Latest news with #Freeport-based
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PE-backed Chocolate Works announces more M&A
Chocolate Works has acquired fellow US-based confectioner Thompson Chocolate. The deal, struck for an undisclosed sum, bolsters Chocolate Works' private-label and co-manufacturing options, a statement announcing the deal said. Connecticut-based Thompson Chocolate, which dates back to 1879, manufactures for 'some of the most respected chocolate brands and retailers in the world', the statement, issued by Chocolate Works owner Insignia Capital Group, read. Just Food has asked for further details. 'Thompson significantly expands our private label and co-manufacturing production capabilities and expands our branded offerings,' Chocolate Works founder and vice chairman Joe Whaley said in the statement. Private-equity firm Insignia Capital Group acquired Freeport-based Chocolate Works two years ago. Chocolate Works, founded in 1991, has facilities in Long Island and Portland. That deal came a year after Chocolate Works had snapped up Oregon-based Moonstruck Chocolate Co, which gave the company its site in Portland. Thompson Chocolate CEO Steve Gollob welcomed the deal. 'We're incredibly excited to join forces with the Chocolate Works organisation," he said. "This partnership enables us to continue delivering for our clients while expanding our offerings to include bars, truffles cocoa bombs, and enrobed chocolate snacks in a wide range of packaging formats.' Insignia Capital Group, which also owns US meat-products group Tillamook Country Smoker and snacks business Century Snacks, said the latest deal 'represents a major step forward in the development of a best-in-class specialty chocolate platform with a comprehensive range of product development and manufacturing capabilities for Fortune 500 customers and emerging brands alike'. The private-equity firm bought Tillamook Country Smoker in 2017 and New Century Snacks a year earlier. "PE-backed Chocolate Works announces more M&A" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
L.L. Bean drops lawsuit against canvas tote copycat
Apr. 25— has voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against 4Imprint Inc., a Wisconsin promotional products company that the Freeport-based retailer had claimed was copying its iconic "Boat and Tote" canvas bag. In a federal lawsuit filed in March, charged 4Imprint with trademark infringement, deceptive trade practices and unfair competition for selling a "confusingly similar" canvas bag called the "Boat Tote." lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Portland, claimed that 4Imprint "sells the same goods, to the same consumers, using the same advertising and sales channels ... using 'Boat Tote' in an apparent effort to deliberately free ride on well-known (trademark)." On Thursday, filed a notice of voluntary dismissal, which simply states that its case was "voluntarily dismissed with prejudice" against 4imprint. Representatives of each company didn't respond immediately to interview requests. Under federal rules for civil lawsuits, a plaintiff may dismiss its own case if the court or the defendant have yet to respond. A dismissal with prejudice is final and bars the plaintiff from refiling the same claim. This typically happens when a matter is resolved outside court. As of Friday, there was no apparent item called "Boat Tote" for sale on 4Imprint's website, although there were multiple canvas, cotton and other bags similar to the totes, including bags referencing lakes, beaches, schooners and other nautical themes. When celebrated the 80th anniversary of its "Boat and Tote" canvas bag last year, news stories noted its growing popularity among celebrities and social media influencers decades after the Maine company first sold it in 1944. sells several styles and sizes of Boat and Tote bags, recognizable for their two-tone heavy canvas construction. There's a leather-handled version that sells for $99 and a key-chain miniature bag priced at $9.95, according to the company's website. 4Imprint sells several similar bags, including a "Large Heavyweight Cotton Canvas Tote." It can be custom imprinted with a company or group logo and purchased in lots ranging from 15 bags for $20 each to 1,000 bags for $11.49 each, according to the company's website. Founded in 1912, first sold its tote as a sturdy carrier for heavy ice blocks that were used in iceboxes, which preceded refrigerators. It disappeared from the company's catalog for a while before being reintroduced in 1965 as the Boat and Tote. The lawsuit said the success and commercial strength of the Boat and Tote brand has led to high-profile collaborations and partnerships with other companies, including Tibi, Farmgirl Flowers, Abbode, Noah Kahan and the Boston Red Sox. The digital court document included photos of celebrities seen carrying Boat and Tote bags, including the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who died in a plane crash in 1999 with her older sister Lauren and her husband, John F. Kennedy Jr. Other more recent celebrities who are shown using the bag included the now-divorced actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, as well as actresses Chloë Sevigny and Reese Witherspoon, and model Hailey Bieber. Copy the Story Link
