Savor Street Foods developed the industry’s first grain free pretzel
The Bachman and Jax brands were sold and the company name was changed to Savor Street Foods, Inc.
The Bachman and Jax brands were sold and the company name was changed to Savor Street Foods, Inc. In 2014, the company added a dedicated gluten-free baking line to address the growing demand for these products.
Bachman’s CEO Scott Carpenter purchased the company in 2012. In that same year, the company was repositioned to focus on the burgeoning private label and co-pack snack markets. The company exited the potato chip and tortilla chip categories to focus on the growing pretzel market
Bachman entered the tortilla chip category with the purchase of Zara Foods in Ephrata, Pa. In 1993, the company’s pretzel bakery was expanded again to add up to 4 more high speed production lines.
Bachman Foods, as it was known then, was among the most diversified, rapidly growing snack companies. The Culbro Corporation, whose principle business was cigars and tobacco products, took a keen interest in Helme for its tobacco facilities and for its profitable snack division. Unfortunately the integration was not successful for Culbro and Bachman Foods was divested in 1980.
Bachman was purchased in 1980 by Joseph Francis Welch, a local Reading, Pa. entrepreneur who returned the company to its roots by restoring its headquarters to Reading. Over the course of the next thirty years Bachman Pretzels and Jax cheese curls continued to maintain leading market shares throughout the Northeast US.
Only one snack segment remained to be developed for Bachman, and that was the largest, potato chips. In quick succession, four “chippers” joined the Bachman team…Valley Maid in eastern Pennsylvania (1969), King Cole Foods in New England (1970), the Treat Company of New York City (1971) and Schuler Potato Chips in Rochester, NY (1973). And in 1980, Bachman took over the distribution of Cain’s Potato Chips in New England.
Another landmark expansion took place in 1968 with the purchase of the Mayfair Foods Specialty Co. This Philiadelphia concern was in the frozen waffle business. Bachman management had the foresight to abandon the production and turn Mayfair’s full capacity into the manufacture of frozen soft pretzels. After realizing significant growth during the 1970’s, this operation was later divested in 1982.
Candy was brought into the family (later to be divested) with the successive acquisition of King Kup Candy (1966), Schoener Candy (1967) and W.F. Schrafft Candy (1969).
The demands for the product line expansion and top quality standards were both met in 1963 with the acquisition of New England Popcorn. This Rhode Island company was well known for its popcorn and also for corn chips.