Hearthside Food Solutions
Maker's Pride (formerly Hearthside Food Solutions) is the largest US food contract manufacturer and largest private bakery, operating 27 facilities serving Fortune 500 CPG companies and private-label brands across six product categories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersDowners Grove, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hearthside Food Solutions does
Hearthside Food Solutions (now operating as Maker's Pride) is the largest food contract manufacturer and largest private bakery in the United States, providing outsourced production and packaging services to Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and private-label brands. The company runs an integrated platform spanning six product categories — Baking, Bars, Granola, Packaging, Refrigerated and Frozen, and Salty Snacks — delivered across 27 facilities with a workforce of more than 10,000 employees and headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois. Its value proposition emphasizes end-to-end commercialization (concept through market), R&D and innovation capabilities, product optimization, supply chain and demand planning, and quality and food safety assurance, supported by the ability to bring products to market in under six months. The go-to-market is a direct B2B enterprise model, with potential customers routed through 'Partner With Us' and 'Become a Customer' pathways on the company website alongside case studies and a LinkedIn presence.
The company was founded in 2009 and built scale primarily through acquisition, including the 2018 purchase of Greencore USA and the 2021 acquisition of Weston Foods (Canada). A 2018 leveraged buyout by Charlesbank Capital and Partners Group loaded the business with debt, and a 2023 child labor scandal (settled for $4.5 million) preceded a Chapter 11 filing in November 2024. Through that restructuring the company shed approximately $1.9 billion of debt, was acquired by Apollo Global Management and Oaktree Capital Management, and was rebranded as Maker's Pride while retaining Hearthside-era operations and approximately $600 million in liquidity. Leadership is led by CEO Darlene Nicosia and CFO Nick Hewitt, and the company is actively rationalizing its footprint, with plant closures announced for Salt Lake City, Utah and Shakopee, Minnesota in Q3 2026.
Revenue mechanics are typical of contract manufacturing: long-term B2B contracts with CPG brand owners for scale-based co-packing and private-label production, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Customer concentration centers on Fortune 500 CPG brand owners and private-label buyers, with horizontal segmentation across multiple product categories providing some diversification. The post-restructuring position — clean balance sheet, scaled 27-facility asset base, new PE ownership, and operational reset — defines the current investment proposition.
Hearthside Food Solutions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hearthside Food Solutions
- Legal name
- Maker's Pride
- Website
- https://hearthsidefoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Maker's Pride (formerly Hearthside Food Solutions) is the largest US food contract manufacturer and largest private bakery, operating 27 facilities serving Fortune 500 CPG companies and private-label brands across six product categories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hearthside Food Solutions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contract Food Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Commercial Bakeries (311812)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Snack Bars (Granola, Protein, Cereal Bars) (CRADABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers (CRADABAD), Frozen & Par-Baked Bakery Production (THAFAFAK)
Keywords
Where Hearthside Food Solutions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Downers Grove
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Hearthside Food Solutions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Hearthside Food Solutions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hearthside Food Solutions (now Maker's Pride) is the largest food contract manufacturer in the industry and the largest private bakery in the US, producing baked goods, bars, granola, salty snacks, refrigerated and frozen foods, and packaging for Fortune 500 CPG companies and private-label brands. The company provides end-to-end capabilities spanning R&D, commercialization, product optimization, supply chain logistics, and quality/food safety across 27 production facilities.
Product overview
Maker's Pride (formerly Hearthside Food Solutions) is a contract food manufacturing company offering end-to-end food and packaging solutions. The company operates as a unified platform providing R&D and innovation, end-to-end commercialization, market strategy, logistics and demand planning, product optimization, and quality and food safety services. The product portfolio spans six main categories: Baking, Bars, Granola, Packaging, Refrigerated and Frozen, and Salty Snacks. Maker's Pride serves Fortune 500 CPG companies and other brands seeking outsourced food production and private-label products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Baking Contract manufacturing services for baking products, producing iconic baked goods for CPG brands and private-label customers across the company's 27-facility network.
- Bars Contract manufacturing for bar products including nutrition bars, snack bars, and functional bars, supplied to branded CPG customers and private-label buyers.
- Granola Contract manufacturing services for granola products, produced at scale for CPG brands and private-label customers.
- Salty Snacks Contract manufacturing services for salty snack products, including branded and private-label snack lines produced across the company's manufacturing facilities.
- Refrigerated and Frozen Contract manufacturing for refrigerated and frozen food products, supplying temperature-controlled food items to CPG brands and private-label customers.
- Packaging End-to-end packaging solutions bundled with the contract manufacturing service offering, providing packaging as part of finished product delivery for CPG customers.
Companies that use Hearthside Food Solutions
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hearthside Food Solutions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Hearthside Food Solutions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hearthside Food Solutions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Richelieu Foods: Richelieu Foods is a leading private-label and contract food manufacturer producing sauces, dressings, and pizza/pasta products for major retail and CPG customers. Comparable as a private-label/contract food manufacturer serving North American retail and CPG customers.
- McCain Foods: McCain Foods is one of the world's largest producers of frozen french fries and frozen food products, serving foodservice and retail customers globally. Comparable to Maker's Pride as a major contract food manufacturer with frozen food capabilities serving CPG and foodservice customers.
- Schreiber Foods: Schreiber Foods is a leading partner-to-CPG company producing dairy, plant-based, and processed food products for major global brands. Comparable to Maker's Pride as a private, partner-to-CPG food contract manufacturer serving Fortune 500 customers with end-to-end capabilities.
- TreeHouse Foods: TreeHouse Foods is a leading private-label food manufacturer with broad capabilities across multiple product categories including baked goods, snacks, and meals. Highly comparable to Maker's Pride as a North American contract/private-label food manufacturer serving CPG and retail customers.
- Weston Foods (GE Connected): Weston Foods (now owned by FGF Brands and others after various divestitures) was a major North American bakery business that Maker's Pride acquired the Canadian operations of in 2021. Highly comparable as a baked goods manufacturer before the transaction.
Broad incumbents
- Post Holdings: Post Holdings is a diversified consumer staples holding company with cereal, refrigerated retail, and food service operations including private-label manufacturing. Comparable to Maker's Pride for its private-label and contract manufacturing capabilities across food categories.
- Flowers Foods: Flowers Foods is one of the largest producers and marketers of packaged bakery goods in the US, with brands like Nature's Own and Dave's Killer Bread. Comparable to Maker's Pride as a major US bakery producer with commercial-scale operations serving retail channels.
- Bimbo Bakeries USA: Bimbo Bakeries USA is the US subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo, the world's largest baking company. Comparable to Maker's Pride as a major commercial bakery serving retail channels with broad product capabilities, though with a branded (rather than private-label) focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hearthside Food Solutions social profiles
Digital presenceHearthside Food Solutions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hearthside Food Solutions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Hearthside Food Solutions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hearthside Food Solutions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A6 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hearthside Food Solutions
What does Hearthside Food Solutions do?
Hearthside Food Solutions (now Maker's Pride) is the largest food contract manufacturer in the industry and the largest private bakery in the US, producing baked goods, bars, granola, salty snacks, refrigerated and frozen foods, and packaging for Fortune 500 CPG companies and private-label brands. The company provides end-to-end capabilities spanning R&D, commercialization, product optimization, supply chain logistics, and quality/food safety across 27 production facilities.
Is Hearthside Food Solutions a public or private company?
Hearthside Food Solutions is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Hearthside Food Solutions founded?
Hearthside Food Solutions was founded in 2018. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Hearthside Food Solutions based?
Hearthside Food Solutions is headquartered in Downers Grove, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Hearthside Food Solutions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Richelieu Foods, McCain Foods, Schreiber Foods, TreeHouse Foods and Weston Foods (GE Connected). Broad incumbents are Post Holdings, Flowers Foods and Bimbo Bakeries USA.
Does Hearthside Food Solutions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hearthside Food Solutions.
What industry is Hearthside Food Solutions in?
Hearthside Food Solutions's product category is Contract Food Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAG, Snack Bars (Granola, Protein, Cereal Bars), with a secondary code of CRADABAD, Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers. Its NAICS code is 311812 and its SIC code is 2050.