Campbell Acquires Wolfgang Puck Soup Business from Country Gourmet Foods.Acquisition Strengthens Campbell's Organic and Premium Soup Offerings CAMDEN Camden, borough, Greater London, England Camden, inner borough (1991 pop. 170,500) of Greater London, SE England. Within the borough, residential Hampstead is popular with writers and artists. , N.J. -- Campbell Soup Company Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) (also known as Campbell's) is a well-known American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :CPB CPB see cardiopulmonary bypass. CPB Cardiopulmonary bypass. See Port-Access cardiopulmonary bypass. ) today announced it has acquired the Wolfgang Puck Wolfgang Johann Puck (born Wolfgang Johann Topfschnig on July 8, 1949) is an Austrian-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and businessman based in Los Angeles. soup business from Country Gourmet Foods. Separately, Campbell has entered into a master licensing agreement with Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. for the use of the Wolfgang Puck brand on soup, stock and broth products in North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. retail locations, with an option to extend the brand into other related categories and channels. Wolfgang Puck is one of the leading organic soup brands in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Campbell anticipates that the acquisition will not have a material impact on its business results in fiscal 2009. The acquisition of the Wolfgang Puck business and the trademark licensing agreement support Campbell's commitment to wellness and extend the company's offerings in the growing organic and natural segment of the market. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. industry estimates, full year 2007 sales for organic wet soup in the U.S. were $150 million, with a compound annual growth rate of 23 percent from 2003 to 2007. Campbell currently offers several organic products, including "Campbell's" tomato juice, "V8" vegetable juice Vegetable juice is a popular drink all over the world. Vegetable juice is an alternative to fruit juice. Most commercial brands do however contain a large amount of sodium. If making vegetable juice at home, a juicer that can process vegetables will be needed. , "Prego" pasta sauce, "Pace" salsa, and varieties of "Swanson" broth. Douglas R. Conant, Campbell's President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We intend to strengthen and grow our business by pursuing strategic acquisitions and partnerships that complement our focus on our core categories of simple meals, baked snacks and healthy beverages. As the world's leading soup company, Campbell must expand its role in the organic segment of the market. Combining Wolfgang's brand and reputation with Campbell's distribution and marketing capabilities creates the opportunity for significant growth." Introduced in 1997, Wolfgang Puck offers three main product lines--its original "red label" ready-to-serve soups, organic and natural "green label" ready-to-serve soups, and natural and organic stocks and broths. The Wolfgang Puck portfolio of soup products has current net sales Net Sales The amount a seller receives from the buyer after costs associated with the sale are deducted. Notes: This amount is calculated by subtracting the following items from gross sales: merchandise returned for credit, allowances for damaged or missing goods, freight of approximately $22 million. The products are currently available in a number of retail locations across the U.S. "The Wolfgang Puck brand fits nicely with our focus on simple meals and offers a solid path to extend our wellness offerings. What makes Wolfgang Puck attractive to Campbell is its association with gourmet, chef-inspired recipes and its strong and growing presence in the organic and natural segment of the market," said Denise Morrison, President, Campbell's North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. Soup, Sauces and Beverages. "In addition to its organic and natural credentials, Wolfgang Puck products are positioned as a high-quality premium brand, with the potential to be extended into premium soup offerings." Campbell plans to operate the Wolfgang Puck business as a distinct brand within its Campbell USA portfolio and to leverage its existing distribution capabilities to expand the availability of Wolfgang Puck products. Under Campbell, the Wolfgang Puck brand will have a dedicated integrated business team and will be able to draw upon the resources within the Campbell USA business. "I've always believed in providing the best-tasting, quality products, using the freshest all-natural and organic ingredients and I'm proud we were one of the first organic soups in the market offering restaurant-quality taste," said Chef Wolfgang Puck. "As a leader in the soup category and food industry, Campbell Soup Company is an ideal partner for continuing to grow the Wolfgang Puck brand in the soup aisle and allowing even more consumers the opportunity to eat well." Wolfgang Puck is a world-renowned chef and restaurateur res·tau·ra·teur also res·tau·ran·teur n. The manager or owner of a restaurant. [French, from restaurer, to restore; see restaurant. who was recently honored with the Culinary Institute of America's Chef of the Year award recognizing his influence and impact on the culinary and hospitality industry, his inspiration to generations of chefs, his leadership in revolutionizing California cuisine and his bringing cooking into homes across the nation with his cookware and packaged goods. About Campbell Soup Company Campbell Soup Company is a global manufacturer and marketer of high-quality foods and simple meals, including soup, baked snacks, and healthy beverages. Founded in 1869, the company has a portfolio of market-leading brands, including "Campbell's," "Pepperidge Farm," "Arnott's," and "V8." For more information on the company, visit Campbell's website at www.campbellsoup.com. About Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc., a privately held corporation Noun 1. privately held corporation - a corporation owned by a few people; shares have no public market close corporation, closed corporation, private corporation , includes franchises of casual Wolfgang Puck Bistro and fast-casual Wolfgang Puck Express restaurants, consumer products including Wolfgang Puck-branded packaged foods and beverages, book publishing and other licensing and merchandising projects. For additional information, visit www.wolfgangpuck.com. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking statements" that reflect the company's current expectations about its future plans and performance, including statements concerning the impact of marketing investments and strategies, share repurchase Share Repurchase A program by which a company buys back its own shares from the marketplace, reducing the number of outstanding shares. This is usually an indication that the company's management thinks the shares are undervalued. , cost-saving initiatives, quality improvements, and portfolio strategies, including divestitures, on sales, earnings, and margins. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions and estimates that could be inaccurate and which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from those anticipated or expressed in any forward-looking statement made by the company. Please refer to the company's most recent Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. and subsequent filings for a further discussion of these risks and uncertainties. The company disclaims any obligation or intent to update the forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. |
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