Great Plains Holdings Inc., Wildwood, FL, has agreed to acquire 51 percent of Bonjoe Gourmet Chips LLC, Ocala, FL, for stock and a working capital loan, with an option to acquire another 20 percent interest in Bonjoe, subject to the results of an in-store blitz marketing campaign featuring Bonjoe Gourmet Chips.
Bonjoe offers more than 40 flavors of chips made with a proprietary preparation process to reduce starches by up to 35 percent. The company uses natural herbs and spices to create its unique flavors, which include Fried Pork Chops and Garlic, Bacon Cheddar, Blue Cheese and Jelly Donut.
The 90-day marketing campaign will feature Bonjoe Gourmet Chips in 100 new convenience stores in select markets in Florida and be run by Mr. Checkout, a national network of independent retail distributors, jobbers and wholesalers servicing convenience, grocery and specialty stores. As part of the campaign, Bonjoe expects to be included in Mr. Checkout’s “What’s Hot Online Catalog” and have access to the download section of more than 160 Walgreens managers, more than 2,000 product brokers, 920 grocery store contacts and a targeted e-blast to distributors featuring new products recommended by Mr. Checkout.
“We are excited to work with the management of Bonjoe’s to grow it from a local chip phenomenon into a national brand," says Denis Espinoza, president of Great Plains Holdings.
Upon closing of the purchase of the interest in Bonjoe, Great Plains will appoint two of the three members of Bonjoe’s board of directors.