MONCTON, N.B. - Cavendish Farms, the Irving Group-owned business that is one of North America's biggest frozen french fry producers, says it has bought the appetizer division of Omstead Foods.
The deal includes the purchase of the Omstead Appetizers name, the processing equipment at the Wheatley, Ont. plant, as well as a lease on the factory, Cavendish said in a release Wednesday.
Financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
"Cavendish Farms is focused on investing in strategic growth opportunities that are a good fit for our existing businesses and expand our product offering to valued customers," said Robert Irving, president of tcompany.
"This acquisition greatly enhances our presence in the food service and retail sector in Canada, and adds to our presence in the U.S. market as well."
Cavendish Farms said it will integrate the Wheatley, Ont, plant into Cavendish Farms' operations and run the plant as part of the company's new appetizer division.
The company said it expects to keep most of the current Omstead employees working at the appetizer plant, about 150 people.
Cavendish said the transaction is not connected to Omstead's previous sale of its vegetable and seafood division, or its existing fruit division.
Omstead is a private company.
Cavendish Farms is the fourth largest processor of french fries in North America and operates two plants in Prince Edward Island, and another in Jamestown, N.D. in the United States.
Cavendish is owned by the Irving Group, the family owned conglomerate that has operations in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the United States.
The Irving Group employs 15,000 people in a variety of industries, ranging from forestry, transportation and food processing to shipbuilding, gasoline refining and retailing and industrial equipment and construction services.
