Hearthside Food Solutions, Downers Grove, IL, announced on Aug. 24 two separate, definitive agreements enabling the company to expand rapidly in the fastest-growing bar categories in the Americas and Europe. Under one agreement, Hearthside is acquiring VSI, Leerdam, Netherlands, the largest European producer of nutrition, diet and functional bars. In a separate agreement, Hearthside is acquiring a nutritional supplement bar production facility in Boise, ID, from a subsidiary of Post Holdings Inc., St. Louis. Terms were not disclosed, and both transactions are expected to close in September.

With 19 U.S.-based facilities, Hearthside is currently North America’s largest contract manufacturer of bars and baked goods. The VSI acquisition adds three European manufacturing facilities for nutrition, diet and functional bars, as well as R&D, formulation and innovation capabilities.

The acquisition of a recently idled nutritional supplement bar production facility in Boise will enable Hearthside to quickly begin production of these new categories in the Americas, according to the company. The facility, plus the three VSI operations, expands Hearthside’s network to 23 facilities.

Both Hearthside and VSI are contract manufacturers for premier food companies and global brands, and say they see no redundancies or conflicts in complementary customers and product offerings.