Bellisio Foods Incorporated (formerly Michelina's) is an American

frozen food Freezing food preserves it from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. Since early times, farmers, fishermen, and trappers have preserved grains and produce in unheated buildings during the winter season. Freezing food slows decompositi ...

manufacturer based in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

. The company was founded by Jeno Paulucci in

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior, Wisconsin, Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: Downtown Dul ...

and is now owned by Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited of Thailand. Its products are primarily sold in the United States but are also distributed in more than 12 countries worldwide, including

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. As the third-largest producer of frozen entrees in the United States, the company has a daily production capacity of over two million meals. The company produces over 400 products in multiple categories, including single-serve and multi-serve entrees, snacks, side dishes and specialty sauces. Example Bellisio brands are Michelina's, Michelina's Lean Gourmet, Michelina's Budget Gourmet, Fusion Culinary, Arden Kitchens, Chariton and Howlin’ Coyote. The company also offers contract manufacturing via

private label A private label, also called a private brand or private-label brand, is a brand owned by a company, offered by that company alongside and competing with brands from other businesses. A private-label brand is almost always offered exclusively by th ...

and co-pack partnerships for retail products. Example co-pack brands are

Chili's Chili's Grill & Bar is an American casual dining restaurant chain. The company was founded by Larry Lavine in Texas in 1975 and is currently owned and operated by Brinker International. History Chili's first location, a converted postal stati ...

Boston Market Boston Market Corporation, known as Boston Chicken until 1995, is an American fast casual restaurant chain headquartered in Golden, Colorado. It is owned by the Rohan Group. Boston Market has its greatest presence in the Northeastern and Midwes ...

and Zatarain's. Bellisio operates Fusion Culinary Center, a wholly owned subsidiary based in

Lakeville, Minnesota Lakeville is an exurb of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and the largest city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is approximately south of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul along Interstate Highway 35. Starting as a flourish ...

. Fusion conducts research and development for many national restaurant chains. Originally produced in Duluth, Bellisio's products now ship from its facility in

Jackson, Ohio Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Ohio, United States approximately 27 mi (43 km) SE of Chillicothe. The population was 6,239 at the 2020 census. History Established in 1817, residents named the ...

. Duluth still handles portions of the packaging and financial departments. The executive offices of Bellisio are in Minneapolis.

Acquisitions

On June 16, 2013, Bellisio purchased APC Foods, located in

Austin, Minnesota Austin is a city in, and the county seat of, Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River and has two artificial lakes, East Side Lake and Mill Po ...

, for $6.1 million. APC was for sale after its owners filed for receivership to avoid bankruptcy. Also in 2013, Overhill Farms Inc., a frozen foods manufacturer based in

Vernon, California Vernon is a city five miles (8.0 km) south of downtown Los Angeles, California, the nearest separate city to downtown Los Angeles. The population was 112 at the 2010 United States Census, the least of any incorporated city in the state. I ...

, was acquired by the company for approximately $80 million.California based frozen food manufacturer Overhill Farms Inc. purchased by Bellisio Foods for approx. $80 million
/ref> Bellisio was purchased by Thai food conglomerate

Charoen Pokphand Foods Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited, a company of the Charoen Pokphand Group, is an agro-industrial and food conglomerate headquartered in Thailand. It is the world's largest producer of feed and shrimp, and is also a global top three p ...

in 2016 for $1.08 billion.

References

External links

Bellisio Foods Corporate Website
Companies based in Minneapolis Food manufacturers of the United States Frozen food brands Food and drink companies established in 1918 1918 establishments in Minnesota {{US-manufacturing-company-stub