Pinnacle Foods Group LLC is a leading company in the area of packaged foods. It is headquartered in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey and is owned by the private company The Blackstone Group.
History
Pinnacle Foods Group LLC started in 1998 from its original name Vlasic Foods International. The company has achieved growth and expansion by acquiring popular brands and then expanding these brand lines through the addition of new products.
Since the company started, it was able to acquire several businesses which included Swanson TV Dinners, Vlasic Pickles (originally from Campbell Soup Company) and Open Pit.
The company then bought Aurora Foods in 2003. This acquirement was instrumental to Pinnacle Foods’ expansion process.
Aurora Foods was originally started by Ian Wilson who then used it to buy Van de Kamp’s brand from Pillsbury. Several other brands were also acquired by Aurora Foods over the years. These brands were already well known brands that were doing well in the market. However, the parent companies no longer wanted to include those in their main marketing focus and thus the reason for their being sold to a different company. With Pinnacle’s acquisition of Aurora Foods came the legal right to distribute and market those popular brands.
Among the popular brands acquired by Pinnacle Foods through Aurora Foods include Armour, which it got from Dial Corporation; Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfasts, which it got from Quaker Oats (although the name is still licensed under Quaker Oats); Duncan Hines which it got from Procter and Gamble in 1997; Lender’s Bagels which it got from Kraft Foods in 1999. Still other well-known brands acquired by the company are Mrs. Butterworth’s, which it got from Unilever and Hungry-Man and Swanson frozen dinners, which it got from the Campbell Soup Company.
In April of 2007, The Blackstone Group, a private equity group which is based in New York, acquired Pinnacle Foods Group LLC. The company was furthered strengthened when it was able to buy Bird’s Eye Foods, Inc., which allowed Pinnacle Foods to include a line of frozen foods and specialty brands to the line of popular brands that they are already known for. Some of Birds Eye’s well-known brands include Bernstein’s, Comstock Wilderness, Freshlike, Husman’s, Nalley, Steamfresh, Voila! and Tim’s Cascade Snacks.
Stats
Company headquarters: Mountain Lakes, New Jersey
Ownership: The Blackstone Group (2007)
Revenue: $2.44 billion (2010)
No. of Employees: around 4,000
Manufacturing: 7 facilities in the USA
Geography: North America
Demography: young and old, natural and organic, quality
Brands
Armour, Breakfast, Birds Eye Voila!, Celeste, Duncan Hines, Husman’s, Mrs Paul’s, Log Cabin, Open Pit, Tim’s Cascade Snacks, Vlasic, Aunt Jemima, Birds Eye, C&W, Comstock-Wilderness, Hungry-Man, Lender’s, Mrs. Butterworth’s, Nalley, Snyder, Van de Kamp’s
Important Links
Corporate Home Page
Products
Jobs and Careers
Contact Information
I am writing because my husband went grocery shopping for me, when I went to put them away I noticed the jars were not full. They are 16 oz jars of Baby Kosher Dills. One jar had 6 pickles in the jar and the other had seven pickles in the jar. Now Valsic is the only brand of pickles I buy and people tell me I am a pickle-aholic! I eat pickles everyday so I know my jars and this is not normal. What are my options with these two jars, I’m afraid to eat them I’m scared that someone my have messed around with the jars. We didn’t open them they are just sitting here.
I am writing because I am a fan of the Comstock Cherry pie Filling & Topping. Lately I have been a bit disappointed. The last three cans that I bought to make a special desert that I give as gifts for the Holiday had a kind of thick gel consistency that was custard like. At first I thought that I may have picked up some out dated cans. This was not the case. I threw them out and bought a different brand because I was in a pinch. I still like the brand but, I don’t like the pinch. People on fixed incomes can’t afford to be pinched. When I give baked goodies I like them to be the best. That’s why I buy Comstock.
Coupon request please
I have called and left messages with your AR Dept about getting an invoice e-mailed
to me for product shipped 9-12-14. Our PO # 36789 SO#26508 for 88cs pickles.
Please call 509-838-3515 or e-mail all invoices to chrish@peirone.com
URGENT! I need to process this for payment.
I am writing to request coupons for your products. I have been having a hard time finding and printing coupons for your brands. we love your products but it would be nice to save a little like we can with P&G and betty crocker brands.