Driving growth in consumer staples as an experienced partner for families and founders
Our numbersAt-A-Glance
$2.0
BILLION
Total capital raised across seven funds
106
INVESTMENTS
We have invested in 64 platforms and 42 add-ons
80%
FAMILIES/FOUNDERS
We focus on partnering with families and founders as the first institutional capital
About Us
For three decades, Swander Pace Capital has invested in consumer staples businesses with scalable growth opportunities. We focus on middle market partnerships in the food & beverage and health & wellness categories. Given our dedicated focus, we have retained over 30 years of best practices and benchmarking and have a deep network of talent. We believe our flexibility investing across the value chain and focused expertise underpin our repeatable process of value creation which forms the basis of our track record.
Food & Beverage
View PortfolioHealth & Wellness
View PortfolioOur StrategyInvesting Across The Value Chain
Brands
Branded Manufacturing
Private Label / Contract Manufacturing
Ingredients & Inputs
Garth and Tyler Merrick - Merrick Pet Products
The Lui Family - Fine Choice Foods
Dale Schulz and Ray Turcotte - ST Specialty Foods
Patricia Bragg - Bragg Live Food Products
Benoit Faucher - Boulangerie St-Méthode
Elana Rosenfeld - Kicking Horse Coffee
Nick Beste - Mighty Spark
Stephen McDonnell - Applegate
Elizabeth Stein - Purely Elizabeth
Harry Voortman - Voortman Bakery
How We WorkPartnerships Built on Trust, Respect, and Collaboration
Trust and Respect for Legacy
We honor the history and culture of founder- and family-led businesses, approaching each partnership with sincerity and authenticity and building trust over time
Collaboration at the Core
We are actively engaged and work alongside our management teams to optimize growth while respecting company values
SPC Playbook and Talent Network
Through our 30 years of dedicated experience, we have developed a comprehensive set of strategies and tactics to enhance value, and maintain a deep network of consumer talent
Our Partnerships Founder and Family Stories
Purely Elizabeth is an innovator and marketer of breakfast and snack foods with premium and nutrient-rich ingredients. Founded by Elizabeth Stein in 2008 to bring healthier snacking to consumers, Purely Elizabeth has become the leading brand of granola in the natural and conventional channels.
Swander Pace has been a true partner in helping us thoughtfully scale Purely Elizabeth into our next chapter of growth. They understand what it takes to grow a premium, purpose-driven brand, and have supported us in expanding our reach without compromising what makes us special. I’m grateful for their strategic guidance and shared belief in our vision to help people thrive.
Elizabeth Stein
Founder, Purely Elizabeth
Founded in 1986 by the Lui family, Fine Choice Foods is a manufacturer and marketer of Asian-inspired appetizer foods, including spring rolls, gyozas, potstickers, wontons, and other products. Products are sold under the Summ! brand in club and retail channels across North America.
SPC brought the strategic thinking and industry connections we needed to scale. Their hands-on approach to helping us expand our product portfolio and increase our manufacturing capacity was instrumental in our growth.
Lui Family
Founder, Fine Choice Foods
S.T. Specialty Foods is a manufacturer of private label dry pasta and rice dinners founded by Dale Shulz in 1992. Based in Minneapolis, MN, S.T. Specialty offered macaroni and cheese dinners, boxed pasta side dishes, boxed rice and vermicelli mixes, and meat skillet dinners.
As founders who built our company from scratch, choosing the right partner was critical. Swander Pace Capital gave us financial peace of mind, but just as importantly, they brought meaningful resources and strategic support that enhanced our capabilities. It was a true partnership that respected our vision while helping us take the business to the next level.
Dale Schulz
Founder, ST Specialty
Stephen McDonnell founded Applegate in 1987 and it became the #1 brand of organic and all-natural deli meats in the natural channel. The company was one of the first movers in providing high-quality and natural meats without antibiotics, hormones, or artificial additives. Applegate’s products include deli meats, hot dogs, cheese, bacon, sausages, and frozen products and are made without GMO ingredients and are sourced from farms where animals are treated with care and respect.
I resisted private equity for a long time and wanted to find the right partner. SPC helped me change my mindset and was a valuable partner as we scaled the business while staying true to our vision.
Stephen McDonnell
Founder, Applegate
Swander Pace Capital partnered with the Parsons Family and Inovata Foods in the summer of 2024. Founded by Steve and Lisa Parsons in 1989, Inovata Foods is a manufacturer of private label frozen entrées, specializing in a wide variety of global cuisines. The company currently operates two facilities – one in Tillsonburg, ON and one in Edmonton, AB.
After two decades of building this business, we wanted a partner who understood the private label manufacturing space and could help us further expand in the U.S. market. SPC’s operational expertise and track record with food manufacturers made them the right choice to take Inovata to the next level.
Steve Parsons
Founder, Inovata Foods
Disclaimer: Testimonials and/or endorsements of portfolio company executives are provided to demonstrate the benefits of working with the SPC team. They are not provided to solicit investors in a SPC fund. Some operating partners/executives featured in the testimonials or endorsements have an interest in an SPC fund; such executive’s testimonial or endorsement is not offered on the basis of being an investor in a SPC fund but rather as an executive who works with the SPC team. Additionally, SPC operating partners/executives are compensated for their work with SPC but not for their testimonial or endorsement about the benefits of working with the SPC team. There is a conflict of interest in these unpaid testimonials and endorsements in that the executives stand to benefit from SPC’s success and are thus incented to provide favorable references.
