Ideal Snacks workers march again; Company sold, to remain in Liberty

Posted 8/21/12

LIBERTY, NY — A crowd of about 70 people, which included workers fired from Ideal Snacks in May, gathered at Lapolt Park in Liberty on June 26 for another march through to town to the company’s …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Ideal Snacks workers march again; Company sold, to remain in Liberty

Posted

LIBERTY, NY — A crowd of about 70 people, which included workers fired from Ideal Snacks in May, gathered at Lapolt Park in Liberty on June 26 for another march through to town to the company’s location.

Some 200 workers were fired over documentation related to their residency status, and the fired workers leveled various charges against the company. Gonzalo Martinez de Vedia, a human trafficking specialist with the Worker Justice Center of New York, said this rally was mainly staged in support of workers who are still at the company who are seeking a safe work environment and an end to discrimination.

Another staff member from the center said that because the tourism and camp season is now underway in Sullivan County and the region, many of the fired workers were able to get jobs in the tourism industry, so the full impact of the large number of layoffs will likely not hit the village until after Labor Day.

‘Better-for-you’ snacks

In the meantime, officials at Ideal Snacks have signed an agreement to be purchased by an investment firm. On June 9, an international private equity firm called Permira issued a press release saying it had signed agreements to buy Ideal and also a company called Medora Snacks.

The press release said, “Medora manufactures branded better-for-you snacks, including PopCorners, PopCorners Whole Grain, Pop Crinkles®, and popped bean chips. Ideal is the leading contract manufacturer of better-for-you diversified popped snacks.”

Permira said it will combine Medora and Ideal under a single holding company called BFY Holdings I, LLC.

The press release said, “BFY Holdings will be a leader in the better-for-you snack product category, one of the fastest growing segments of the overall U.S. salty snack market… Medora’s most well-known brand, PopCorners, is one of the fastest-growing brands in the better-for-you snack category, combining the healthier attributes of popcorn with the universal appeal of chips.”

John Coyle, a Permira partner, said: “We are in the midst of a seismic shift within the food industry in which consumers are actively seeking out healthier snack products while not sacrificing taste. With their proprietary popping technology, Medora and Ideal have a distinct advantage in the industry which has enabled them to offer innovative, healthier and tastier snacks to meet this growing consumer demand.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here