[Exclusive] Bar Bakers, TruFood Unite As Tandem Foods
Snack industry co-manufacturers Bar Bakers and TruFood Manufacturing have officially combined operations following a previously announced merger in May 2024, today debuting under a new unified identity, Tandem Foods.
“This [deal was] about seizing an opportunity to create something greater than the sum of its parts,” Tandem CEO Michael Buick told Nosh. “Both companies were strong independently, but together we can deliver even more value to our customers through enhanced capabilities, broader geographic reach, and accelerated innovation. The coming together of TruFood and Bar Bakers marks a significant milestone as we strengthen our position in the nutritional snacks market under our new name.”
The combined company now operates eight facilities from which it can produce better-for-you snacks spanning categories such as baked goods, bars, chocolate molding, cookies, wafers, and granola. Bar Bakers brought long-standing expertise in the nutrition bar category while TruFood brought a similar muscle with a focus on chocolate, wafers and granola prior to the combination.
“This merger is a natural fit that emerged from our shared vision of leading innovation in the better-for-you snack space,” Buick said. “We recognized that TruFood’s expertise combined with Bar Bakers’ capabilities and West Coast presence would create an unmatched platform to serve our customers nationwide.”
The rebrand will also bring a full website redesign, complete with a new color scheme and tagline: “Powered by Collaboration.” According to Buick, legacy email addresses for both companies will remain active through the transition in order to reduce confusion among its customer services channels.
“Tandem Foods captures our philosophy of partnership and collaboration,” Buick said. “The name, along with our tagline ‘Powered by Collaboration,’ emphasizes our commitment to working closely with our customers to drive mutual success. Our new identity reflects the company we’ve become while honoring the heritage of both TruFood and Bar Bakers.”
Buick, previously TruFood CEO, will continue in the CEO role of the combined company moving forward; former Bar Bakers president Gary Jacobs will assume the role of chief commercial officer. The team also recently brought on Marshall Scott, a longtime financial executive, as CFO.
“Our integration process was carefully conducted to ensure a smooth transition for employees, customers and other stakeholders,” said Buick. “We’ve uncovered meaningful synergies between our operations while facing and overcoming typical integration challenges. What’s been most encouraging is seeing how well our cultures have meshed, with both teams remaining focused on customer success throughout the process.”
