Wood Stone Unites with Foodservice Equipment Industry Leader
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 16, 2013
Wood Stone Unites with Foodservice Equipment Industry Leader
Bellingham company agrees to acquisition by Henny Penny
Bellingham, WA – Wood Stone Corporation, the leading global manufacturer of stone hearth cooking equipment, today announced that it has agreed to be acquired by Henny Penny for an undisclosed amount. Henny Penny, headquartered in Eaton, Ohio, is a global leader in foodservice equipment solutions and the inventor of the first commercial pressure fryer. The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks.
Wood Stone and Henny Penny, both growing industry leaders that manufacture in the U.S., bring together distinct core products and expertise with a focus on the dining experience and volume cooking, respectively. Wood Stone’s stone hearth ovens, rotisseries, planchas, charbroilers and tandoors enhance the dining experience for more than 13,000 restaurants in 75+ countries. Henny Penny manufactures commercial-grade cooking, holding and merchandising equipment for thousands of restaurants, supermarkets and institutions around the world.
Keith Carpenter, co-founder of Wood Stone, shared: “We never considered selling Wood Stone until we met and got to know Henny Penny. Now, we will be able to expand our innovation capacity and global distribution and service footprint through this acquisition. This is an exciting time for Wood Stone; made even more so now with Henny Penny.”
“With Henny Penny, Wood Stone will be able to innovate and grow without compromising its brand, core values and niche product offerings,” added Wood Stone president Kurt Eickmeyer. “We’re excited for what the future holds.”
Wood Stone, which has 133 employees, remains a privately held company and will continue to operate and manufacture out of its Bellingham facility. No changes in personnel or sales channels are planned at Wood Stone or Henny Penny.
Rob Connelly, president of Henny Penny, added: “We have admired Wood Stone for years as a leader and innovator in our industry. We’ve been deeply impressed by its commitment to the culinary experience and the quality of its products, and we will build on this expertise to broaden our range of foodservice solutions for our growing customer base. In turn, we deliver to Wood Stone the scale and resources to manage accelerated growth. ”
About Wood Stone
Wood Stone Corporation, based in Northwest Washington state, has been manufacturing stone hearth & specialty cooking equipment for the foodservice industry since 1990. Wood Stone Corporation has built its reputation on its family of stone hearth ovens. Its technologically advanced ceramics and engineering expertise, coupled with the high quality construction techniques and attention to detail are typical of all Wood Stone products and relied upon by its loyal customers such as Wolfgang Puck, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and California Pizza Kitchen. For more information on the company, visit www.woodstone-corp.com.
About Henny Penny
Henny Penny continues more than 55 years of innovation that began in Eaton, Ohio, U.S., with the first commercial pressure fryer in 1957. Today, Henny Penny offers a wide range of high quality foodservice equipment designed for easier operation, greater flexibility and lower operating costs. Product lines include pressure and open fryers, combi ovens, rotisseries, holding cabinets, and display merchandisers. These products and complete start-up, service, training and technical support, are available through Henny Penny’s exclusive worldwide distributor network. For more information on the company, visit www.HennyPenny.com.