CLOs on the Move

Basic American Foods

In 1933, brothers Jack and Bill Hume set up a modest dehydration processing plant in Vacaville, California, using a technology that was later applied to potatoes. This was the beginning of Basic American Foods. In the mid 1950s, Basic American Foods established a potato processing plant in Blackfoot, Idaho, where the first instant potato product that could be rehydrated with boiling water was developed. This led to a series of innovative potato products for the foodservice industry that includes the brands Potato Pearls®, Golden Grill®, Classic Casserole® and Savory Series™. As the company grew, additional plants were built in Idaho and Washington. In response to a customer need for laborsaving quick-prep beans, Basic American Foods introduced Santiago® Refried Beans in 1986. The technology that created this authentic-tasting bean product is now being applied to Santiago® Black Beans and Santiago® Quick-Start® Chili. Today, Basic American Foods is led by Jack`s sons, George and Jerry. With nearly 40 patents to its credit, Basic American Foods is an acknowledged leader in research and development, earning universal respect for innovation, quality and customer service. The company continues to grow, staying focused on its customers and looks to the future with confidence. Today, Basic American Foods is a leading supplier of shelf-stable products to the foodservice market. Our portfolio, built on delivering quick, easy prep and consumer preferred taste.

Omaha Steaks

Omaha Steaks International, Inc., known as Omaha Steaks, is a food retailer.

Quaker Maid Meats

In 1960, a small meat processing operation named Quaker Maid Meats was founded.  Since then, this family-owned company has grown to over 100 workers in three production plants.   Originally, wafer-thin-sliced beef filets (muscle steaks) were the company’s mainstay. Soon Quaker Maid added breaded veal and beef patties, primarily for the institutional and restaurant markets and began manufacturing a variety of other portion-controlled meat products. In 1968, the company acquired a parcel of land on Carroll Street in Reading, PA, where its main plant is still located. Growth continued with ""Buttered Beef Steaks"" and ""Cubed Beef Steaks,"" along with a solid muscle sandwich steak, hamburger patties and veal steaks.   In the early 1970’s, rising beef prices created the need to develop a chopped and formed sandwich steak. This product became the company's largest mainstay growth item and allowed it to compete directly with national brand, Steak-umm®. Because of the sandwich steak's success, the first expansion of the Carroll Street plant also took place during this time.   In late 1979, Quaker Maid formulated its version of the fully cooked Italian style meatball (later named Mama Lucia Italian Style Meatballs), adding another item to help customers fill out their orders. The company also designed a continuous meatball-forming, freezing operation that revolutionized the manufacturing process. The meatballs helped expand Quaker Maid’s market share on the Eastern seaboard and into the Chicago market.   In 1985, the company purchased another production facility to accommodate the meatball growth. Within two years, additional production capacity was required to support the entire product line. In 1987 the company purchased additional land in Reading in preparation for a new facility. In 1990 ground was broken for a new 4,000-square-foot office building, additional 15,000 square feet of processing area, and 10,000 square feet of freezer and tempering room. In 2005 a third plant was built to again increase capacity, bringing Quaker Maid's total production facility size to over 110,000 square feet.    Quaker Maid's product line is continuously updated and currently includes all-beef sandwich steaks and fully cooked meatballs that are quick and easy to prepare, nutritious, and packaged under a variety of brand labels. Distribution spans all the major supermarkets and many large food service establishments throughout the United States and Bermuda.   Quaker Maid continually implements the newest technologies available to produce the highest quality products and enhance the plants’ safety and sanitary environment. Our quality assurance department has been certified by the United States Department of Agriculture to participate in their TQC (Total Quality Control) program. Although we are constantly monitored by the USDA, this certification shifts the major responsibility from federal meat inspectors to our own quality assurance staff.   Today, Quaker Maid Meats, Inc. remains a family-operated business with an unswerving dedication to quality, value and service. Our goal remains simple: to provide superior portion-controlled frozen meat products, manufactured with the best natural ingredients available, delivered to our customers at a fair and reasonable price.  

RoBotany

Fifth Season is a consumer tech company and indoor farming pioneer with Carnegie Mellon University roots that is creating a new era of fresh foods.

Dream Harvest