredibly exciting time for our brands and our team, and we are looking . Based in Boulder, CO, BIGS produces a line of premium, USA-grown seed snacks, including jumbo, fire-roasted in-shell sunflower seeds, sunflower seed kernels, and homestyle-roasted pumpkin seeds. The company was acquired by Conagra Brands in 2017. Just log in using your Google, Facebook or Twitter account and fill out a quick form to share your latest and greatest with craft beer fans across the country. Thanasi Foods' CEO Justin Havlick expects further M&A activity in the meat snacks category after ConAgra snapped up the Duke's maker last week. MEDIA: Dan Hare For more information please visit www.EncoreConsumerCapital.com. The buyer is Justin "Duke" Havlick, president and CEO of Boulder-based Thanasi Foods, which sells Frank's Redhot Beef Jerky, Jim Beam Beef Jerky, Stubbs BBQ Beef Jerky, Duke's Smoked Shorty. This is an incredibly exciting time for our brands and our team, and we are looking . The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. BASF to Shed 2,600 Jobs in Cost-Cutting Drive. His inspiration was to bring unique flavors and a specialty, craft focus to two categories (seeds and smoked meat snacks) that were, at the time, somewhat less differentiated. Boulder, Colo.-based Thanasi Foods, parent of Duke's Jerky, founded by Justin "Duke" Havlick, has recently sold a stake to Encore Consumer Capital, according to the San Francisco-based PE firm's . This is an incredibly exciting time for our brands and our team, and we are looking . Justin Duke Havlick. Their brands include Duke's Smoked Shorty Sausages and Bigs Sunflower Seeds. Justin started making his own jerky on his backyard smoker. The valley's cooler climate helps our local farmer friends produce chiles with an unforgettably-smoky and sweet taste. Nov 30. Conagra Brands, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Havlick added, "What started 13 years ago as a simple passion for fire roasting seeds and slow smoking meats, has grown into two terrific brands that are recognized in households across the U.S. 5. From a balance sheet standpoint, were proud to say that we never really went back for additional rounds of funding to support growth after day one.. dukesmeat.com. Food giant General Mills (GIS) - Get Free Report said Wednesday it is buying Epic Provisions, an Austin, Texas-based maker of meat bars. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The agency says consumers dont assume that the products come from dairy animals. Smoked meats. BTW, Duke's Shorty is delicious as well, although it was not part of the . We are looking forward to working with the Thanasi team to grow the brands further and create value for our shareholders.". This is an incredibly exciting time for our brands and our team, and we are looking . Tesla Wants $330M in Additional Nevada Tax Breaks. About BIGS Seeds Thats why we proudly wear the seal and you can too. The transaction, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close this summer.The decision to be acquired stemmed from the high growth that Thanasi has seen in both of its brands, said Greg O . Brands, Havlick noted that an exit for Thanasi was not on any specific time clock, but after meeting with Conagra he was impressed by the passion of both the company and its CEO, Sean Connolly. Based in Boulder, CO, BIGS produces a line of premium, USA-grown seed snacks, including jumbo, fire-roasted in-shell sunflower seeds, sunflower seed kernels, and homestyle-roasted pumpkin seeds. present 17, 2017 Jones Day served as legal counsel to Conagra Brands, Inc. TBC is pleased to announce the launching of TBC ESG Academy. The company was acquired by Conagra Brands in 2017. Justin "Duke" Havlick, Duke's and BIGS founder and chief executive officer, said, "What started 13 years ago as a simple passion for fire roasting seeds and slow smoking meats, has grown into two terrific brands that are recognized in households across the U.S. 111 Pine Street Suite 1825 San Francisco, CA 94111 Visit our updated, This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. Justin "Duke" Havlick, president and CEO of Thanasi Foods, which makes Frank's Redhot Beef Jerky, Jim Beam Beef Jerky, Stubbs BBQ Beef Jerky, Duke's Smoked Shorty Sausages and Duke's Beef. In March 2017, Conagra based out of Nebraska started the process of acquiring Duke's Meats from Thansi Foods, LLC. Sign up and we will deliver our newsletter to your inbox highlighting our latest and greatest stories. No MSG. Their jerky is advertised to be made in small batches, and is smoked using real hardwoods, not "liquid lumber" in their words. CHICAGO, March 16, 2017 (PRNewswire) Today Conagra Brands, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire protein-based snacking businesses Thanasi Foods LLC (Thanasi), maker of Duke's meat snacks, and BIGS LLC (BIGS), maker of BIGS seeds. 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