Solina, a French company known for its sauces and seasonings, is making waves in the U.S. with two exciting acquisitions.
Recently, Solina bought Sokol Custom Food Ingredients in Illinois. Sokol specializes in custom savory and sweet sauces for various sectors, including food manufacturing and food service. This purchase happened just a few weeks after Solina acquired Advanced Food Systems, Inc. in New Jersey, known for its custom dry seasonings.
This growth isn’t new for Solina. The company has been actively expanding in North America to match its European operations, which include dry and liquid solutions. Since 2021, Solina has made four acquisitions in the U.S. and even expanded into Canada. Notably, in 2022, it purchased Saratoga Food Specialties, a seasoning business from Smithfield, for $587 million.
These acquisitions not only boost Solina’s geographic footprint but also enhance its product range. With Sokol on board, Solina increases its offerings in sweet sauces, complementing its savory options. The new Sokol facility near Bolingbrook, Illinois, enables Solina to establish a central distribution point in the Midwest, with five operational sites across the U.S., including locations in California, Nevada, and New Jersey.
However, as Solina expands, it also faces challenges. High input costs have pressured its margins, leading to some cutbacks. Recently, Solina announced plans to close a seasoning manufacturing plant in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, which came as a surprise after acquiring Asenzya, a spice company, three years ago.
Despite these challenges, CEO Anthony Francheterre remains optimistic. He believes that the additions of AFS and Sokol will help position Solina as a “one-stop shop for customized dry and liquid flavor solutions.” Francheterre stated, “With these acquisitions, we are diversifying our product capabilities, which will allow us to grow with our customers across various markets and channels.”
