Flowers Foods finalizes acquisition deal with Simple Mills
USA – Flowers Foods, Inc. has completed its US$795 million acquisition of Simple Mills, a brand known for its “better-for-you” crackers, cookies, bars, and baking mixes.
Headquartered in Thomasville, Ga., Flowers Foods, Inc. is one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States, with 2024 net sales valued at US$5.1B.
Flowers operates bakeries nationwide that produce a wide array of bakery products. Among the company’s top brands are Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, and Tastykake.
Ryals McMullian, chairman and chief executive officer of Flowers Foods, said that the company looks forward to supporting the Simple Mills team as they embark on a new growth phase by broadening distribution, accelerating innovation, and amplifying brand awareness while advancing their mission.
“The addition of Simple Mills to our brand portfolio increases our presence in better-for-you and attractive snacking segments, diversifies our category exposure, and enhances our growth and margin prospects,” said McMullian.
Founded in 2012, Simple Mills is a leading provider of better-for-you crackers, cookies, snack bars, and baking mixes made with simple and nutritious high-quality ingredients that deliver popular products.
According to Flowers Foods, Simple Mills products are marketed in more than 30,000 stores across the United States, and the company had sales of approximately US$240M in 2024.
Kaitlin Smith, founder and CEO of Simple Mills, and her leadership team will continue to manage the business. Simple Mills will also maintain its operations in Chicago and Mill Valley, Calif., according to Flowers Foods.
It is also the leading natural cracker brand in MULO (Multi-outlet) data. Its mission is to revolutionize the way food is made to nourish people and the planet.
The sale was first announced in January. The acquisition was projected to help Simple Mills broaden its distribution, accelerate innovation, and amplify brand awareness, according to Katlin Smith.
Additionally, while first announcing the acquisition prospects, Flowers Foods said the transaction would lead to access to new snack segments and categories, enhancing Simple Mills’ portfolio strategy by tapping into a scaled snacking platform.
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