C.H. Guenther expands in baking

SAN ANTONIO — C.H. Guenther & Son LLC, a producer of branded and private label products, has acquired St. Paul, Minn.-based Baldinger Bakery LP and Canada-based Baldinger & Sons Bakery, a move C.H. Guenther & Son said will expand its bakery manufacturing capacity and deepen its relationship with quick-service restaurant customers. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1888 and family-owned for four generations, Baldinger bakes hamburger buns, rolls, bagels and other specialty bakery items for multinational QSR brands, including McDonald’s, which it has supplied since the 1950s. Baldinger Bakery operates a manufacturing facility in St. Paul while Baldinger & Sons Bakery operates two plants in Brampton, Ont., and Calgary, Alta. Combined, Baldinger employs approximately 220.

“We have long been impressed with the Baldinger-Sons team’s dedication to product quality and manufacturing excellence,” said Dale Tremblay, chairman of C.H. Guenther & Son. “This combination, guided by the legacies and values of two family businesses, will provide our company with exciting growth and expansion opportunities.”

Steve Baldinger, chief executive officer of Baldinger, added, “It was very important for us to find a partner who shares our values and vision for the future while providing the strength and stability to help propel our organization for years to come. I believe we have found that partner with C.H. Guenther & Son. Both Baldinger-Sons and CHG are rooted in entrepreneurial, innovative businesses. I am excited to work with Dale, John and their team to create an even brighter future for our newly combined organization.”

The Baldinger management team will continue with the business post-transaction.

C.H. Guenther & Son is owned by Pritzker Private Capital. The company has a global footprint, employs approximately 7,500 and has 27 manufacturing locations in the United States, Canada and Europe. The company manufactures value-added grain-based and frozen food products for foodservice and retail. Brands owned by the company include Pioneer, White Wings, Sun-Bird and Cuisine Adventures. The company’s roots date to 1851, when Carl H. Guenther built a flour mill near Fredericksburg, Texas. The business moved to San Antonio in 1859 and was renamed Pioneer Flour Mills in 1898. The original name was readopted in 1999. Following a period of rapid expansion in the 2000s, the business was acquired by the Pritzker Group in 2018.