PART I
Item 1. Business.
Overview
The terms "B&G Foods," "our," "we" and "us," as used in this report, refer to B&G Foods, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, except where it is clear that the term refers only to the parent company. Throughout this report, we refer to our fiscal years ended December 29, 2007, January 3, 2009, January 2, 2010, January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 as "fiscal 2007," "fiscal 2008," "fiscal 2009," "fiscal 2010" and "fiscal 2011," respectively.
B&G Foods manufactures, sells and distributes a diverse portfolio of branded, high quality, shelf-stable food and household products, many of which have leading regional or national market shares. In general, we position our branded products to appeal to the consumer desiring a high quality and reasonably priced product. We complement our branded product retail sales with institutional and food service sales and limited private label sales.
History
B&G Foods, including our subsidiaries and predecessors, has been in business for over 120 years. We were incorporated in Delaware on November 25, 1996 under the name B Companies Holdings Corp. On August 11, 1997, we changed our name to B&G Foods Holdings Corp. On October 14, 2004, B&G Foods, Inc., then our wholly owned subsidiary, was merged with and into us and we were renamed B&G Foods, Inc.
The table below includes some of the significant events in our recent history:
Products and Markets
The following is a brief description of some of our brands and product lines:
The Ortega brand has been in existence since 1897 and its products span the shelf-stable Mexican food segment including taco shells, tortillas, seasonings, dinner kits, taco sauces, peppers, refried beans, salsas and related food products. We continue to expand our product offerings, with new products such as the Ortega whole grain corn taco shells and Ortega reduced sodium taco seasoning.
The Maple Grove Farms of Vermont brand, which originated in 1915, is one of the leading brands of pure maple syrup sold in the United States. Other products under the Maple Grove Farms of Vermont label include a line of gourmet salad dressings, sugar free syrups, marinades, fruit syrups, confections, pancake mixes and organic products.
The Cream of Wheat brand was introduced in 1893 and is among the leading brands and one of the most trusted and widely recognized brands of hot cereals sold in the United States. Cream of Wheat is available in Original 10-minute, 21/2 minute and one-minute versions, and also in instant packets of Original and other flavors, including Cinnamon Swirl and Maple Brown Sugar. A whole grain version of Original 21/2 minute Cream of Wheat was introduced by B&G Foods in 2008. In 2009, we introduced a "Healthy Grain" version of instant Cream of Wheat, which provides consumers with an excellent source of fiber and a good source of protein. During 2010, pursuant to a licensing agreement, we introduced Cream of Wheat Cinnabon® and during 2011, we introduced Cream of Wheat Chocolate flavored instant hot cereal. We also offer Cream of Rice, a rice-based hot cereal.
The Mrs. Dash brand, which was introduced in 1983 as the original brand in salt-free seasonings, is available in more than a dozen blends. In 2005, the leading brand in salt-free seasonings introduced 6 salt-free marinades. Mrs. Dash's brand essence, "Salt-Free, Flavor-Full," resonates with consumers and underscores the brand's commitment to provide healthy products that fulfill consumers' expectations for taste.
The Polaner brand was introduced in 1880 and is comprised of a broad array of fruit-based spreads as well as jarred wet spices such as chopped garlic and oregano. Polaner All Fruit is a leading national brand of fruit-juice sweetened fruit spread. The spreads are available in more than a dozen flavors. Polaner Sugar Free preserves are the second leading brand of sugar free preserves nationally. Beginning in 2009, we reformulated Polaner All Fruit and Polaner Sugar Free to include 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon.
The Las Palmas brand originated in 1922 and primarily includes authentic Mexican enchilada sauce, chili sauce and various pepper products.
The Bloch & Guggenheimer (B&G) brand originated in 1889, and its pickle, pepper/pimentos and relish products are a leading brand in the New York metropolitan area. This line consists of shelf-stable pickles, peppers, relishes, olives and other related specialty items.
The Underwood brand's "Underwood Devil" logo, which was registered in 1870, is believed to be the oldest registered trademark still in use for a prepackaged food product in the United States. Underwood meat spreads, which were introduced in the late 1860s, include deviled ham, white-meat chicken, white-meat turkey, roast beef and liverwurst.
The B&M brand was introduced in 1927 and is the original brand of brick-oven baked beans and remains one of the very few authentic baked beans. The B&M line includes a variety of baked beans and brown bread. The B&M brand currently has a leading market share in the New England region.