Hershey to acquire Pirate Brands for $420 million

Upon completion of the deal, Pirate Brands will operate within Amplify, Hershey’s better-for-you snack hub in Austin, Texas, which is focused on driving growth in the warehouse snacking aisle with unique product flavors and forms like Skinny Pop, Paqui and Oatmega. Pirate’s Booty is a fast-growing brand in the more than $2.5 billion cheese puffs category, with retail sales up more than 8 percent on a year-over-year basis, and a market leader for consumers seeking snacks with clean labels and no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

“Pirate’s Booty is a leading cheese puffs brand loved by moms and kids as a better-for-you treat,” said Mary Beth West, chief growth officer, The Hershey Co. “We expect the full Pirate Brands portfolio to be a great fit for Hershey’s growing Amplify business which is targeted toward consumers who are looking for great-tasting snacks without compromise.”