According to the Chinese New Year, 2012 is the year of the dragon, but for many in the refrigerated and frozen foods industry, it was the year of change. From mergers and acquisitions to buyouts and sell-outs to promotions and resignations, the refrigerated and frozen foods industry experienced a great deal of change. Big companies gobbled up other big companies to become bigger. CEOs moved amid the marketplace. Brands remained tried and true, but changed ownership.
Some companies even managed to grow their bottom line, while others shut down plants just to stay out of the red.
This is Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 15th annual Top 150 Food Processors report, and you’re invited to read on and learn more about these developments.
ABOUT THIS REPORT
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 15th annual industry leaders report profiles the Top 25 processors in each of the six refrigerated and frozen food sectors. Processors are ranked by annual net sales and listings.
Some refrigerated and frozen foods processors declined to provide annual sales or refused to update company information. This report represents Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ best efforts to reflect pertinent sales from all channels. Sales figures and estimates, which are marked with an asterisk (*), are based on company reports, news releases, market analysts’ reports, industry media and more. Figures exclude shelf-stable products.
A special thank you goes to Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ sister publications—National Provisioner, Dairy Foods and Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery—for their research and support for the further processed meat, dairy foods and bakery sections, respectively. And of course thank you to all of the respondents for taking the time to update their company information. Going straight to the source is a million times more credible than pulling information from the internet, so for that, we appreciate your cooperation.
Next year, we’re taking this report and breaking it up by refrigerated vs. frozen foods processors. Keep an eye out for a more in-depth look at the major players in the refrigerated foods category in our Top 25 Refrigerated Foods Processors feature (January 2013 issue) and our Top 150 Frozen Foods Processors (February 2013).