Canada-based Premium Brands Holdings Corp. acquired Isernio’s Inc. through its Ferndale, Wash.-based subsidiary, Hempler Foods Group LLC.

Isernio’s is a premium fresh sausage brand that operates out of a new 28,000-square-foot production facility in Kent, Wash., and has annual sales of approximately $14 million.

"We are very honored to become the new owner of this great company,” says George Paleologou, president and CEO of Premium Brands. “This will bring together two of the U.S. Pacific Northwest’s most iconic specialty packaged meat brands—Hempler’s and Isernio’s. Both are known for great tasting, top-quality products made with wholesome ingredients and long histories of involvement with their local communities.

“Isernio’s met all of our acquisition criteria, including a strong management team, an authentic specialty foods brand and a niche market-based business strategy. Furthermore, Isernio’s culture of strong family values and its unrelenting dedication to producing the highest quality products make it a perfect fit with Hempler’s.

“Looking forward, we are very confident that Isernio’s, which has been growing at double-digit rates in recent years, will be able to further accelerate its growth by leveraging Premium Brands’ sales and marketing infrastructure in the U.S. and our Canadian operations’ infrastructure in Canada,” adds Paleologou.

“I am very pleased to welcome the Isernio’s team to the Hempler’s family,” says Stephen Bates, president of Hempler’s. “We have known and respected Mr. Isernio and his management team for many years and are very much looking forward to working with them.

“I am also very excited to be adding a second production facility to our group, as our compounded growth of more than 20% over the past several years has created ongoing production capacity challenges for us,” adds Bates. “I believe that Premium Brands and Hempler’s are the right partners for the business, based on our common cultures, shared values and commitment to producing premium quality products. I am certain that this is the right path for Isernio’s and its employees,” says Frank Isernio, president, CEO and founder of Isernio’s. “It gives me great pleasure to know that the loyal and dedicated employees that have made Isernio’s success possible will now have the additional resources necessary to allow the company to continue to grow and prosper.”