Irwindale-Based Ready Pac Foods Sold to French Company Bonduelle

IRWINDALE, CA -- Bonduelle, a family-owned French vegetable grower, announced Thursday it has entered into an agreement to acquire Irwindale-based Ready Pac Foods, known for its Bistro Bowl salads and fresh cut produce products.

Terms of the transaction, which is expected to close by the end of March following routine regulatory reviews and approvals, were not disclosed. Bonduelle plans to run the business as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

The acquisition will make America the largest country of operation for Bonduelle, which until now has had limited presence in the fresh vegetable market in the U.S.

With processing facilities throughout the United States, Ready Pac's fresh salads, fruits, vegetables, snacking and complete meal products are sold across North America under several brand names.

The nearly 50-year-old company brought European lettuce blends to the U.S. market, developed the "pillow pack" to maintain freshness and invented the triple wash system.

Bonduelle, with more than $2 billion in revenue, was founded in 1853 and owns four brands of canned, frozen and fresh vegetables sold in 100 countries around the world.

"We were impressed with the strength of Ready Pac Foods' operational excellence, commitment to innovation and talented management team," said Bonduelle Chairman and CEO Christophe Bonduelle.

"Our interest in Ready Pac Foods was not only because of its attractive product segment and rapid growth, but the value the company delivers to their customers and their committed workforce," he said.

Ready Pac Foods CEO Tony Sarsam, who has been with the company since 2013, will continue in his role, reporting directly to Bonduelle's CEO. No changes will be made to Ready Pac's leadership team, he said.

"Ready Pac Foods has seen significant growth over the last several years and joining forces with Bonduelle validates our current business approach," Sarsam said. "This is a fantastic new chapter for our 3,500 associates and a great step forward."

-- City News Service, photo courtesy of Ready Pac Foods.