World Gourmet Marketing, LLC Acquires Rivard Popcorn, Inc.

The Rivard acquisition brings additional production including popcorn, caramel corn, air popped technology, as well as fried and baked pellet snacks including vegetable snacks.

27/06/08 World Gourmet Marketing, LLC, makers of Sensible Portions, a New Jersey-based food manufacturer, announced the acquisition of Rivard Popcorn, Inc. located in Lancaster, PA.

The recently remodeled Rivard facility provides state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities and a strategic location in the Northeast close to many key customers for the Sensible Portions brand. The local community will benefit as World Gourmet Marketing, LLC plans to significantly increase production and employment over the next twelve months and begin sourcing materials and transportation from local suppliers.

The Rivard acquisition brings additional production including popcorn, caramel corn, air popped technology, as well as fried and baked pellet snacks including vegetable snacks.

Sensible Portions products are sold primarily through club, deli, supermarkets and specialty outlets. World Gourmet Marketing, LLC will continue to produce private label products for the Rivard customers.

"'The Rivard Business,' now called 'Sensible Snacks,' is highly complementary and positions World Gourmet to better serve our customers and the growing demand for the Sensible Portions brand. Pellet-based snacks are one of the fastest growing segments in the snack category and the Sensible Portions brand can be found in customers such as Costco, BJ's, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, and many more," said Jason Cohen, president of World Gourmet.

"The plant's increased manufacturing capabilities allow World Gourmet to produce more great-tasting snacks such as all-natural caramel corn, popcorn, and veggie crisps using air puff, flash-fried, and baked pellet technologies and give us a strategic position in the fastest growing segment of the food industry," said Jerry Bello, CEO of World Gourmet.