Ralston Foods

Ralston Foods remains the nation’s largest supplier of high quality private label cereal, producing both ready-to-eat (RTE) and hot cereals. Its extended product line includes organic cereals, snack mixes, cereal and nutrition bars, and other custom products. The company offers more than 40 RTE varieties, including emulations of over 30 of the top national brands and more than 20 hot cereals.

With over 100 years in the cereal business, the company delivers the product consistency and service excellence its customers demand. Using only quality ingredients in its modern, efficient plants, Ralston Foods upholds strict production standards while maximizing operations and logistics capabilities to meet the growing needs of its customers. A team of 1,500 plus employees across seven locations ensures high quality products, customer satisfaction, and competitive pricing.

The company also leads the industry by providing value-added services to enhance the consumer experience. Ralston Foods partners with retailers to grow their in-store categories through custom package design, in-store marketing, couponing, promotions, and more.

Post Foods

Post Foods produces and sells a wide variety of nationally acclaimed name-brand ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals for the U.S., Canada, and for export. With plants in Battle Creek, MI, Jonesboro, AR, Modesto, CA, and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Post has a more than 110-year heritage that has defined the breakfast experience for generations of families. Several of Post’s trademarks are leading cereals, including Honey Bunches of Oats® and Pebbles® in the U.S., as well as Shreddies,® Post’s leading trademark in Canada. This year Post introduced several new items, including an extension to the Honey Bunches of Oats franchise called Just Bunches!. Post utilizes a broad range of production processes including flaking, shredding, and gun-puffing. During the past year, significant improvements were made to the company’s production capabilities. Unique marketing programs for consumers, as well as customized packaging and category management information for retailers, further enhance the high value of Post brands and strengthen shopper loyalty.

In 1895, working in a little white barn in Battle Creek, Michigan, C.W. Post made the first batch of what he named Postum, a cereal beverage. In 1897, Post introduced Grape-Nuts,® one of the first ready-to-eat cold cereals, as an all-natural cereal that enhances health and vitality. He followed the success of Grape- Nuts® with a corn flakes product which he called Elijah’s Manna, renamed Post Toasties in 1908. Post Raisin Bran was introduced in 1942 and remains Post’s highest fiber cereal today, with 8 grams of fiber per serving. Alpha-Bits,® launched in 1958 and reintroduced in 2008 after a short absence, is recognized for its unique alphabet shapes and strong brand awareness. Post Selects® is a premium brand that features varieties with on trend ingredients and flavors.

In 2008, Post Selects was an official sponsor of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Post Shredded Wheat is the “good-for-you” cereal with a 100-plus-year heritage. It is a 100% natural whole grain cereal, and is an excellent source of fiber. Honey Bunches of Oats® is a megabrand with the second highest pound share in the RTE Cereals category. Introduced in 1989, it has experienced 18 consecutive years of growth. Pebbles,® launched in 1970, is a very popular children's cereal.

Snacks

Ralcorp’s Snack businesses, each an industry leader in its category, include Bremner Food Group, Inc., Nutcracker Brands, Inc., Medallion Foods, Inc., and Linette Quality Chocolates. Producing primarily value and store brand products in the grocery, mass merchandise and drug trades, they also have a small presence with branded products in selected categories. These businesses were combined into a single operating unit in 2008 to leverage sales and marketing opportunities.

Bremner has seven facilities in the U.S. and produces a full line of cracker products, enrobed and wire cut cookies, sugar wafers and sandwich crème cookies. Nutcracker Brands produces a variety of snack nuts and trail mixes. Its newly expanded facility in Alabama now also handles capacity from a Massachusetts plant which was closed this year, thus reducing costs and increasing production capabilities. Medallion Foods, with its facility located in Arkansas, produces a variety of corn based salty snacks including tortilla chip and extruded corn meal snacks. Linette Quality Chocolates produces a variety of high quality specialty chocolate products at its manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. Harvest Manor Farms, based in El Paso Texas, produces Hoodys® Branded Snack Nuts.

Frozen Bakery Products

Ralcorp Frozen Bakery produces branded and custom, value-added bakery products, and markets them to leading customers in the foodservice, instore bakery, retail, and club channels. Major customers include both national and regional quick service and casual dining restaurants, supermarket chains, mass merchandisers, and foodservice distributors. The company is a national leader in frozen griddle products (pancakes, French toast and waffles) for foodservice and retail, one of the largest providers of pre-baked cookies and artisan breads to in-store bakery, and also a major provider of premium frozen biscuits for foodservice.

Frozen Bakery also is a leader in the artisan bread category, offering a comprehensive line of frozen, pre-baked breads and rolls, plus signature products for major customers. Recent introductions include whole grain and ancient grain artisan breads, nutritionally enhanced frozen griddle products, thaw-and-serve Danish and sliced biscuits, and holiday cookies. From its ten facilities in the U.S. and Canada, the company utilizes sophisticated equipment and processes to reduce time, labor and cost for operators and retailers, while providing consistently high quality for consumers.

Sauces and Spreads

Carriage House is the nation’s largest supplier of store brand preserves and jellies, peanut butter, table syrups and dressings. It is a leading maker of private label sauces, and also offers a variety of cocktail mixers in the beverage channel. Most of its products are available in several brand emulations, providing top quality alternatives to the national brands. Customers include leading grocery retailers, wholesalers, mass merchandisers, drug chains and foodservice companies. Carriage House products are prepared in its four plants, located in New York, Kentucky and Illinois.

A number of process improvements and capital investments have been made in the manufacturing network to drive efficiencies and maximize superior quality. With a focus on new product development as well, sugar free offerings in preserves, jellies and syrup reflect an ongoing commitment to provide even more healthy products. Through numerous marketing and merchandising programs, Carriage House helps its customers market their brands to their shoppers through vehicles such as Display Shippers, for secondary locations in their stores, and Band Packs, where two complementary items are banded together for consumer value and convenience.

Divisions of Ralcorp
Post Foods Cereals		Bremner Food Group Snacks
	Post is the third largest branded ready-to-eat cereal manufacturer in the United States with over 100 years of history in the industry. Post includes iconic brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, Post Selects, Spoon Size Shredded Wheat, Grape-Nuts and Post Raisin Bran.		Bremner is the leader in store brand crackers and has gained a prominent position in store brand cookies through acquisitions. Nutcracker Brands has the leading position in store brand and value brand snack nuts and is a producer of high quality chocolate products. RyKrisp is a crispbread made of northern rye which is offered in six flavors. Medallion Foods, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of store brand corn-based snack foods including tortilla chips, corn chips and extruded corn meal products. Linette Quality Chocolates,  is one of the premier manufacturers of private label pure chocolate confections.
Ralston Foods Cereals
	Ralston Foods is the industry leader in private label ready-to-eat and hot cereals, currently supplying over 50 varieties comparable to the national brands in terms of taste, appearance and nutrition. Bloomfield Bakers products include nutritional and cereal bars and natural and organic specialty cookies, crackers and cereals. We also have a meaningful presence in the snack food category where our products include corn-based chips and cereal-based snack mixes. This division is part of our Cereals reportable segment and has six plants.
Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Frozen Bakery Products		Carriage House Sauces & Spreads
	Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products is a leading manufacturer of frozen griddle products (pancakes, waffles, and French toast), breads, rolls, biscuits, desserts and other frozen, pre-baked products.		Carriage House is now a leading private label provider of a variety of products including mayonnaise, pourable salad dressings, jams and jellies, peanut butter, table syrup and other tomato based sauces.