Vestar Capital Partners (“Vestar”) and Wind Point Partners (“Wind Point”) have announced that Vestar has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Nonni’s Food Group (“Nonni’s”) from Wind Point. Nonni’s is a leading manufacturer and marketer of artisanal cookies and other premium baked snacks. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Based in Oakbrook, IL, Nonni’s premium products are synonymous with artisanal, authentic, and Italian-inspired. Products are marketed under the Nonni’s, THINaddictives, and La Dolce Vita brand names, and sold through a diverse distribution platform that includes major customers in club, grocery, mass market, foodservice, and online retailing.
“Our partnership with Wind Point has been extraordinarily successful and we thank them for their support and contributions to Nonni’s,” said Brian Hansberry, CEO of Nonni’s. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Vestar as we look to build upon Nonni’s growth and success. The Vestar team’s deep consumer experience will be invaluable as we work to expand our customer relationships, enter new channels, and continue to introduce new and innovative products to the marketplace.”
“We see numerous growth avenues for Nonni’s premium, established brands,” said Brian O’Connor, managing director of Vestar and co-head of the Consumer Group. “We are excited to be partnering with Brian Hansberry, Chris Puma, and the rest of Nonni’s management team to pursue our shared vision for the Company.”
Konrad Salaber, managing director at Wind Point, stated, “We’re excited for management and Vestar to continue to build on Nonni’s category-leading position and its track record of success. Nonni’s is a great example of how Wind Point’s strategy of partnering with top caliber CEOs can transform a business. The Nonni’s team executed against a value creation plan that dramatically increased the company’s scale, materially enhanced profit margins, and positioned the business extremely well for its next phase of robust growth.”
Nonni’s represents Wind Point’s third successful sale of a consumer products company in 2017.
Latham & Watkins served as legal counsel to Vestar. Houlihan Lokey acted as financial advisor to Nonni’s and Kirkland & Ellis provided transaction counsel. Antares Holdings and Northwestern Mutual Capital provided financing for the transaction.
