CHICAGO, Nov. 1, 2023 — West Madison Foods, Inc. (“West Madison Foods“), a portfolio company of Brynwood Partners IX L.P., is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Lopez as its new President and CEO. “We are delighted to announce the addition of Tom Lopez to the West Madison Foods team. Tom’s extensive background managing several large and complex businesses in the food industry will add immediate value to the company,” said Henk Hartong, the Chairman and CEO of Brynwood Partners.
Mr. Lopez comes to the company with over 24 years of experience in the food industry. Most recently, Mr. Lopez was the President and COO of Swift Prepared Foods where he led the carve-out and integration of several large protein businesses. Prior to that, Mr. Lopez spent 18 years with Kraft / Kraft Heinz culminating with his appointment as President of two separate multibillion dollar divisions. Mr. Lopez is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds an MS in Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. Mr. Lopez will be based out of the company’s Chicago, Illinois headquarters.
About West Madison Food, Inc.:
West Madison Food, Inc., based in Chicago, IL, was formed by Brynwood Partners in July 2023 to acquire a portfolio of brands from Ventura Foods LLC. The company is home to two well-loved national brands: Marie’s Refrigerated Dressings and Dean’s Dairy Dips. Marie’s is a category leader for premium Blue Cheese, Caesar, Ranch, and Coleslaw refrigerated dressings. Dean’s Dip is the #1 branded dip in the United States with French Onion, Ranch, Guacamole and may other delicious flavors. West Madison Foods produces all its offerings from the company-owned facility in Thornton, IL. The company employs nearly 100 full-time employees, all in the Chicago area.
About Brynwood Partners:
Founded in 1984 and based in Greenwich, CT, Brynwood Partners is an operationally-focused private equity firm that makes control investments in North American-based lower middle market companies. The firm targets non-core brands or companies operating exclusively in the consumer sector. Since inception, Brynwood Partners has acquired over 50 brands from 20 different corporate sellers.
Brynwood Partners has raised nearly $2.6 billion of committed equity capital since its founding, which includes capital from U.S. and international pension funds, fund-of-funds, endowments, foundations, high net worth family investment offices, and financial institutions. Brynwood Partners’ most recent fund, Brynwood Partners IX L.P., raised $750 million of committed capital and made its final close in July 2023. For more information on Brynwood Partners and its portfolio company investments, please visit www.brynwoodpartners.com.
SOURCE West Madison Foods, Inc.
