WAUKESHA, WIS. — Baked snacks contract and private label manufacturer Legacy Bakehouse has entered the sweet baked snacks arena with the acquisition of Mannon Specialty Foods Inc., a maker of premium cookies under the Classic Cookie brand.
Financial terms of the deal, announced Feb. 5, weren’t disclosed. Founded in 1984, Sevierville, Tenn.-based Classic Cookie makes soft-baked, energy caffeine and crispy mini cookies sold in pouches as well as snack-size cookies sold in pouches and boxes. The cookies are sold at Walmart and other national and regional retailers and distributors, as well as through fundraising organizations nationwide.
Legacy Bakehouse said the addition of Classic Cookie expands its baked product lineup as well as extends its geographic reach and brings a retail brand with national distribution. Founded in 1917, Waukesha-based Legacy develops and makes a range of baked snacks and snack components — including pita chips, tortillas, rye chips, garlic chips, bagel chips, croutons, breadsticks and snack mixes, among others — for leading, emerging and private brands.
“Classic Cookie is a major step, expanding our baked snacks capabilities, capacity, markets and customers,” said Alain Vallet-Sandre, chief commercial officer at Legacy Bakehouse, which was acquired by private equity firm Benford Capital Partners in April 2023. “Adding our contract manufacturing and private label capabilities to Classic Cookie’s strong sales channels, as well as expanding our salty/savory snacking platform to include sweet, rounds out our offerings, increasing Legacy’s attractiveness as a partner to a broader cross-section of customers.”
Classic Cookie operates a 50,000-square-foot commercial bakery in Sevierville that recently was expanded to accommodate strong growth, according to Legacy Bakehouse, which noted the acquisition brings “diverse cookie and brownie production capabilities” to its contract manufacturing and private label businesses.
Greenville, SC-based The Capital Corp., which advised Mannon Specialty Foods on the transaction, said Classic Cookie is one of the largest remaining independent manufacturers of cookie, brownie and cookie dough products in the United States.
“While we are proud of what we’ve built over 41 years, we know that Classic Cookie is just scratching the surface of its future growth potential,” said Jon Mannon, chief executive officer of Classic Cookie. “By partnering with Legacy Bakehouse and Benford Capital Partners, Classic Cookie will have more resources than ever to continue our growth while maintaining our high product and service standards to our loyal and growing customer base.”
The Sevierville plant will mark Legacy’s third production facility, including the Cudahy, Wis., production site and assets of Angelic Bakehouse acquired this past July.
“Classic Cookie is a strategic acquisition in our evolving baking platform,” said Brian Behm, principal at Benford Capital Partners. “Classic Cookie’s primary channels, including national retail, vending, contract manufacturing, private label and fundraising (organizations), are complementary to Legacy’s.”
Other food companies in Chicago-based Benford’s portfolio include Turri’s Italian Foods (pasta, rice and grains), RP Foods (Hispanic foods and beverages), Brothers International Food (fruit snacks and ingredients) and Saco Foods (dessert dip, powdered instant milk and dry buttermilk, baking cocoa and other food categories).