Springdale, Arkansas, USA-headquartered Tyson Foods, Inc. has acquired the assets of Bosco’s Pizza Co. of Warren, Michigan, for an undisclosed price. Bosco’s Pizza, known for “The Original Bosco Stick,” produces a variety of stuffed bread sticks and frozen pizzas for foodservice and retail customers throughout the Midwestern United States and for a number of retailers nationwide.
“This is part of our company’s strategic plan to grow our domestic prepared foods business,” said Donnie King, Tyson Foods’ president of prepared foods, customer and consumer solutions. “Bosco’s will be a good addition to our diversified portfolio of quality food offerings.”
Craig Mulhinch, Bosco’s vice president of sales and marketing, and Paul Morgan, vice president of Bosco’s operations, will continue to manage the day-to-day operations. The company employs about 150 people, all of whom are expected to join the Tyson Foods team. It will become part of Tyson Foods’ Prepared Foods division, but continue to operate under the Bosco’s Pizza Co. name. Customer contacts will not change.
“The Original Bosco Stick,” long a regional hit in the US Midwest, will no doubt gain much wider distribution now that Bosco’s is part of Tyson Foods.
“This is a great opportunity for the Bosco’s brand,” Mulhinch said. “We’ve put a lot of effort into creating high-quality products and Tyson Foods has recognized that. This deal will allow us to accelerate our growth while we continue to focus on the fundamentals of making excellent artisan bread products. We’re excited about joining the Tyson team.”
Entrepreneur Mark Artinian created Bosco’s as a carry-out pizzeria in 1988, before he started delivering frozen pizzas to area high schools. In 1995, production of frozen stuffed crust pizza began, which soon led to stuffed bread sticks, the company’s main product line today. Artinian will remain with the business in an advisory role.
Tyson Foods is the largest supplier of pepperoni and pizza toppings to the foodservice industry in the United States. It markets prepared foods products to retail grocers, foodservice distributors, restaurant operators and on-site foodservice establishments such as schools, universities, corporate cafeterias, hotel chains, healthcare facilities and the military.
Frozen Square Pepperoni Pizza from Bosco’s is convenient for school foodservice operators to prepare, and a popular lunch menu choice among students.In addition to “The Original Bosco Stick,” the Bosco’s Pizza plant produces partially baked frozen pizza made with traditional and whole grain crust, reduced-fat cheese Bosco Sticks, pepperoni Bosco Sticks and whole grain apple-filled Bosco Sticks in a variety of sizes and pack options.
Tyson Foods, Inc., which has a market capitalization of approximately $12 billion, is one of the world’s largest processors and marketers of chicken, beef and pork. Ranked as the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500, its extensive product line is exported to more than 130 countries.
