ConAgra Completes Acquisition of Frontera and Red Fork

ConAgra Foods Inc. announced Monday that its acquisition of the packaged foods businesses of Chicago-based Frontera Foods Inc. and Red Fork LLC – including Frontera, Red Fork, and Salpica brands – for undisclosed terms.

“We are excited to add Fronterea, Red Fork, and Salpica brands to our portfolio. In particular, the Frontera brand is a preeminent gourmet Mexican food brand in North America. We believe it provides a tremendous platform off which we can build,” said Sean Connolly, president and chief executive officer of ConAgra Foods, one of North America’s top packaged food companies, in a statement.

Frontera makes Mexican-style sauces, salsas, snacks and other food food products, Salpica offers Tex-Mex style salsas, and Red Fork manufactures sauces for cooking. Formed in 1996 by Chef Rick Bayless and Manuel Valdes, a former marketing manager at Kraft Foods who now serves as the company’s chief executive officer, Frontera makes about 50 Mexican food products.

“In ConAgra, we’ve found people who respect our integrity and uncompromising standards. We will continue to make high-quality food with the same standards of excellence and operate with the same values and fresh ingredients that have helped the business to become the premium brands they are today,” said Bayless in a ConAgra press release.

The purchase did not include any of Frontera or Red Fork’s restaurant assets, ConAgra said. Bayless and Valdes are reportedly planning on continuing to support the business. 

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