The Englewood, Colorado-headquartered Consolidated Investment Group (CIG) has acquired the assets of Sicilian Chefs, Inc. and announced it will continue to produce frozen Italian pastas such as ravioli, lasagna, manicotti, tortellini and several other specialties, under the new company name, Caesar’s Pasta, LLC.
As a food company with sales and distribution throughout the United States and Canada, Caesar’s Pasta can be found at Acme, Safeway, Shop Rite, Whole Foods, Wegmans and many other supermarket chains and independent natural food stores in North America.
Headquartered in Blackwood, New Jersey, Sicilian Chefs, Inc. was founded in 1967 by Michael Lodato. Today the business – which sells to retail, foodservice and industrial markets – is run by three generations of the Lodato family. In addition to Caesar’s brand traditional Italian ready meals and side dishes, gluten-free and organic products, the company also packs private labels.
“The addition of Caesar’s Pasta to the CIG portfolio provides us with an opportunity to pursue the better-for-you market trends through gluten free and organic foods,” said Ben Levy, private equity manager at CIG.
CIG’s direct investment division acquires food and beverage manufacturers across the United States and utilizes its extensive experience and resources in the field to nurture the growth of strong products and brands.
The entrepreneurial investment company manages a diverse portfolio valued in excess of $2 billion. David Merage, ceo and principal, co-founded Chef America, a national frozen food manufacturer known for creating and marketing the Hot Pockets hand-held sandwich brand. At the time of its sale to Nestlé, Chef America was growing at a rate of 15% per year. Since 2003, CIG has actively invested in private equity, capital markets, real estate, and philanthropy.
