Specialty dough maker joins Paine Schwartz Partners portfolio

Food chain investing firm Paine Schwartz Partners is creating a new investment platform that initially will benefit Urban Farmer, a maker of better-for-you and plant-based specialty dough products. The newly formed Paine Schwartz Food Chain Fund will expand Paine Schwartz’s presence in the value-added processing space, which already includes investments in Sunrise Growers, Meadow Foods and Lyons Magnus. 

“We are pleased to establish a new investment platform with Urban Farmer, a pioneer in the fast-growing better-for-you specialty dough category,” said Kevin Schwartz, CEO of Paine Schwartz. “With its highly on-trend, versatile product offering, state-of-the-art facilities and impressive customer base, Urban Farmer has a strong foundation from which to build on its leading segment share. Together with John and the rest of the Urban Farmer team, we look forward to driving further growth and scale by delivering innovative products and capitalizing on opportunities created by macro new food economy trends, as consumers increasingly eat at home and focus on health and wellness."

Urban Farmer was founded in 2013 with a focus on plant-based specialty products that include pizza crusts, topped pizzas, flatbreads, breadsticks, cheese bread, tortillas, empanadas and sandwich buns. It works with major retailers in North America, who carry the company’s branded, co-manufacturing and private label products. 

The company’s management team, led by CEO John Keigher, will continue to lead and develop the business under the new ownership. 

"This is an exciting time for Urban Farmer with this investment from Paine Schwartz. We've grown Urban Farmer through our focus on plant-based clean ingredients, innovation and key investments in our manufacturing capabilities. With consumer demand for healthy and convenient food rapidly increasing, our company is poised to reach new levels of growth,” Keigher said. “The Paine Schwartz team brings significant food chain and specialty food manufacturing experience along with a focus on, and commitment to, ESG and sustainability, all of which align with our values and the resources to help us achieve our goals. We look forward to working closely with them to continue building out our customer base and expand our leading market share."