Middle market private equity firm Centre Partners has made an investment in Wisconsin Cheese Group Holding (WCG), and affiliates, a manufacturer of branded and private label Hispanic foods, including cheeses, desserts, meats and spices. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Founded in 1985 and based in St. Paul, Minnesota, WCG maintains an attractive portfolio of trusted, authentic Hispanic food brands, including La Morenita, El Viajero, Reynaldo’s, El Chilar, Lisy, and Orale!, alongside extensive private label capabilities. The Company has nationwide distribution with a strong presence within the mass, club, grocery and specialty / bodega channels and has built an outstanding reputation for customer service and product quality.
Centre Operating Partner Brian McInerney has joined WCG as its CEO. McInerney has spent his entire career in the consumer products industry and previously served as CEO of Glacier Water Services, where he drove meaningful growth throughout his tenure. Danette Bucsko, former CFO of Bellisio Foods, will join the Company as CFO.
Bruce Pollack, Managing Partner of Centre Partners, says: “We are very pleased to partner with Brian and Danette, who have joined a very talented and committed team at WCG. WCG is well-positioned to continue to capitalize on the large and growing Hispanic foods category and we look forward to our ownership of the business as it expands into new channels, categories and customers.”
Brian McInerney says: “I am very excited to partner with Centre Partners and benefit from its more than 30 years of experience in the consumer products space. WCG has built a leading, authentic Hispanic foods platform and I am thrilled to lead the team to capitalise on the excellent opportunities ahead of us. Our mission is to help accelerate growth by investing in people, brands and products, and we look forward to delivering best-in-class Hispanic food products to an even greater number of customers and consumers.”
“Wisconsin Cheese Group’s commitment to high-quality products and superior customer service has enabled it to become an established market leader and a highly strategic partner for its customers,” added Michael Schnabel, a Partner at Centre Partners. “We are very impressed with the Company’s achievements to date and are excited to work together with the entire management team to reach the next level of growth.”
Dechert LLP provided legal counsel to Centre Partners.
