Big League Chew Becomes Official Bubblegum of USA Baseball
USA Baseball and USA Baseball Sports Properties within LEARFIELD have partnered with Big League Chew, baseball’s favorite bubble gum, to become an official partner of the organization as the Official Bubble Gum of USA Baseball.
Rooted in baseball culture for over four decades, Big League Chew has been a staple for generations of players and fans of America’s pastime. The partnership unites one of America’s most beloved and iconic bubble gum brands with the nation’s premier amateur baseball organization.
“USA Baseball looks forward to teaming up with Big League Chew on and off the diamond,” said USA Baseball COO David Perkins. “Big League Chew has become an iconic part of the game of baseball, and we are excited about this new relationship that will help to elevate the two brands in the amateur baseball realm.”
Big League Chew and USA Baseball are excited to team up in various capacities, such as USA Baseball branding being featured on every pack of Big League Chew, product placement in dugouts during USA Baseball events, and collaborative social media content showcasing how the country’s top young talent has fun with the gum as they chase their big league dreams. Additionally, Big League Chew will provide product to participants at USA Baseball events and to USA Baseball national team athletes annually.
“Joining forces with a prestigious organization like USA Baseball to help promote amateur baseball across the country is something Big League Chew and I can get behind completely,” said Rob Nelson, founder of Big League Chew.
“The momentum for the Big League Chew brand is accelerating rapidly, and our new partnership with USA Baseball will only help us round the bases faster. We are excited to work with the amazing USA Baseball team in 2024 and beyond.” said CEO of Ford Gum Scott Lerner.
USA Baseball Sports Properties within LEARFIELD is dedicated to representing USA Baseball by developing and managing sponsor relationships with brands looking to align with USA Baseball and its events and programming.
Sitting in a bullpen in Oregon in the summer of 1977, Portland Maverick lefthander Nelson came up with an idea that has had a lasting impact on the game of baseball: shredded bubble gum in a stay-fresh pouch. Since hitting the shelves in 1980, Big League Chew has produced and sold more than one billion pouches and is designated as the “Hall of Fame Bubble Gum” by the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum.
Big League Chew is made in the USA by Ford Gum, a top manufacturer and co-manufacturer of assorted gums, confections, and health-related products for leading American brands.
USA Baseball is the national governing body for baseball in the United States and is committed to serving, protecting, and supporting the game of baseball and its 15.6 million participants. Founded in 1978, USA Baseball fields six national teams annually and is a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
On the diamond, USA Baseball is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and its national teams have won 67 gold medals in international competition. Off the field, the organization is dedicated to the proliferation and health of the sport through the creation and management of numerous development initiatives including BASE (Baseball Athlete Safety Education), Fun At Bat, Pitch Smart, PLAY BALL and the Prospect Development Pipeline.
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J.M. Smucker to Acquire Hostess for $5.6B
Hostess Brands, Inc., has entered into a definitive agreement with The J.M. Smucker Co. to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Hostess Brands in a cash and stock transaction valued at $34.25 per Hostess Brands share, representing a transaction value of approximately $5.6 billion, including the assumption of debt.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hostess Brands shareholders will receive $30 in cash and 0.03002 shares of The J.M. Smucker Co. common stock (valued at $4.25 as of Sept. 8, 2023) for each share of Hostess Brands common stock. The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 54 percent to the closing price of $22.18 on Aug. 24, the last trading day prior to press reports of a potential transaction.
Andy Callahan, president and chief executive officer of Hostess Brands commented, “I am extremely proud of the entire Hostess Brands team for the legacy they created in building a premier snacking company and driving industry leading returns for our investors. Today represents another exciting chapter for our company as we combine our iconic snacking brands with The J.M. Smucker Co.’s family of beloved brands.
“We believe this is the right partnership to accelerate growth and create meaningful value for consumers, customers and shareholders. Our companies share highly complementary go-to market strategies, and we are very similar in our core business principles and operations. Above all else, Hostess Brands and The J.M. Smucker Co. share a deep commitment to inspiring moments of joy and satisfaction through our products, and we look forward to continuing to do so as part of The J.M. Smucker Co. family.”
“We are excited to announce the acquisition of Hostess Brands, which represents a compelling expansion of our family of brands and a unique opportunity to accelerate our focus on delighting consumers with convenient solutions across different meal and snacking occasions,” said Mark Smucker, chair of the board, president and chief executive officer of The J.M. Smucker Co. “With this acquisition, we are adding an iconic sweet snacking platform; enhancing our ability to deliver brands consumers love and convenient solutions they desire; and leveraging the attributes Hostess offers, including its strong convenience store distribution and leading innovation pipeline, combined with our strong commercial organization and consistent retail execution across channels to drive continued growth.
“Our organization is well positioned to deliver on the great potential our expanded family of brands offers, as has been reflected by our history of growth through acquisition and the successful integration of new categories to our business. We look forward to this exciting new chapter for The J.M. Smucker Co.”
Under the terms of the agreement, The J.M. Smucker Co., through its wholly owned subsidiary SSF Holdings, Inc., will commence an exchange offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Hostess Brands. Stockholders will receive $30 in cash and 0.03002 shares of The J.M. Smucker Co. common stock for each share of Hostess Brands common stock.
The closing of the exchange offer will be subject to certain conditions, including the tender of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Hostess common stock and other customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals. Upon the successful completion of the exchange offer, The J.M. Smucker Co. will acquire all of the remaining shares of Hostess Brands common stock that were not acquired in the exchange offer through a second-step merger for the same consideration per share as paid in the exchange offer.
The cash portion of the transaction is expected to be funded through a combination of cash on hand, a bank term loan and long-term public bonds.
Both The J.M. Smucker Co. and Hostess Brands boards of directors have unanimously approved the transaction. The transaction is anticipated to close in the third quarter of The J.M. Smucker Co.’s current fiscal year ending April 30.
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP are serving as financial and legal advisors, respectively, to Hostess Brands.
Hostess Brands, Inc. is a premier snacking company with a portfolio of iconic brands; Hostess Brands makes America’s No. 1 cupcake, mini donut and zero sugar cookie brands. With annual sales of $1.4 billion and approximately 3,000 dedicated team members, Hostess Brands produces new and classic snacks, including Hostess Donettes, Twinkies, CupCakes, Ding Dongs and Zingers, as well as a variety of Voortman cookies and wafers.
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My/Mochi Pumpkin Spice, Apple Pie Flavors Return
It’s that time of year when all that is nice comes is pumpkin spice! My/Mochi is no exception. The brand will start stocking freezers nationwide with its Pumpkin Spice, as well as Apple Pie á La Mode, mochi ice creams beginning in early September.
The Los Angeles-based company makes its own creamy, premium ice cream and wraps it in pillowy rice dough to deliver a cool, dual texture experience in an 80-calorie portioned snack that fits in the palm of your hand.
Pumpkin Spice stands out among the fall food frenzy with cinnamon pumpkin spice ice cream and graham cracker wrapped in the chewy mochi dough; and Apple Pie á La Mode delivers a twist on the classic with a soft cinnamon spice apple filling perfectly placed in the center of vanilla ice cream so you get that extra taste sensation in every bite.
“At My/Mochi, we love bringing joy to people year-round and we get super excited about our seasonal and holiday flavors because they’re fun and unique in the ice cream category,” says Brigette Wolf, chief marketing officer, My/Mochi. “Because we make our own ice cream and our own mochi dough, we craft these limited batches fresh for the season and are so excited seeing how people rush to make sure they don’t miss out!”
My/Mochi Seasonals are available at select retailers nationwide for an average price of $5.99 for a six-count box.
My/Mochi is the original mochi ice cream company, founded in the 1990s by a Japanese baker and American entrepreneur who set up a small shop in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo. Since then, the brand has evolved and grown to be the world’s largest producer of mochi ice cream. It is available in more than 20 flavors – including Cookies & Cream, Strawberry, Double Chocolate, Mango and S’Mores, as well as dairy-free options and Smoothies.
All My/Mochi ice cream is gluten free, soy free, made with milk containing no rBST and non-GMO ingredients. My/Mochi is available at retailers nationwide.
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