Sauer Brands acquired by Boston firm; new CEO named
A Boston private equity company completed its purchase of Richmond-based Sauer Brands, which produces Duke’s Mayo, Sauer spices and other food products, the companies announced Wednesday. With the change in ownership comes a new CEO for Sauer. E. Yuri Hermida, most recently executive vice president and chief growth and strategy officer for alcoholic beverage company […]
UR students launch food startup — for school credit and profit
Lindsay Batten never thought she’d become a CEO before leaving college, but the University of Richmond senior is beginning her final semester as head of a brand-new startup. The company — which will produce a newly conceived pesto Caesar salad dressing called Envee — is the result of a marketing class focused on entrepreneurship, Bench […]
Boston private equity firm to acquire Sauer Brands
Duke’s Mayo and its parent company, Richmond’s Sauer Brands, will change hands in a deal between Boston-based private equity firm Advent International and North Carolina’s Falfurrias Capital Partners, which purchased Sauer a little over five years ago. Terms of the pending acquisition, which was announced Monday, were not disclosed. Sauer, a family-owned company for more [&hellip[...]
Greensville ‘bouncing back’ after Boar’s Head plant closure
Nearly three months after Boar’s Head shut down its Jarratt plant, North Carolina-based Carolina Structural Systems announced Nov. 25 that it would spend $5.5 million to build a manufacturing site for custom trusses and similar products in Greensville County, adding 58 jobs. The county’s economic development director, Natalie Slate, calls the announcement a good start […]
Smithfield to form new hog production company ahead of IPO
Smithfield Foods has inked a deal with VisionAg, an affiliate of North Carolina’s HD3 Farms, to start a new hog production business early next year as the meat producer gears up to go public, the company announced Friday. Smithfield, a giant in packaged meats and pork products, will provide 28,000 sows to the new company, […]
Smithfield Foods to pay $2M to settle child labor claims
A subsidiary of Virginia-based Smithfield Foods has agreed to pay $2 million to settle allegations it hired children to work at a meat packaging plant in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Smithfield’s operation in Minnesota allegedly employed at least 11 children between the ages of 14 and 17 during the […]
Gordon Ramsay to open restaurant at Caesars Virginia
Cantankerous celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay plans to open a restaurant called Ramsay’s Kitchen at the $750 million Caesars Virginia casino in Danville by the end of 2024, the casino resort announced Tuesday. “Caesars Virginia sets the standard for approachable luxury, and I’m so proud to open my first [Virginia] restaurant here inside this beautiful resort,” […]
Smithfield Foods separates from European arm
Smithfield Foods announced in late August that its European operations have been carved into an independent subsidiary. The action took place a little over a month after Smithfield’s Chinese parent company, WH Group, which has its headquarters in Hong Kong, announced plans to take Smithfield Foods public in the United States. Smithfield Europe, now called […]
Boar’s Head to indefinitely shutter Va. facility tied to fatal listeria outbreak
Deli meat company Boar’s Head Provisions Co. is indefinitely shutting down its meat production facility in Jarratt, the source of a listeria outbreak that killed at least nine people and hospitalized 57 others. The plant has not been operating since late July. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opened an investigation on July 19. […]
Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List
Who are Virginia’s most powerful and influential leaders in business, government, politics and education this year? Find out in the fifth annual edition of the Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List. Read more about how we assembled the Virginia 500 from our editor. Executives are listed in alphabetical order by industry. Below you will find links […]
Mars to purchase Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts maker in $35.9B deal
Updated Aug. 16 McLean-based snack and pet care giant Mars announced Wednesday it has entered into a $35.9 billion, all-cash deal to purchase Kellanova, the maker of Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Pringles, Eggo and other food brands. Kellanova, created in October 2023 when Kellogg split into two companies, had 2023 net sales of more than $13 billion, […]
Cava opens Verona production and packaging facility
Nearly three years after announcing its initial plans, Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand Cava has opened a production and packaging facility in Augusta County’s Mill Place Commerce Park. The company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility in May. The Washington, D.C.-based company invested roughly $35 million to open the 55,000-square-foot facility to help centralize production [...]