SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc. (CHG) announces its acquisition of Les Plats Du Chef (PDC), a successful Canada-based frozen meal and snack business. PDC has three locations: a corporate headquarters and manufacturing plant in Montreal, Quebec; and two manufacturing plants in Toronto, Ontario.
Plats Du Chef was founded in 1981 by Chef Michel Lachapelle and his wife, Monique. In 1997, PDC was rewarded for its culinary expertise and product development with significant placements at Costco, which set the business on a new trajectory. In 2002, the company was bought by Claridge Food Group, which is a company owned by the Stephen Bronfman family. Claridge clearly understood the vision of the management team and helped the company grow through both acquisition and new product development.
“We knew when we bought this jewel of a company that the people would turn it into a diamond. Congratulations!” Stephen Bronfman said.
Dale W. Tremblay, president and CEO of CHG, said, “PDC has done a great job of creating new products that are on trend with today’s consumers, which is evident based on their success with club stores and retail chains in both the U.S. and Canada. I believe that with the talent and resources within both companies, we can work with the PDC team to take this business to a whole new level. We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work with the Claridge Food Group, and they are to be commended on what they have successfully built.”
Pierre Boivin, president and CEO of Claridge Inc., said, “We have enjoyed helping to support and build PDC over the past 15 years, and the management team is to be commended for the innovation and development of the company into a North American success story. We know that we are transitioning this business into good hands, as CHG has a well-respected track record and history in the food business across the U.S., Canada and Europe.”
Tremblay added, “We are extremely excited about this new addition to the CHG family of companies, and we look forward to working with Tony Galasso, president of PDC, and the PDC team to assist them in furthering the brand and product capabilities.”
The company remains privately held, and as such, details of the transaction were not disclosed.
About C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc.: San Antonio, Texas-headquartered C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc. was founded in Texas in 1851 by German immigrant Carl Hilmar Guenther. The company produces a variety of branded and food products for retail and foodservice customers and consumers. With this acquisition, Guenther will have 10 facilities in the U.S., six in Canada, two in the United Kingdom and one Belgium.
