KENT acquires Australian dessert, beverage company Frosty Boy

MUSCATINE, Iowa – KENT Corporation has expanded its food and beverage lineup with the acquisition of Frosty Boy Global, headquartered in Yatala, Gold Coast, Australia, the Muscatine-based KENT recently announced.  KENT, by way of its subsidiary KENT Precision Foods Group, announced the acquisition in a news release on Friday, Dec. 8. Details of the transaction […]

MUSCATINE, Iowa – KENT Corporation has expanded its food and beverage lineup with the acquisition of Frosty Boy Global, headquartered in Yatala, Gold Coast, Australia, the Muscatine-based KENT recently announced.  KENT, by way of its subsidiary KENT Precision Foods Group, announced the acquisition in a news release on Friday, Dec. 8. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.  Frosty Boy, with locations around the globe, is an award-winning manufacturer and supplier of powder-based products, similar to those provided by KENT Precision Foods. KENT Corp. is a manufacturer and worldwide marketer of food, beverage and agricultural products.  “We are excited for KENT Precision Group and Frosty Boy to join forces and expand what we each do best while leveraging our synergies,” KENT Precision Foods Group President Mike Eversmeyer said in the release. “Together, our brands and products help people create meaningful experiences and long-lasting memories.”   While there is some overlap between KENT and Frosty Boy’s products, company spokeswoman Carol Reynolds told the QCBJ in an email “each business brings opportunity to the other.”   KENT Precision Foods is a dry and liquid-blending packaging food company that specializes in rigid and flexible packaging while providing high-quality branded and custom products for customers in the food service (domestic and international) industrial and consumer products businesses. Its brands include: Foothill Farms, Frostline, Mrs. Wages, Orrington Farms, Southern Gourmet, Thick-It, Sqwincher, PKLfreeze, Milani and other licensed products.  Now led by the third generation family member Gage Kent, KENT does not disclose its annual sales. It employs about 2,000 people in 40 locations across 20 states and seven countries.

Global footprint expanding

With the purchase of Frosty Boy, KENT expands its global footprint, which the release said would allow the Kent family business to better serve its worldwide customer base.  Frosty Boy manufactures products in India and Australia and has sales offices in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Philippines, Australia, Turkey, Brazil, Dubai and Thailand. It exports to 80 countries.  Frosty Boy Australia, which was founded in 1976 as an innovator of soft service ice cream, produces and supplies brands under the Frosty Boy label as well as Monolisa (frozen yogurt), Wellboost Care Plus (meal supplements) and Frosty Whip, according to its website. Frosty Boy is the winner of the Queensland Exporter of the Year award.  The Australian company's global footprint complements KENT Precision Foods, which has four U.S. global manufacturing locations. They include: New Sharon, Iowa; Bolingbrook, Illinois; Columbus, Mississippi; and Superior, Wisconsin. KENT is excited by Frosty Boy’s international success, Ms. Reynolds said. She added that the Frosty Boy workforce of about 115 employees will join the KENT family of companies. Its day-to-day leadership will remain in Australia and will report through KENT Precision Foods Group, led by Mr. Eversmeyer.  The transaction also comes on the heels of a September acquisition by Grain Processing Corporation, another KENT Corporation company. The Muscatine-based GPC purchased the former World Food Processing flour manufacturing and warehouse facility in Oskaloosa, Iowa, which had shut down operations in June.