Voortman Cookies
Voortman Cookies Limited is a Canadian company specializing in the production and sale of cookies. Based in Burlington, Ontario, Voortman brand cookies are sold at retail locations across Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, and over 70 other countries worldwide.
| Type | Bakery |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food |
| Genre | Baked goods |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Founders | William and Harry Voortman |
| Headquarters | 43°22′49.4″N 79°46′33.6″W, , |
Area served | Worldwide through:
|
| Products | |
| Owner | Swander Pace Capital |
| Divisions | Appleby Transport Limited |
| Website | www |
History
Voortman Cookies Limited was founded by brothers William and Harry Voortman. In the 2010s, Voortman Cookies makes over 60 varieties of cookies, including lines of creme wafers, sugar free and seasonal products. The Burlington plant remains the sole production facility, where over 200 full-time workers are employed. Voortman's cookies are distributed throughout North America by a network of over 500 independent distributors. In 2015, Voortman's sales were over $100 million.[1]
In 2015, a majority stake in Voortman Cookies was acquired by private equity firm Swander Pace Capital.[2][3] At this time, Chief Executive Officer Harry Voortman stepped away from daily management but remains on the board of directors.
In 2017, Voortman went through a complete rebranding, which included removal from its formulas of all artificial colors, flavors and high fructose corn syrup.[1]
On December 2, 2019, Hostess Brands announced that it was purchasing Voortman from Swander Pace Capital for approximately US$320 million (C$425 million). Hostess expects to close the transaction in early January 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.[4]
Trans fat ban
In 2003, Voortman Cookies announced that no trans fats would be used in the production of its cookies.[5] This made Voortman Cookies the first Canadian food company and one of the first in North America to abolish the use of trans-fats in retail food products.[6]
References
- Klara, Robert (23 March 2017). "How Voortman Plans on Taking a Bigger Bite Out of the Cookie Market". AdWeek. Adweek.com.
- Yanchus, Kathy (14 October 2015). "Burlington's Voortman Cookies sold to private equity firm". InsideHalton.com.
- Dunford, Thomas (15 October 2015). "The Morning Leverage: Swander Pace Raids the Cookie Jar". The Wall Street Journal. wsj.com.
- "Hostess Brands, Inc. Enters into Agreement to Acquire Voortman, a Leading North American Wafer and Cookie Company". www.businesswire.com. 2 December 2019.
- "Voortman cookies to shed trans fats". CBC News. 25 November 2003. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
- Segvich, Jeff (14 October 2015). "Swander Pace Capital Acquires Majority Stake in Voortman Cookies". Business Wire (Press release). Swander/Pace Capital.
