RIDGELAND, Miss. — Cal-Maine Foods Inc. and Sara Lee Frozen Bakery LLC announce Cal-Maine’s acquisition of certain assets of the Van’s Foods business of Sara Lee Frozen Bakery, a Kohlberg portfolio company.
Van’s holds the top position in gluten-free waffles, establishing itself as a category leader within the fast-growing better-for-you frozen breakfast segment, the companies noted in the announcement. This acquisition is aimed at supporting Cal-Maine Foods’ strategy to diversify its business model, grow in prepared foods business-to-consumer (B2C) retail, and deliver greater value across the supply chain.
The addition of Van’s is expected to increase Cal-Maine Foods’ prepared foods annual sales by approximately 10 percent and volume by about 6 percent on a pro forma basis, the company said. Van’s will enhance Cal-Maine Foods’ ability to serve evolving consumer preferences while strengthening its presence across grocery, e-commerce, and other direct-to-consumer channels. Van’s competes in the fast-growing better-for-you frozen breakfast segment by combining broad retail distribution with a strong value proposition of taste, convenience, and products tailored to a wide range of dietary needs and preferences.
“Van’s is an exciting and highly complementary addition to our portfolio,” Sherman Miller, Cal-Maine Foods president and CEO, said. “We believe this acquisition will further our diversification strategy by expanding our reach in prepared foods consumer-facing retail. We see meaningful opportunities to drive growth, unlock efficiencies, and innovate in ways that better serve our customers and consumers.”
The acquisition is expected to unlock a range of strategic and operational synergies, including:
· Using scale to help improve cost efficiency, quality control, and supply reliability.
· Utilizing Cal-Maine Foods’ established distribution network to broaden Van’s reach and optimize logistics across retail and direct-to-consumer channels.
· Customer overlap and cross-selling opportunities, enabling deeper relationships and broader product offerings, including meal solutions that anchor high-protein and convenience occasions.
· Innovation and R&D collaboration with Cal-Maine Foods’ existing prepared foods business, combining expertise to accelerate product development and respond to emerging consumer trends.
· Portfolio evolution toward protein-forward offerings, aligning with growing demand for high-protein, better-for-you products.
Van’s has cultivated a devoted consumer base, with “Van’s Fans” associating the brand with high-quality, better-for-you frozen breakfast options made from clean-label, allergy-conscious ingredients, the company added. Its product portfolio features a diverse lineup of frozen waffles and pancakes, including gluten-free, protein-enhanced, and whole-grain varieties. Cal-Maine Foods intends to preserve these offerings and build upon this strong brand foundation, continuing to deliver the Van’s branded products that consumers trust while investing to support future growth.
“We have tremendous respect for the Van’s brand and the relationships it has established with its customers and consumers,” Miller noted. “Our goal is to honor that legacy while bringing additional capabilities and resources to help the brand capture incremental share, supported by a pipeline of innovations expanding into new dayparts, formats, and snacking occasions.”
“Van’s is a genuine category leader with a loyal consumer base, and it is important to us that it have an owner that is best positioned to ensure its continued success,” Peter Laport, Sara Lee Frozen Bakery CEO, said. “We made the decision to divest the brand to sharpen our focus on our strong portfolio of core brands where we’re investing for the long term. Making disciplined decisions about where we compete is part of how we build a better, more resilient business. We are confident Van’s is going to the right home, with an attractive runway ahead, as Cal-Maine brings complementary capabilities to accelerate its growth, particularly around protein and better-for-you nutrition.”
Following the acquisition, Van’s will continue to operate under its existing brand identity, supported by Cal-Maine’s integrated platform to scale operations, enhance innovation, and increase market access.
