Sara Lee logo.
The group, which recently acquired the fast-growing Original Foods Baking Co., announced that it will acquire the legendary Australian dessert and baked goods brand Sara Lee from McCain Foods in Australia and New Zealand.
The announcement by New Zealand investor group South Island Office will create and grow the region's "leading" frozen bakery company as it brings together two great bakeries who specialize in using locally sourced ingredients to bring "delicious" treats to families in Australia. New Zealand and international.
The acquisition creates a strong partnership as both Sara Lee and Original Foods Baking Co. have a long history of supplying Australasia with delicious baked goods and desserts. The combined product ranges and sales channels complement each other to a great extent.
As part of his strategy to grow the Sara Lee business, McCain appointed Mark Mackaness as a dedicated general manager in 2019 to build stand-alone business capabilities that operate independently of McCain and enable the business to transition seamlessly.
As part of this acquisition, Mr. Mackaness has invested in the company and will be Equity Partner and Group CEO, further underscoring the confidence that Sara Lee's leadership has in the future of both companies. Sara Lee's leadership team will remain loyal to the company to ensure continuity for teams, customers and suppliers.
Mr. Mackaness says that in addition to the security and continuity that this agreement provides for the stakeholders, the strategy is designed for growth for the two companies.
"Sara Lee is a great addition to Original Foods Baking Co.," said Mr. Mackaness. “Original Foods Baking Co. is already represented in Australia and beyond with its range of brownies, slices, bites and more. At Sara Lee, we've built an iconic Australian bakery brand, and our quality ice cream, cheesecake, apple pie, Danish pastries and puddings have been popular in Australia and New Zealand for 50 years. "
"This partnership enables both companies to open up new channels and markets, as we have different strengths in retail and food service in Australia and New Zealand."
“Sara Lee celebrated our 50th birthday in June and Original Foods Baking Co. celebrated its 30th anniversary that same month. So it seems that we have been united in our love of baking for many years. Our teams fit together by nature. "
"Since 2013, McCain has invested more than A $ 40 million in Sara Lee's product innovation and infrastructure to create a successful, well-run company that is ready for growth and future Day One."
“I am excited and confident about Sara Lee's future with Original Foods Baking Co. We will continue to work independently, employ local staff and offer our customers the same quality range. Our businesses complement each other perfectly and we will look for opportunities to partner for continued growth, ”said Mackaness.
Mr Mackaness said the Sara Lee plant in Lisarow, New South Wales, was built in 1971 next to orchards where it used to source oranges for the famous Sara Lee orange cake. Today Sara Lee still sources 90 percent of its ingredients locally and employs 220 people from the region.
“Similar to Sara Lee, the delicious range of Original Foods Baking Co. is made with high quality ingredients without additives or preservatives and with a lot of love. They use fresh, local ingredients where possible, including 100 percent New Zealand butter, cream, milk, eggs, cream cheese, apple, yogurt and freshly grated carrots, ”said Mackaness.
"We look forward to seeing how each company's long-standing reputation for passion and commitment to high-quality baking can unite us to achieve even greater success and growth."
Mr. Mackaness said that under the terms of sale, all current Sara Lee employees based in Lisarov will stay with the company and all will be able to participate in the next exciting phase in Sara Lee history.
"Our customers should experience seamless service throughout the acquisition process as McCain continues to provide business process and service support to Sara Lee for a post-sale period so that we can plan for the future without interruption for customers and suppliers," said Mackaness.
“The future looks bright for Sara Lee. It is really exciting to bring two great bakery companies together that will work together to grow into Australia and New Zealand's leading frozen bakery company. We will be investing in the Sara Lee brand again to keep bringing Australian and Kiwi consumers the great classics they love, with lots of new products to follow too. Importantly, Sara Lee has been a very cute part of the Central Coast food production landscape at Lisarow Bakery for 50 years, and we look forward to this continuing in the future. "
