Industry News

Stellex acquires J. Skinner Baking

Doug Davidson to join as president, COO.

J. Skinner Baking, a manufacturer of artisan baked goods including danishes, muffins, cinnamon rolls, brownies, and bars, announced that it has been acquired by Stellex Capital Management, a private equity firm that invests in middle market companies in North America and Europe. The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, J. Skinner provides ready-to-eat baked goods through grocery in-store bakeries (“ISB”), foodservice providers, and co-pack partnerships. Founded in 1983, the company has grown into one of the largest ISB providers in the U.S., selling its products in over 30,000 retail locations across all 50 states.

Stellex’s partnership with J. Skinner will support investment into production capacity expansion, increased automation, and new product development. In addition to financial resources, the company also announced the appointment of multi-decade bakery operator, Doug Davidson, as president and chief operating officer further adding to the wealth of category expertise while bolstering operational leadership.

“Stellex has supported the business with significant incremental day-one capital and liquidity to enable the company’s aggressive expansion plans,” says Audie Keaton, CEO of J. Skinner. “This new partnership will seek to strengthen our existing operations, support the company’s long-term growth agenda, drive sustainability, and bring value to J. Skinner’s employees, the Omaha community, and our nationwide customer base.”

“With a long history of driving value for its strategic retail partners through baked goods innovation, quality, and service, J. Skinner is now equipped for its next stage of product and capability expansion,” adds Trey Lee, managing director at Stellex. “We are thrilled to welcome Doug to the team and invest behind this inflection point with our capital and strategic resources as the company moves further to meet customers at their critical points of need.”

Winston & Strawn LLP provided legal support to Stellex and Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP provided legal support to J. Skinner. D.A. Davidson, Riparian Partners, and Burlington Capital served as financial advisors to J. Skinner. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

KEYWORDS: acquisition

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Liz Parker Kuhn is the senior editor of Candy Industry and Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, and has worked at BNP Media since 2012. She has written for CBS Detroit as well as for her own blogs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. Liz can be contacted at (248) 839-7156 or at parkerkuhne@bnpmedia.com.