Canada’s Noble Foods Nutrition has announced the acquisition of co-packing activities of bar manufacturer Betty Lou’s.

With the deal, Noble Foods aims to establish itself as one of the leading medium-sized bar manufacturers in North America.

Noble Foods president Lee Shulkin said: “We couldn’t have found a better complement to our base of customers and our present employees. Merging the two companies’ business philosophies and trajectories will significantly improve both enterprises and make the whole so much greater than the sum of its parts.”

Betty Lou’s was established by Betty Lou Carrier more than four decades ago and offers energy bars, protein shakes, crackers and protein balls from its manufacturing facility in McMinnville, Oregon.

Carrier said that the co-packing activities will continue at its McMinnville facility while the other products manufactured under the Betty Lou’s brand will be manufactured at a new facility in the city.

Carrier added: “After 42 years, I have decided to sell the co-packing activities of Betty Lou’s to Noble Foods and focus our efforts on our private Betty Lou’s brand.

“Noble Foods has been doing co-packing bars for more than 20 years with a high level of organisation, professionalism, and dedication to bar manufacturing. It gave me great comfort knowing that they have the same philosophy about customer service and quality as we do.

“Our Betty Lou’s employees are like family and I’m happy to know that those joining the Noble Foods team will be taken care of, as that is very important to me.”

Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed by either company.