SAN ANTONIO — Expanding its presence in baking products and ingredients, C.H. Guenther & Son LLC has acquired House-Autry Mills Inc., a Four Oaks, NC-based branded and custom dry-mix flavor solutions provider.
Financial terms of the transaction, announced Sept. 16, weren’t disclosed. The deal brings together two longtime companies in the baking and grain-based foods sectors: House-Autry Mills, founded in 1812 as a grist mill in North Carolina, and San Antonio-based C.H. Guenther (CHG), founded in 1851 as a flour mill in Texas.
A Southern heritage food company, House-Autry produces breading, batters, hushpuppy mixes, pancake and waffle mixes, biscuit mixes, cornbread mixes, gravy mixes, seasonings, marinades, grits and other dry-mix flavor products. The company serves the foodservice, private label and retail channels, providing custom blending, formulation, packaging, large-scale manufacturing, research and development, and culinary innovation.
CHG said the addition of House-Autry extends its reach into priority markets and bolsters its position in ingredients that deliver authentic Southern flavor. CHG also described House-Autry’s products and manufacturing and innovation capabilities as “highly complementary” to its portfolio, noting that the combination of CHG’s scale, manufacturing and logistics and House-Autry’s custom dry-mix platform will enable greater customer innovation and menu differentiation.
“House-Autry is an outstanding strategic fit for CHG,” said Rod Hepponstall, president and chief executive officer of C.H. Guenther. “The company brings a rare combination of deep heritage, trusted customer relationships, strong custom-formulation capabilities and a reputation for quality and service. Together, we will be even better-positioned to reach more customers and help them create custom products and memorable food experiences, while driving long-term financial growth.”
House-Autry operates specialized manufacturing operations in Four Oaks, NC, and Hogansville, Ga. The company has invested in flexible blending, packaging and R&D to drive menu differentiation and develop signature flavors that capitalize on consumer trends, according to CHG.
“We are excited to join the C.H. Guenther family and begin this next chapter for House-Autry,” said Derrick Marconi, president and CFO of House-Autry. “CHG deeply respects our family legacy and commitment to quality, service, innovation and care for customers and employees. This combination creates new opportunities to invest in our capabilities and expand our reach while continuing to deliver the Southern-crafted flavor and partnership our customers have trusted for generations.”
Commercial baking and food manufacturer CHG is a leading supplier of value-added grain-based and frozen food products for foodservice operators and select consumer markets. Its retail brands include such names as Pioneer, White Wings, Sun-Bird, Mi Rancho and Cuisine Adventures. Overall, the company — owned by investment firm PPC, management and other co-investors — operates more than 30 manufacturing plants in the United States, Canada and Europe and fields a roster of more than 2,500 products.
“This combination reflects CHG’s continued momentum as it expands its portfolio through complementary, value-added food manufacturers with differentiated innovative capabilities,” said Phil Iler, principal at Chicago-based PPC. “House-Autry’s heritage, customer relationships and custom dry-mix capabilities are highly complementary to CHG, and we look forward to continuing to support this terrific business in its next phase of growth.”
House-Autry Mills marks the second acquisition announced by CHG this year. In April, CHG said it acquired Les Aliments Mejicano, an Anjou, Que.-based maker of flour tortillas. That followed the acquisitions of Fresca Mexican Foods, a Boise, Idaho-based maker of flour tortillas, corn tortillas and tortilla chips, in June 2025; St. Paul, Minn.-based Baldinger Bakery and Canada-based Baldinger & Sons Bakery in January 2022; Mid South Baking Co., a supplier of buns and English muffins, in April 2019; and Bönen, Germany-based Wback GmbH, a baker of soft rolls in Europe, in February 2019.
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