Clearlake Capital Group acquires BakeMark

Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. acquired BakeMark USA, LLC from Pamplona Capital Management. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

BakeMark has been in the baking industry for 100 years, serving approximately 1,200 suppliers and about 19,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada. Covering substantially all channels in the bakery industry, BakeMark serves retail bakery, in-store bakery, wholesale bakery, foodservice operators, and beyond. Its diverse base of customers includes both street accounts such as local independent bakeries and national accounts such as coffeehouse and donut chains.

With a complete line of bakery mixes, fillings and icings, and other baking ingredients and products, BakeMark offers both resale ingredients and self-manufactured products through its exclusive brands, including Westco, Trigal Dorado, Best Brands, BakeSense, BakeQwik, C’est Vivant, and Sprinkelina. Its comprehensive line of products enables BakeMark to serve as a one-stop shop for its customers. Headquartered in Pico Rivera, CA, BakeMark has approximately 1,000 employees and operates five manufacturing sites and 29 distribution centers across North America.

“Today marks an exciting new chapter in BakeMark’s history,” said Jim Parker, CEO, BakeMark in a press release. “Since acquiring the business in 2017, Pamplona has been a trusted and supportive partner, helping to guide BakeMark’s management team through a successful period of sustained growth. Clearlake’s operational insights and experience in the food and beverage sector will accelerate that growth and support our commitment to deliver the best quality products and services for our customers.”

Harris Williams and Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisors to Pamplona. Credit Suisse served as financial advisor to Clearlake and is leading the financing to support the investment alongside Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and BMO Capital Markets.