JTM FOODS

What JTM FOODS does

JTM Foods, LLC is a privately held food manufacturer founded in 1986 by Jeffrey T. McMillin and headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania. The company produces handheld snack pies, crispy treats, cinnamon rolls, honey buns, danish, and edible cookie dough products under multiple brands, including JJ's Bakery (its flagship #1 US handheld snack pie brand with six of the top ten single-serve SKUs), Cookies-n-Milk (acquired 2023), and the Cloverhill and Big Texas brands (acquired from J.M. Smucker in 2025). Annual production from the original Erie facility exceeds 450 million units, and JTM now operates additional manufacturing sites in Wichita, Kansas (greenfield 2023), Chicago, Illinois (via the Smucker deal), and McKinney, Texas (via Cookies-n-Milk).

The company generates revenue through three streams: branded retail product sales to national and regional retailers, co-manufacturing services for other brands, and retailer private label production. It reaches the market through a sales-led model with dedicated regional sales representatives, a broker portal, and participation in industry events such as the NACS Show, distributing into convenience stores, grocery chains, mass merchants, and warehouse clubs across the United States. Differentiation rests on SQF certification, an 80,000-square-foot peanut and tree nut free production environment, OU Kosher Parve certification, HACCP and AIB Food Defense compliance, and documented velocity of 2.5X the average non-pie sweet baked goods SKU.

Since being acquired by Tenex Capital Management in May 2021, with Varagon Capital Partners providing senior secured debt, JTM has pursued a roll-up strategy. It has committed approximately $40 million to a Wichita greenfield, executed the Cookies-n-Milk acquisition in 2023, and agreed to acquire Cloverhill and Big Texas from J.M. Smucker for $40 million in 2025 (transferring roughly 400 employees). The combined enterprise now operates across four production sites, supplies most of the top-selling handheld snack pie SKUs in the US, and grows at roughly 1.6X the snack pie category average.

Name

JTM FOODS

Legal name

JTM Foods, LLC

Website

https://jtmfoods.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

JTM Foods is a privately held, Erie, Pennsylvania-based snack pie and baked goods manufacturer owned by Tenex Capital Management. It produces 450+ million units annually across JJ's Bakery, Cookies-n-Milk, Cloverhill, and Big Texas, distributed nationally through convenience, grocery, mass, and club channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Baked Goods / Snack Pies

NAICS

Commercial Bakeries (311812), Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821), Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing (311813)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Cookies & Crackers (2052)

akta.pro primary industry

Crackers, Biscuits & Grain Snacks Manufacturing (savory biscuits, crispbreads) (AFAKABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Grain-Based Breakfast & Nutrition Bars Manufacturing (cereal bars, granola bars) (AFAKABAI)

Keywords

• Snack pies
• Crispy treats
• Baked goods manufacturing
• Private label bakery
• Co-manufacturing snacks

Headquarters

HQ city

Erie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Snack Pies and Crispy Treats Sales: Manufacturing and selling JJ's Bakery branded snack pies and crispy treats to retail customers including convenience stores, grocery retailers, mass merchants, and warehouse clubs
2. Co-Manufacturing: Contract manufacturing services for other brands using JTM's SQF certified peanut and tree nut free facility
3. Retailer Private Brands: Manufacturing and supplying private label snack pies and crispy treats for retailer brands

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

JTM Foods manufactures and sells branded and private label snack pies, crispy treats, cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, and honey buns out of SQF-certified, peanut and tree nut free production facilities in Erie, PA (and expanding to Wichita, KS, Chicago, IL, and McKinney, TX). Its flagship JJ's Bakery snack pie brand holds the #1 position in the U.S. handheld single serve snack pie category, with 450+ million units produced annually and distribution through convenience stores, grocery retailers, mass merchants, and warehouse clubs nationwide.

Product overview

JTM Foods operates as a food manufacturing company producing a portfolio of sweet baked goods and snacks. The company operates under multiple brands: JJ's Bakery serves as the core brand for handheld snack pies (single-serve and mini sizes) and crispy treats, holding the #1 market position in snack pies. Through acquisitions, JTM Foods expanded its portfolio to include Cookies-n-Milk (edible cookie dough and baked goods acquired in 2023) and the Cloverhill and Big Texas brands (acquired from JM Smucker in 2025). The company also offers co-manufacturing and private label services utilizing its SQF certified, peanut and tree nut free facilities. Annual production capacity exceeds 450 million snack pies and crispy treats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JJ's Bakery: Primary consumer-facing brand for pies and baked goods.
• Cookies-n-Milk
• Big Texas
• Cloverhill

Products and services

• JJ's Bakery Snack Pies JTM Foods' flagship brand of handheld snack pies in single-serve and mini sizes with flavors including Apple, Cherry, Chocolate, Peach, and Lemon Cream, made daily with freshly prepared fillings and dough in a peanut and tree nut free facility. JJ's Snack Pies are America's #1 handheld snack pie brand.
• Crispy Treats Marshmallow crispy rice treats available in Homestyle and Birthday Cake flavors, made without high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors or colors in a peanut and tree nut free facility.
• Cookies-n-Milk Cookies, brownies, blondies, donut holes, edible cookie dough bites, and ready-to-bake frozen cookie doughs produced at the McKinney, Texas facility acquired by JTM Foods in January 2023.
• Big Texas Cinnamon Rolls Cinnamon rolls with bold cinnamon swirls wrapped in soft dough and finished with sweet icing, acquired from J.M. Smucker.
• Cloverhill Honey Buns and Danish Honey buns and danish products produced at the Chicago, Illinois manufacturing facility, acquired from J.M. Smucker along with approximately 400 employees.
• Co-Manufacturing Services Contract manufacturing services for snack pies and crispy treats for brand partners, leveraging SQF certified peanut and tree nut free facilities in Erie, PA and Wichita, KS.
• Retailer Private Brand Manufacturing Private label manufacturing of snack pies and crispy treats for retail partners using JTM Foods' manufacturing expertise and quality standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 of Top 10 SKUs in handheld single serve snack pies in the total US
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ict21 Industrial DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2022ict21 Industrial District in Wichita, Kansas is JTM's partner for their new manufacturing facility. The district provides industrial manufacturing space with proximity to railroad tracks and I-135 highway. JTM invested $40 million in equipment and facilities at this location.
• Greater Wichita PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Greater Wichita Partnership works on regional economic growth and helped recruit JTM Foods to Wichita, Kansas with support from city and county leadership.
• Ron and Marty Cornejo Development GroupminorOthersThe development group led by Ron and Marty Cornejo developed the ict21 Industrial District where JTM Foods broke ground on their Wichita facility, transforming formerly blighted land into 560,000 square feet of industrial space.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• McKee Foods: Family-owned maker of Little Debbie snack cakes and Drake's Cakes — the most direct U.S. competitor in single-serve handheld sweet baked snacks, competing head-to-head with JJ's Snack Pies in c-stores, grocery and mass channels.
• Hostess Brands: Iconic U.S. sweet snack manufacturer (Twinkies, Ho Hos, CupCakes, Donettes) — directly comparable in single-serve handheld sweet baked goods with national c-store and grocery distribution, and the brand JTM's JJ's line most often sits next to on shelf.
• Better Baked Foods (a Schwan's Company): Schwan's-owned North East Pennsylvania snack pie and hand-held bakery manufacturer — directly comparable product mix (handheld pies) and a former employer of JTM's CFO; the closest private competitor in the snack pie category.
• Flowers Foods (Tastykake): National baked goods manufacturer whose Tastykake line competes directly with JTM's handheld pies in convenience and grocery channels; Tastykake also mirrors JTM's regional direct-store-delivery approach in the mid-Atlantic.
• Voortman Cookies: North American manufacturer of cookies and wafers sold through grocery, mass and club channels — directly comparable post JTM's Cookies-n-Milk and Smucker/Big Texas bolt-ons; gives JTM a private competitor analog in branded cookies.

Broad incumbents

• Bimbo Bakeries USA: U.S. subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo with overlapping brands (Entenmann's, Sara Lee, Thomas') competing across sweet baked goods in the same retail channels; broader portfolio and DSD network make it the dominant incumbent JTM benchmarks against.
• Kellanova (Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's Snacks): Global snack major with Pop-Tarts, Cheez-It and related handheld/finger-food brands competing for the same limited single-serve sweet snack consumer occasion in c-stores and grocery aisles.
• General Mills (Pillsbury, Annie's): Mega-cap CPG operator whose Pillsbury, Annie's and Nature Valley branded baked goods and bars compete in the same $8.5B sweet baked goods mega-category and through retailer private label programs that JTM also serves.
• Pepperidge Farm (Campbell Snacks): Campbell's snack/cookies brand with strong DSD baked goods distribution and comparable retail positioning; included as a relevant broad incumbent competitor in cookies and sweet baked snacks.

Others

• Shearer's Snacks (Shearer's Foods): Large U.S. private-label and branded snack manufacturer (chips, pretzels, popcorn). JTM's CEO Monty Pooley served as EVP/CCO here; relevant for sourcing and CPG operational comparability even though primary category is salty rather than sweet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JTMFoodsLLC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jtm-foods-llc

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JTM FOODS