GALESBURG, Illinois – Charis Consumer Collaborative is excited to announce its recent realization of Western Smokehouse Partners.
Western’s Smokehouse was acquired by Charis as a standalone business in 2018. The family-owned manufacturer of premium crafted protein snacks was looking for a partner that could help them meet customer demand for the rapidly-growing business, as well as build out a larger capacity footprint and management team for the next phase.
“Charis helped us locate very good, high-caliber people,” notes Kevin Western, the second-generation founder who ran the business up until the time of transaction. “One of them is actually operating as the CEO today.”
During Charis’ investment period with the company, the team executed several plant expansions and integrations, as well as various commercial initiatives including the launch into retail private label. All of these enhancements enabled employee numbers to grow from 60 employees at the time of purchase, to more than 400 at the time of realization.
Matt Bormann, CEO of Western Smokehouse Partners, emphasized that Charis’ operational expertise is what enabled such growth. “One of the most challenging times was the transition from a founder-led organization in one location into a very diversified business across multiple locations,” he said. “You could really lose the team during that transition, but Charis held the team together and made WS a great place to grow and learn and take the next step.”
In addition to growing the business organically, Charis also facilitated the acquisition of Thrushwood Farms in 2019 and Prairie Sky Snacks in 2020. The firm merged the two companies with Western, thus creating Western Smokehouse Partners. These acquisitions expanded the company’s production of private label meat products, later enabling the company to launch a de novo facility in Burlington, IA.
Today, Western Smokehouse Partners’ headquarters remains in Galesburg, IL, with additional facilities in Galesburg, Greentop, MO, and Springfield, MO. The business is now run by Bormann — an employee initially brought on by the Charis team in 2019 — and the founders of Thrushwood Farms and Prairie Sky Snacks still play integral roles in the day-to-day operations of the company.
“When I originally met with Sam and Kevin Western, we forged a great relationship around our vision to build Western into the leading contract manufacturer of meat sticks,” said Ben Rudman, Founder & CEO of Charis Consumer Collaborative. “Sam and Kevin sold to us because they believed we could help them achieve that vision. Now, five years later, having accomplished our goal together, I am proud of and grateful toward the team we assembled.”