McCain to buy Anchor Foods' foodservice business

McCain Foods Ltd., Florenceville, NB, Canada, the world?s largest manufacturer of French fries and an international producer of appetizers, pizzas and other frozen items, will acquire the foodservice business and plants of Anchor Food Products, Inc., Appleton, WI. The deal is expected to close in the fall.

At the same time, Anchor's branded retail products will be acquired by the H.J. Heinz Co., Pittsburgh, which gains licensing rights to Anchor?s T.G.I. Friday retail appetizer lines.

A producer of specialty cheese appetizers, onion rings, stuffed jalapeno peppers, vegetable appetizers and rolled and specialty appetizers, Anchor rang up sales of $500 million in 2000. McCain generated C$5 billion in sales.

"The Anchor acquisition will make McCain Foods a major foodservice supplier of frozen appetizers in the U.S. market," comments Harrison McCain, chairman of McCain Foods Ltd. "Anchor's innovative sales and marketing expertise is a perfect fit with the international production leadership of McCain Foods."

The McCain Foods USA unit, a major French fry, pizza and appetizer producer, sells appetizers under the Brew City, Moore's and Golden Crisp brands.

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