TreeHouse Foods to hire additional ConAgra Private Brands employees

TreeHouse Foods, Oak Brook, Ill., said it will hire an additional 140 permanent employees from ConAgra Private Brands, doubling the previously planned Omaha-based employee base. In total, 9,500 employees, including more than 280 Omaha, Neb.-based employees, are expected to transition to TreeHouse from ConAgra Private Brands upon the close of the sale in the first quarter of 2016. TreeHouse said it is committed to retaining skilled employees familiar with the private label food business, who will aid in facilitating a smooth integration of the combined company.

TreeHouse also said it will open a new office facility in Omaha later this year. Site selection is underway now, with the exact office location still to be finalized. Key functions to support ConAgra Private Brands' customers will be housed in Omaha and will include customer service, finance, information technology, research & development and supply chain.

"This will mark TreeHouse's first office location in Omaha and will allow us to have all of our new Omaha-based employees together in one building. We recognize that customer service and business infrastructure are critical to serve existing customers and to drive the success of the business," said Sam Reed, chairman and CEO of TreeHouse Foods.

"Our transformational acquisition will establish an industry leader in customer brands and custom products with significant scale, scope and skill, and will enable us to extend our reach in the grocery store by over 10 shelf-stable and refrigerated food categories," he added. "Importantly, the combination will also strengthen our ability to support our customers' efforts to build their corporate brands and offer consumers the best combination of choice and value. We're thrilled to welcome all of our new team members from ConAgra Private Brands to the TreeHouse family and look forward to learning from and working with our new colleagues when the transaction is complete."

TreeHouse Foods will continue to be headquartered in Oak Brook. Upon close, in addition to TreeHouse's current offices, the company will also maintain a strong presence in Downers Grove, Ill., and St. Louis, Mo., with approximately 150 and 240 employees based in these locations, respectively. The combined company will have more than 50 manufacturing facilities and more than 16,000 employees, TreeHouse said.