Merger Expands Manufacturing At Framingham Firm
Framingham-Based Ian's Natural Foods has merged with California-based seafood company Blue Horizon Wild and changed its name to Elevation Brands LLC to reflect the "elevating of the mission of two companies," said Ian's CEO Chuck Marble.
Marble, the former general manager of Ian's, will serve as CEO of the new firm.
All manufacturing operations are being folded into the Framingham facility, Marble said. "We're in a practice mode first," he said, "reformulating and improving the quality and updating the product line," a process that should be completed by the end of May.
Moving manufacturing to one facility into the Framingham space benefits consumers, Marble said. "It's a tremendous value to have it here. It improves sustainability and traceability" of the product, he said.
Gluten-Free Focus
Marble said adult-onset food allergy customers and children (one in every 12 kids now have food allergies, he said) need choices. The merger makes sense from both marketing and manufacturing standpoints, he said. Both Ian's and Blue Horizon have strong roots in offering allergy-friendly foods.
Ian's - which began in 1991 as Five-Star Foods in a facility in Revere - began to hone its focus on the gluten-free food marketplace in 2003, and was one of the first to offer gluten-free chicken and fish products for people with conditions like celiac disease, said Marble. Other companies say they're allergy-friendly, but it's mainly cookies and crackers," he said. Ian's sister company, Glutino, a maker of gluten-free foods, was sold to Smart Balance in 2011.
Blue Horizon markets its seafood products as responsibly sourced, utilizing environmentally friendly fishing techniques.
Elevation Brands LLC is occupying double the space in the Framingham facility thanks to a 2011 renovation - 33,000 square feet with a fry line, nitrogen tunnel and packaging equipment, according to a company statement.
Marble said his team has been working on equipment modifications, scheduling processes, continuous improvement programs and efficiencies as they absorb the new company. Blue Horizon will still have a sales presence on the West Coast, he said.
Ian's and Blue Horizon products are sold in supermarkets in the U.S. Ian's items are also sold in Canada, according to a statement.
Social investment fund and majority Blue Horizon shareholder Renewal2 led the merger. Claridge Group of Montreal, a minority Blue Horizon shareholder, will still have a minority stake in Elevation Brands, said Marble.
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Where can I purchase the chicken nuggets that Ian’s made. My grandchildren only eat that brand.
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