GRIDLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mary’s Gone Crackers, makers of award-winning organic, vegan and gluten free foods, today announced that Kameda USA, Inc., a 100 percent subsidiary of Kameda Seika Co. Ltd, Japan’s largest manufacturer of rice crackers, has acquired 77.8 percent of the company. As part of the agreement, the roles of co-founder and Chairman, Mary Waldner, and co-founder and CEO, Dale Rodrigues, will remain unchanged, and the two will continue to lead the creative vision, day-to-day operations, strategy and product innovation for the company.
“We’re thrilled to join forces with the Kameda Seika family, and feel privileged that the team recognizes Mary’s Gone Crackers as a brand it believes has significant potential for continued expansion in the U.S. and abroad,” said Waldner.
According to Rodrigues, the relationship was attractive to him and Waldner because Kameda Seika demonstrated a commitment to preserving Mary’s Gone Crackers’ passion for making organic, gluten free and non-GMO foods that are delicious and impact the mind, body and planet in a positive way. All Mary’s Gone Crackers products are created with the company’s Conscious Eating philosophy in mind, which will remain unchanged moving forward.
“Kameda brings a wealth of operational expertise to this partnership, and there are many synergies we’re excited to explore,” said Rodrigues. “For the first time in the history of Mary’s Gone Crackers, we have a partner who supports our vision and core values. We feel confident this new path will allow us to bring new products and innovations to the market with greater speed and agility, and are eager to expand our business with our original vision intact.”
Created by Waldner after learning she suffered from Celiac Disease, Mary’s Gone Crackers offers a line of snacks including its signature super-crispy gourmet seed Crackers, Pretzels, and Cookies. All Mary’s Gone Crackers products are loaded with whole, nutritious, unique ingredients, and are gluten free and organic without trans-fats or dairy. The company recently announced two new cracker flavors, Super Seed and Hot ‘n Spicy Jalapeño, and has additional new product lines planned for later this year.
Mary’s Gone Crackers can be found nationally in grocery and natural food stores, including Whole Foods Market, Kroger and Sprouts. For more information about Mary’s Gone Crackers, please visit www.marysgonecrackers.com.
About Mary’s Gone Crackers
Founded in 2004, by Mary Waldner and Dale Rodrigues, Mary’s Gone Crackers manufactures delicious gourmet, organic, gluten free, vegan food including Crackers, Pretzels and Cookies. Mary’s Gone Crackers always uses certified organic, kosher, whole-food ingredients free of gluten, trans-fats, eggs, nuts and dairy. Mary’s Gone Crackers are available in natural and grocery stores nationwide. For more information, please visit www.marysgonecrackers.com.
About Kameda USA, Inc.
Kameda USA, Inc. was established in April 2008 as a 100 percent subsidiary of Kameda Seika Co. Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Torrance, California, Kameda USA, Inc. specializes in the sales and marketing of Kameda Crisps and Frosted Rice Crackers to the U.S. market.
Founded in 1957, Kameda Seika Co. Ltd. is the largest manufacturer of rice crackers in Japan. They currently maintain nearly 30 percent of the $3.5 billion rice cracker market in Japan. Kameda Seika Co. Ltd. manufactures 10 of the top 15 rice snack products in Japan.