Lolli & Pops Acquires Hammond's Candies

Sequel Holdings and Embassy Park Invest in Piedmont Candy Company

May 1, 2023

Food & Beverage

Sequel Holdings acquired a majority interest in Piedmont Candy Company in May 2023, partnering with Embassy Park Investment Company. Piedmont Candy Company, headquartered in Lexington, North Carolina, is a maker of Redbird peppermint puffs and Thinfuls popcorn snacks and sells branded and private-label products across mass, dollar, club, drug and e-commerce channels.

Barcel USA (Grupo Bimbo) Acquires Popcornopolis from NexPhase Capital

October 29, 2021

Food & Beverage

Barcel USA, the U.S. snack division of Grupo Bimbo, has acquired Popcornopolis LLC from private equity firm NexPhase Capital. Terms were not disclosed; Popcornopolis — a gourmet, ready-to-eat popcorn manufacturer and DTC brand — will join Barcel USA's snack portfolio following NexPhase's 2019 investment and recent retail and e-commerce growth.

J&J Snack Foods Acquires Dippin' Dots for $222M

June 21, 2022

Food & Beverage

J&J Snack Foods Corp. agreed to acquire Dippin' Dots, L.L.C. (including the Doc Popcorn business) for $222 million, a transaction funded with cash and senior debt and expected to close in June 2022. The acquisition expands J&J's frozen novelty portfolio and production/distribution capacity, and closed on June 21, 2022.

Hoffmann Family of Companies Acquires Elmer Chocolate

August 5, 2025

Food & Beverage

Hoffmann Family of Companies, a U.S.-based family equity firm, has acquired Elmer Chocolate, a long-standing seasonal chocolatier known for its heart-shaped Valentine’s chocolates and large-scale confectionery manufacturing in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. Financial terms were not disclosed; members of the Nelson family (including Rob and Michael Nelson) will retain partial ownership and remain in leadership as Hoffmann aims to expand Elmer’s product portfolio to drive year-round growth.

The Hershey Company Acquires LesserEvil

November 20, 2025

Consumer Products

The Hershey Company has completed its acquisition of LesserEvil, an organic snack brand known for popcorn and puffs made with better-for-you ingredients. The deal expands Hershey's better-for-you and salty snack portfolio while retaining LesserEvil's leadership team and brand positioning.

Ex Populus Acquires LAMO

November 22, 2022

Media & Entertainment

Ex Populus, a Web3 gaming studio and publisher, has acquired LAMO, a multimedia IP that includes a PC game, augmented reality experiences, and a collectible toy line. The acquisition brings LAMO's IP and development talent into Ex Populus' Web3 ecosystem to expand its gaming portfolio and phygital/Metaverse capabilities.