Flagship Premium Food Group

Chicago-based cheese and desserts business adds to Flagship’s diversified food portfolio 

CHICAGO, IL & BOISE, ID – SmartPrice Sales & Marketing Inc. (SmartPrice) announced today that Flagship Food Group, LLC (Flagship), the owner of TJ Farms, 505 Southwestern and La Tortilla Factory, has acquired the operations of SmartPrice to support its future growth and expansion strategy. Flagship will become the majority owner of the company while current management remains in place; both Andy Topus and Scott Schwartz will remain shareholders and active in the combined business. 

SmartPrice sells and markets cheese, deli meats and dessert products, including Mexican Shreds, Singles, and other refrigerated products. The Company also has a line of frozen Mexican handheld snacks. The Company sells under the Casa Del Sol, Sunny Acres, Dolce Tuscano, and other brands. With the acquisition, Flagship adds to its portfolio of products and enters the dairy and refrigerated space. 

“We started SmartPrice almost 22 years ago to bring a portfolio of value priced perishable products to consumers. We filled a void and consumers responded. As we have grown, we’re thrilled to be partnering with Flagship to help us achieve our long term goals,” said Andy Topus, CEO and founder of SmartPrice. 

Scott Schwartz has joined Flagship as a Vice President and will continue in his role as he manages the SmartPrice business within Flagship’s TJ Farm’s division. “I am so excited about what we can do with our brands and products inside the Flagship organization, where we will have vastly expanded resources,” said Schwartz about the transaction. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Andy and Scott to our family. We’re a collection of family and small food businesses that are stronger together,” said Gary Lim with Flagship. Gary noted that Flagship has acquired over 20 food companies since 2005. 

Majority owned by CREO Capital Partners, Flagship is a diversified food company that sells a wide range of food products and services under the 505 Southwestern, La Tortilla Factory, Lilly B’s, Hatch Kitchen, TJ Farms and other brands. Most of Flagship’s brands are rapidly expanding, having experienced significant growth and expanded national distribution in recent years. 505 Southwestern, crafted with New Mexico Hatch Valley green chiles, is the country’s largest jarred green chile brand. 

“We are building a world-class, scaled, diversified food company. The Hispanic foods category has been our principal focus for nearly a decade, and the addition of SmartPrice expands both our capabilities and geographic footprint,” said Matt Finnerty with CREO Capital Partners, who led the transaction for the firm. 

Last year, Flagship and CREO announced the acquisition of La Tortilla Factory, a Santa Rosa, California-based maker of premium tortillas and Hispanic food products. The Company also acquired Tortilla King and Young Guns in 2021. 

The transaction closed in December. Terms of the transaction are confidential. 

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Eric Schroeder

MOUNDRIDGE, KAN. — Tortilla King, a subsidiary of Denver-based Flagship Food Group, LLC, has acquired approximately 18 acres of land adjacent to its manufacturing site in Moundridge as part a major expansion initiative. Tortilla King said phase one of the expansion already is underway and will increase the company’s flour tortilla manufacturing capacity by 25% once it’s complete.

Future phases of the expansion are expected to increase Tortilla King’s manufacturing capacity for tortilla chips, snacks and frozen foods. In addition, the company said it plans to develop frozen and dry warehouse and distribution capacity. Founded in 1992, Tortilla King makes private label flour tortillas, corn tortilla and tortilla chips, as well as products under the La Comida, Mama Lupe’s and Li’l Guy brands.

The investment and increased capacity are expected to benefit Flagship’s Mama Lupe’s, La Tortilla Factory, Lilly B’s and Hatch Kitchen brands.

“Flagship acquired our business last year with plans to expand on our site,” said Juan Guardiola, president of Tortilla King. “It didn’t take long for our collective team to decide that our centralized location, great people, and ample space for growth made the business case to expand our operation.”

Tortilla King employs approximately 130 people and operates five food manufacturing lines in Moundridge. The company expects the expansion project to more than double both employment count and capacity.

“Over the past couple of years Flagship has made several plant and manufacturing investments to support our brands and our customers,” said Forrest Kragten, principal at CREO Capital Partners, the financial investor behind Flagship and Tortilla King. “Service levels and reliability have set us apart, and we look forward to utilizing this facility expansion to better serve our customers.”Flagship Food, which manufactures premium and Hispanic foods under the 505 Southwestern, Lilly B’s, Hatch Kitchen, Mama Lupe’s, TJ Farms, La Tortilla Factory and other brands, also has approved expansions for manufacturing sites in California and New Mexico. 

Full Article

Schroeder, E. (2022, August 26). Flagship food acquires land for Tortilla King Expansion. Food Business News RSS. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/22076-flagship-food-acquires-land-for-tortilla-king-expansion

The manufacturer of branded and private label Hispanic foods has purchased new land to expand the production facility in Moundridge, Kan.

Zachary Russell

Associate Editor

Flagship Food Group, a manufacturer of branded and private label Hispanic food products, has acquired new land that will be used to expand its manufacturing site in Moundridge, Kan.

The company has acquired approximately 18 acres of land adjacent to the facility, and its board has approved a multi-phase expansion of manufacturing capabilities at the site. Phase one of the expansion is already under construction and will increase its flour tortilla manufacturing capacity by 25%. 

Future phases of the expansion are expected to increase the company’s manufacturing capacity for tortilla chips, snacks and frozen foods. Flagship Food Group said it also plans to expand frozen and dry warehouse and distribution capacity.

“Flagship acquired our business last year with plans to expand on our site,” said Juan Guardiola, President of Tortilla King. “It didn’t take long for our collective team to decide that our centralized location, great people, and ample space for growth made the business case to expand our operation.”

As part of the inward investments approved by the Flagship board, expansions are also planned for the company’s manufacturing sites in California and New Mexico.

“As we build one of the leading premium CPG food companies focused on the Hispanic sector, we’re actively investing our capital to grow our facilities,” said Rob Holland, Executive Chairman of Flagship Food Group. “We expect to significantly increase our employment numbers in Kansas and across our other sites.”

Flagship Food Group operates facilities and offices in or near Boise, Idaho, Denver, Colo., Albuquerque, N.M., Santa Rosa and San Francisco, Cal., Minneapolis, Minn. and Moundridge, Kan.

Full Article

Zachary Russell Associate Editor. (2022, August 25). Flagship Food Group to expand Kansas Manufacturing Site. Store Brands. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from https://storebrands.com/flagship-food-group-expand-kansas-manufacturing-site