Lakeside Foods acquires Oregon-based Smith Frozen Foods

Heather Graves

Staff

December 30, 2024

MANITOWOC – Lakeside Foods – a Manitowoc-headquartered frozen and canned foods supplier – has acquired Oregon-based vegetable manufacturer Smith Frozen Foods – a move Lakeside President/CEO Joe Yanda said is a piece of the puzzle in the company’s long-term strategic growth plan.

“Expanding our operational footprint to the West Coast definitely has important business advantages,” he said. “It gives us a strong distribution hub in the Pacific Northwest to service customers. In addition, it provides an opportunity to tap into a new growing region, which will mitigate the risk of adverse weather patterns.”

A good fit

As a former industry competitor, Yanda said Lakeside Foods has known of Smith Frozen Foods for quite some time.

“They have always had a strong reputation for quality and service, so we were really interested when the opportunity presented itself this past year to purchase the company,” he said.

Smith Frozen Foods, Yanda said, is a natural fit that aligns closely with Lakeside’s growth goals.

“Like most companies, we have targeted areas for growth in certain product lines and customer segments, and this acquisition checked all the boxes,” he said. “It offers us a new geographic region both on the agricultural and production side and in terms of supply chain and distribution. This acquisition was intentional and thoroughly considered by our management team.”

Yanda said the decision to purchase Smith Frozen Foods was not taken lightly.

“The decision best supports our long-term strategic growth plan,” he said.

Yanda said Smith’s operations include significant frozen storage capacity and some production capabilities new to Lakeside Foods.

“We’re excited to further grow our frozen vegetable business and strengthen service to our nationwide base of retail, foodservice and industrial customers, especially those with a large footprint on the West Coast,” he said.

Northeast Wisconsin, Yanda said, continues to be a major hub for producing canned and frozen vegetables for consumption across the U.S.

Having a business strategy that supports Lakeside’s continued growth, he said, is good for the local economy.

“A stable and financially strong Lakeside Foods has a ripple effect – from our headquarters and our five area production locations to our support of local businesses, growers and suppliers, who continue to invest in capital expansion, employment growth and community support,” he said.

Yanda said the Lakeside team was confident that the Smith business would align well with Lakeside Foods, “but it’s been really gratifying to see how well and how quickly this has happened.”

“We have been thrilled to discover what a strong business culture they have, with great people who share our similar values,” he said. “The former Smith employees want to become part of our company – they have a strong work ethic and they have reacted to our acquisition with enthusiasm and grace.”

Yanda said Lakeside Foods team members are also excited about the growth opportunities.

“For example, our Manitowoc general manager is moving out to Oregon to grow his career by accepting a promotion to lead the much larger Weston operations as its new general manager,” he said.

Gordon Smith, owner and chairman of the board for Smith Frozen Foods, said “we’re pleased to have found a great buyer.”

“Lakeside Foods is a family owned company like ours, with a rich heritage and stable history as a vegetable producer,” he said. “I look forward to watching them further grow and invest in the business my grandfather founded 105 years ago.”

A lengthy process

As a company, Yanda said Lakeside has done numerous acquisitions over the years – each accompanied by its own “due diligence” pace.

“I’m pleased that we have a really great team in place to navigate the complex and often lengthy process of vetting the target company and the terms of the sale, to ensure the deal makes good business sense,” he said. “The whole process took about six months to complete, and we’re happy that through all of the hard work, we could bring the acquisition to fruition.”

The purchase, Yanda said, includes all Smith Frozen Foods assets – its Weston, Oregon production facility and Garrett Packing/Brittany Farms operations in Milton-Freewater, Oregon.

“Purchasing the business assets of Smith Frozen Foods hit on all of our strategic goals as a company to grow our product capabilities, expand our footprint and create synergies with our existing operations,” he said.

Yanda said Lakeside Foods will continue to produce frozen vegetables at these former Smith facilities, operating as one of Lakeside’s 14 production locations.

“Some production will shift and distribution will look a bit different, as we integrate this new operation and transition business processes, but all employees are being retained, and we will continue to operate the facility as a vegetable production operation,” he said.

A few more details

Beginning operations in 1887 as a small pea-canning plant, Lakeside Foods has expanded to 14 production facilities, producing canned and frozen vegetables, canned meat, smoked sausage and hot dogs, canned dry beans, frozen desserts, appetizers and canned pet food that are distributed in 14 countries.

Lakeside Foods – which is family owned and operated – manages its vegetable growing and harvesting operations through a network of regional farmers.

Smith Frozen Foods was founded in 1919 by Albert Smith and remained under the ownership of the Smith family during that time.

The company grows peas, onions, carrots, corn and lima beans through a network of family growers in western Oregon.

Its footprint includes freezing and packaging facilities, a 250,000-square-foot cold storage facility, and farming operations in Weston and Milton-Freewater, Oregon.

Affiliated companies include Smith Food Sales, Brittany Farming and Garrett Packing.