Joint venture to acquire sausage production plant in Michigan

Dearborn Sausage Company Inc., a national supplier of fresh sausages, premium beef jerky, snack sausages, and hams, and THANASI Foods LLC, a national supplier of branded snack foods, have formed Macomb Smoked Meats LLC as a joint venture to purchase and manage the American Foods Company Inc. beef jerky and smoked sausage production facility in Macomb, Michigan. Macomb Smoked Meats will employ approximately 50 people in metro Detroit. The new company will launch and operate as a jointly-owned partnership.

"The strategic fit of Macomb Smoked Meats brings together years of experience in meat snack manufacturing and beef jerky category focus that will benefit THANASI Foods and Dearborn Sausage Company tremendously," said Justin Havlick, CEO and president of THANASI Foods. "Given THANASI's current growth in the category, THANASI can now proudly claim direct manufacturing ownership of many of its foods, while continuing to provide the consumer with delicious, nationally co-branded, and high-quality alternatives to other competitive jerky products on the shelf."

"Our strong co-brand partnerships and newest manufacturing processes enable us to stand out even more in jerky flavor and tenderness, which we believe will earn category leadership in product quality and flavor differentiation," added Havlick. "This is truly a move for our consumers, and we are pleased to strengthen our product focus with a reputable, state-of-the art, capable, and safe manufacturing facility."

Todd Meier, vice president of Dearborn Sausage Company, commented, "We are thrilled to have a plant and partnership concentrating exclusively on the jerky and snack sticks market. Between our 64 years of smoked meats manufacturing experience, and THANASI's marketing and distribution expertise, the opportunities are endless. We have always preferred to be a dominant player in an enviable niche, as opposed to a dominant player in an overall market. This new partnership affords us the opportunity to present our years of experience and craftsmanship to the entire nation, with the unmatched marketing and distribution of THANASI Foods."

About Dearborn Sausage Company
Dearborn Sausage Company Inc. was founded in 1946, and is a privately held, family-owned company. It is located in Dearborn, Mich., just outside of Detroit; the firm also has a fresh sausage facility in Roseville, Mich. The company manufactures hams, sausage, franks, deli meats, bacon, jerky and snack sticks for the retail, food service, co-pack and private labels markets.

About THANASI Foods
THANASI Foods LLC is a privately held and family-owned, Boulder, Colo.-based developer, manufacturer and supplier of household branded foods. Established in 2003, THANASI Foods' BIGS, Jim Beam, FRANK' REDHOT, Vlasic, STUBB'S and Bacon Salt branded snack products can be found in more than 50,000 U.S. retail locations today.