Harry & David Holdings Inc. has acquired Wolferman’s from premium specialty food gifts direct marketer Williams Foods Inc., a privately held producer of dry seasonings and direct marketer of premium specialty food gifts.
Wolferman’s was founded in 1888 and is known for premium breakfast products, which are sold via its catalogs and e-commerce Web site. Its signature product is an English muffin which has been produced using the same recipe since 1910. The company also markets a wide variety of specialty breads, breakfast pastries, desserts and gourmet toppings, primarily as part of gift basket sets. The multichannel retailer generated sales of approximately $27 million in 2007.
Harry & David sees “a significant growth opportunity to expand Wolferman’s direct marketing, Internet and wholesale business,” said Bill Williams, president/CEO at Harry & David, in a statement. He expects the acquisition to leverage Harry and David’s infrastructure and create strong marketing synergies for both companies. In addition, “the two companies’ brands are very complementary,” he said.
