Henny Penny Acquires Wood Stone

Foodservice cooking/holding equipment manufacturer Henny Penny has announced that it has agreed to acquire Wood Stone Corp., a leading global manufacturer of stone hearth cooking equipment.

“Wood Stone is one of the most highly respected brands in the foodservice equipment industry, and we're big fans of the company's products and its business philosophy and culture,” says Henny Penny Chairman/CEO Steve Cobb. “The two companies possess unique capabilities, yet have similar backbones; we're both employee-centric organizations that grew through innovation and commitment to customer-driven solutions.”

Henny Penny manufactures commercial-grade cooking, holding and merchandising equipment for restaurants, supermarkets and institutions around the world while Wood Stone's stone hearth ovens, rotisseries, planchas, charbroilers and tandoors are in more than 13,000 restaurants in over 75 countries.

“We never considered selling Wood Stone until we met and got to know Henny Penny," says Wood Stone Co-founder Keith Carpenter. "While our similarities are many, we're convinced that our differences in scale, market reach and product technology can enhance the offerings and service we provide to enhance the offerings and service we provide to our diverse customers and increase opportunities for our employees to learn and grow in this industry. This is an exciting time for Wood Stone, made even more so now with Henny Penny.”

“We have admired Wood Stone for years as a leader and innovator in our industry," says Rob Connelly, president of Henny Penny. "We've been deeply impressed by its commitment to the culinary experience and the quality of its products, and we will build on this expertise to broaden our range of foodservice equipment solutions for our growing customer base. In turn, we deliver to Wood Stone the scale and resources to manage accelerated growth.”

Wood Stone remains a privately held company and will continue to operate and manufacture out of its facility in Bellingham, WA. “With Henny Penny, Wood Stone will be able to innovate and grow without compromising its brand, core values and niche product offerings,” adds Wood Stone president Kurt Eickmeyer. “We're excited for what the future holds.”