Crest Foods Co., Inc.

What Crest Foods Co., Inc. does

Crest Foods Co., Inc. is a privately held, family-operated food production company headquartered in Ashton, Illinois, operating since 1946 and acquired in 2024 by Harwood American Inc. (the US Branch of Harwood Capital Management Limited) while retaining Meiners family leadership. The company operates three integrated divisions: a Dairy Ingredient / Stabilizer Systems business that formulates custom stabilizer systems for dairy and plant-based applications (cottage cheese, cream cheese, frozen desserts, yogurt, sour cream, fluid and plant-based beverages); a Contract Packaging Division that runs up to 36 finished product lines producing over 2,000,000 retail units per day from a 550,000 sq. ft. distribution center; and a Consumer Products Division providing turn-key dry food product development and private-label manufacturing for retail, food service, and industrial packaged goods customers.

The underlying technology is centered on food ingredient formulation supported by a 2,630 sq. ft. laboratory, a 1,650 sq. ft. pilot plant equipped with a Microthermics UHT processing system, and stabilizer blending capacity of up to 200,000 lbs per day. Operations run on the Redzone Continuous Improvement System for real-time production-line tracking, mobile-accessible performance trending, and paperless QA compliance documentation. The company maintains Organic, Kosher, GFSI, and Gluten-Free certifications and employs nearly 700 full-time staff in Illinois.

Crest Foods generates revenue through three B2B channels: ingredient sales of custom stabilizer systems to dairy and food manufacturers, transaction-fee contract packaging services for retail and industrial customers, and private-label/turn-key product development agreements with consumer packaged goods brands. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; sales are relationship-driven, executed by dedicated sales managers, a Technical Service Team with over 200 cumulative years of industry experience, and a customer service function that operates without automated phone systems. Distribution is domestic-only and exclusively direct-to-business, with no consumer-facing channels.

Name

Crest Foods Co., Inc.

Legal name

Crest Foods Co., Inc.

Website

https://crestfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Crest Foods Co., Inc. is a privately held, family-operated food manufacturer in Ashton, Illinois, operating three B2B divisions: custom dairy and plant-based stabilizer systems, high-volume contract packaging (2M+ units/day), and turn-key private-label dry food product development for food, beverage, and consumer packaged goods customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Ingredient Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Cookie, Cracker, and Pasta Manufacturing (31182), Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821), Other Snack Food Manufacturing (311919)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Cookies & Crackers (2052)

akta.pro primary industry

Dry Foods & Staples Packaging (Cereals, Pasta, Rice) (IMALAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers Manufacturing (AFAKAAAC), Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers (CRADABAD)

Keywords

• Dairy stabilizer systems
• Contract food packaging
• Private label manufacturing
• Food ingredient formulation
• Custom dry food solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Stabilizer Systems (Dairy Ingredient Division): Custom stabilizer systems and bases for dairy and non-dairy applications including cottage cheese, cream cheese, frozen desserts, yogurt, sour cream, plant-based beverages, and fluid products. Revenue derived from ingredient sales to food manufacturers.
2. Contract Packaging: Toll charge packaging and manufacturing services for dry food products. Operating up to 36 finished product lines producing over 2,000,000 retail units per day. Revenue generated through service fees per packaging operation.
3. Consumer Products (Private Label): Turn-key product development and manufacturing of dry food solutions for retail, food service, and industrial packaged goods industries. Revenue from private label manufacturing agreements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Crest Foods Co., Inc. is a B2B food manufacturer that develops custom stabilizer systems for dairy and non-dairy applications, provides high-volume contract packaging services for dry food products, and offers turn-key private label product development for consumer packaged goods brands. The company operates across three divisions (Dairy Ingredient, Contract Packaging, and Consumer Products) from its Ashton, Illinois facilities, serving food manufacturers nationwide with formulations tailored to individual plant manufacturing needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stabilizer Systems (Dairy Ingredient Division) Custom-developed stabilizer systems and bases for dairy and non-dairy applications including cottage cheese, cream cheese, frozen desserts, yogurt, sour cream, plant-based beverages, and fluid products. Each system is formulated to individual plant manufacturing requirements for production efficiency, cost effectiveness, and product quality. Backed by R&D lab (2,630 sq. ft.) and pilot plant (1,650 sq. ft.) with up to 200,000 lbs per day blending capacity and Organic, Kosher, GFSI, and Gluten Free certifications.
• Contract Packaging Services High-volume toll charge packaging and contract manufacturing of dry food products for retail, food service, and industrial packaged goods industries. Operating up to 36 finished product lines producing over 2,000,000 retail units per day, with SS Ribbon Blender blending capacity of 500,000 lbs daily and a 550,000 sq. ft. company-owned distribution center. Backed by turn-key product design optimized for high-speed packaging equipment run.
• Consumer Products (Private Label Manufacturing) Turn-key product development and private label manufacturing of dry food solutions including beverages, coatings, desserts, dip seasonings, glazes, rubs, side dishes, sweet and savory systems, and snack seasonings. Full-service product development from initial concept to finished product on shelf, working with Contract Packaging Division to ensure products are designed for sensory and performance parameters as well as efficient packaging equipment run.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000,000 retail units produced per day
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• St. Charles TradingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025St. Charles Trading has been a staple for the Dairy Ingredient Division for over 35 years as a valued distributor of various ingredients. Matt Kurowski introduced Crest to a customer opportunity that resulted in a new product launch spanning Consumer Products and Contract Packaging Divisions. The partnership is built on mutual trust and co-development of custom ingredient solutions.
• Sauk Valley CPR / Stephanie McLeanminorOthers · 1 August 2025Stephanie McLean of Sauk Valley CPR, certified by the American Heart Association, provided First Aid/CPR/AED training to Crest Foods employees in late August/early September 2025.
• AmpakmajorTechnology or Integration · 13 September 2024Family-owned company and top supplier of gums & emulsifiers to Crest Foods for over 20 years. Laura Biggs at Ampak has demonstrated proactive problem-solving and supply chain responsiveness, earning business back after losing it. Recognized as 2023-2024 Supplier of the Year.
• GraingermajorTechnology or Integration · 13 September 2024Nationwide MRO supplies company with local account managers Brady Meyer and Hannah Hart. Has been calling on Crest for over 22 years. Second-time Supplier of the Year winner (2023-2024).
• RedzonecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Crest Foods utilizes the Redzone Continuous Improvement System to facilitate sustainable improvements throughout the company. Redzone provides real-time performance tracking and trending of individual production lines, accessible via mobile devices throughout the facility, with embedded social mobile platform for enhanced communication and engagement, and QA Compliance module for paperless quality checks and documentation.
• LOTS (Free Transportation Program)minorOthers · 1 January 2024Partnership with LOTS providing free transportation to and from work for Crest Foods employees, addressing transportation barriers for the workforce.
• Franklin Creek Conservation AssociationminorOthers · 1 January 2024Crest Foods partnered with Franklin Creek Conservation Association to help continue their ADA accessible path all the way to Mill Spring. In January 2023, a new concrete path was poured with ADA accessible picnic tables and benches.
• TLC IngredientsmajorTechnology or Integration · 8 September 2023Represented by John Ziccarelli and Pete Lorusso. Recognized as 2022-2023 Supplier of the Year at the 33rd Annual Supplier Night.
• Motion IndustriesmajorTechnology or Integration · 8 September 2023Represented by Steve Greer, Kim Arne, and Blake Dummer. Recognized as 2022-2023 Supplier of the Year at the 33rd Annual Supplier Night.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TreeHouse Foods: TreeHouse Foods is a leading private label manufacturer of shelf-stable and refrigerated foods across snacking, beverages, and dry meals. It is the closest direct comparable to Crest's Contract Packaging and Consumer Products Divisions in scale, customer base (CPG brands and retailers), and business model.
• Balchem Corporation: Balchem is a specialty ingredient manufacturer providing ingredient systems for human food, nutrition, and pharma, including dairy and beverage stabilizer-type applications. Its food ingredients business is closely comparable to Crest's Dairy Ingredient Division in product focus and customer type.
• Hain Celestial Group: Hain Celestial manufactures and distributes organic and natural CPG products across snacks, beverages, and packaged foods, often via private label and co-manufacturing partnerships. Its private label and contract manufacturing model overlaps directly with Crest's Consumer Products Division.
• Schreiber Foods: Schreiber Foods is a large, privately held dairy ingredient and cultured products manufacturer (yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese). It is the closest private peer to Crest's Dairy Ingredient Division in terms of dairy stabilizer applications, customer base, and family-operated culture.
• Co-Packing Services / Pacific Foods: Pacific Foods (part of Campbell Soup) operates as a co-manufacturer and contract packager for shelf-stable and refrigerated beverages and broths, similar to Crest's Contract Packaging Division in its turn-key approach to dry and shelf-stable food production for CPG brands.
• Seneca Foods Corporation: Seneca Foods is one of North America's largest producers of private label canned, frozen, and packaged foods (vegetables, fruits, snacks, pasta). Its private label and contract packaging model is closely comparable to Crest's Consumer Products and Contract Packaging Divisions.

Broad incumbents

• Glanbia plc: Glanbia is a global dairy ingredient and nutritional products company with significant operations in protein, cheese, and dairy ingredient systems. As a much larger, public peer, it competes for similar dairy and food manufacturer customers seeking ingredient solutions at greater scale.
• Ingredion Incorporated: Ingredion is a major global ingredient solutions provider specializing in starches, sweeteners, and texturizers used across food and beverage manufacturing. Its texturizer/stabilizer portfolio directly competes with Crest's stabilizer systems but at much greater scale and global reach.
• Tate & Lyle (incl. CP Kelco): Tate & Lyle, with its CP Kelco acquisition, is a leading global provider of specialty food ingredients including hydrocolloids, gums, and stabilizer systems used in dairy, beverages, and baked goods. It is a broad incumbent peer to Crest's Dairy Ingredient Division in stabilizer chemistry and customer base.
• Kerry Group: Kerry Group is a global taste and nutrition company supplying ingredient systems and flavors to food and beverage manufacturers. Its dairy and beverage stabilization portfolios and integrated taste/ingredient platform position it as a broad-incumbent comparable to Crest's stabilizer business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYSuEtQxW-k02ph4727mPxw/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/CrestFoodsCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crest-foods
• Instagraminstagram.com/crestfoodsco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Crest Foods Co., Inc.