Arbor Investments acquires South Coast Baking
Arbor Investments, a Chicago-based private equity firm, said it acquired Irvine, Calif.-based South Coast Baking LLC. Founded in 2011 by baking industry veteran Kent Hayden, South Coast Baking is a frozen cookie dough manufacturer with a reputation in the baking industry for product quality, innovation and customer service. South Coast Baking operates out of two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities located in Irvine and Springdale, Ark., and provides premium frozen cookie dough and other baked goods to a number of club stores, grocery retailers, foodservice distributors and quick-service restaurants.
“South Coast is a critical piece to our long-term strategy in the baking segment,” said Arbor Vice President Brody Lynn. “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 will join Arbor’s baking platform, Le Petit Pain Holdings, which includes New French Bakery Inc., Best Maid Cookie Company Inc. and Hudson Baking Company Inc., Arbor Investments said. New French Bakery is a Minneapolis-based commercial bakery that manufactures a comprehensive offering of premium take-and-bake and fresh artisan breads. Best Maid Cookie is headquartered in River Falls, Wis., and is a manufacturer of gourmet cookies in both fully baked and frozen dough formats. Hudson Baking is a manufacturer of crispy dessert bars that is located in Hudson, Wis.
"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,” said Kent Hayden, CEO and founder of South Coast Baking. “It is refreshing to find partners who share our strategic vision and have a track record of unparalleled success in the baking industry. The senior teams at South Coast and Le Petit are very familiar with each other and have an enormous amount of mutual respect, so it is great to finally be a part of the same organization.”