Middleby acquires equipment manufacturer JC Ford

The company offers solutions for tortillas, tortilla chips, and corn-based snacks.

Courtesy of Pexels / Polina Tankilevitch

The Middleby Corporation has announced the acquisition of JC Ford, a manufacturer of tortilla production equipment systems. Founded in 1945, the company is based in Columbia, TN, and has $70 million in annual revenues.

JC Ford offers a broad range of automated, full-line solutions for corn and flour tortillas, tortilla chips, and other corn-based snacks. In 2021, the company moved into a 132,000-square-foot production facility in its Nashville-area headquarters. The consistent increase in consumer demand for tortilla products has made it one of the fastest growing baked food segments both in the U.S. and abroad.

“We have targeted the snack food category as an attractive growing market for our Food Processing Group," says Tim FitzGerald, Middleby CEO. "The acquisition of JC Ford complements our existing product offerings, significantly strengthening our presence in this faster growing category. The company has developed innovative solutions that have been quickly accepted as the industry standard, allowing customers to automate production lines with a low cost of ownership. JC Ford has highly recognizable customers with a strong base of recurring revenue We see significant opportunities to leverage synergies providing for added growth and margin opportunities."

This webinar will examine variables factoring into nutritionally improved candy sales, including ingredients, label claims, and alternative sugars. Better-for-you options remain top of mind for consumers who are searching for indulgences, but in a healthier format.