CapVest acquires Kar’s, Sanders, Second Nature

London-based CapVest has acquired Second Nature Brands snacks and treats, including Michigan product lines: Kar’s Nuts, Second Nature Snacks, and Sanders Chocolates. Funds managed by CapVest Partners LLP, an international private equity investor, have closed the acquisition of Second Nature Brands from a private equity fund affiliated with Palladium Equity Partners, LLC, according to a press release from CapVest.

Vic Mehren will remain as CEO of Second Nature Brands in Madison Heights.

In a communication to employees, Mehren said, “Second Nature Brands products, carrying the Kar’s, Sanders and Second Nature brands, will continue to be proudly Made In Michigan. We will continue to invest in our manufacturing facilities in Madison Heights and Clinton Township so that Michigan employees can still create the Detroit-born snacks and treats that have become so popular from coast-to-coast.”

In 2021, Second Nature Brands had launched a new company platform for Kar’s Nuts and Sanders Chocolates, along with Second Nature Snacks. Previously, the iconic Kar’s Nuts brand had merged with another icon, Morley Candy Makers, LLC (“Sanders”) in 2018.

“The Nicolay family helped take what Sue Kar started outside Tiger Stadium and what Fred Sanders began Downtown to consumers across the country. We’ll always appreciate the impact that Nick and his dad had on the snack food business and on our company, as the legacy of their hard work over decades will continue,” Mehren said.

On behalf of Second Nature Brands, Mehren said in the press release, “Our partnership with Palladium has been extraordinarily successful and we thank them for their contributions to Second Nature Brands. With their support, and through the efforts of our great Second Nature Brands team members, Second Nature Brands has transformed into a leader within Snacks and Treats. We’re now thrilled to be partnering with CapVest for our next phase of growth. The CapVest team’s deep consumer food experience will be invaluable as we work to build on our Snacks and Treats platform organically, and inorganically with strategic acquisitions.”

For more information, visit www.capvest.co.uk or www.secondnaturebrandsus.com.