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.