New ThermoServ Ltd. is continuing its growth-through-acquisition strategy by acquiring Gessner Products Co. Inc.
Dallas-based NTL is a leading domestic manufacturer of tableware, while Amber, Pa.-based Gessner is a leader in melamine and SAN smallwares and other tabletop products.
NTL President Tom Neth said the acquisition will bring together resources and technologies of both the Prolon and Gessner brands.
“By merging two leaders in domestic tableware, this transaction creates an ideal synergy for both us and our foodservice customers,” he said. “We believe this step will strengthen our ability to serve commercial businesses with a full line of high-quality, domestically manufactured casual dinnerware, serving ware, small wares and drinkware, which in today's political and economic environment is a much-needed option for businesses across all industries.”
While terms of the sale were not released, Neth told Plastics News in an email that “NTL acquired all Gessner Products assets and brands.”
“The Gessner brand will help round out our existing foodservice division and will add positive profit to NTL's bottom line,” he added.
The companies are still working on the specifics of the acquisition, but Neth noted that the Gessner line of small ware products will be folded into NTL's Prolon tableware brand, resulting in a combined product portfolio that will offer foodservice customers a comprehensive suite of tabletop products.
“Right now, the Gessner brand will likely roll up under our existing Prolon foodservice division,” he explained. “Gessner is a well-known and highly reputed brand name in the food service space, so we intend to retain their brand name as it relates to their areas of specialty — specifically small wares and ramekins.”
Moreover, Neth said he expects no immediate changes to Gessner's operations that would impact their workforce, but production ultimately will move to Texas.
“We do intend to relocate manufacturing from its current location in Ambler, Pa., to our Dallas facility before the end of 2019,” he said. “At that time, existing Gessner employees will be given the option to relocate to our Dallas location.”
This latest acquisition by NTL is the third in the past two years, following Prolon in 2017 and refillable drinkware brand Capitol Cups in 2018, and is part of the company's aggressive growth strategy to become the leader in plastic dinnerware and drinkware products.
NTL is best known as a longstanding domestic manufacturer of plastic drinkware and, more recently, melamine dinnerware, operating in the retail channel as ThermoServ and in the foodservice market as Prolon.
In a news release, the company said that the ThermoServ and Prolon brands tout a full line of American-made, high-quality melamine dinnerware and Tritan drinkware products, geared toward consumer and commercial uses.
Gessner Products has been serving the foodservice and retail industries for more than 60 years and has established itself as a key domestic manufacturer of melamine and SAN small ware items that include ramekins, rarebits, bowls and serving dishes.
NTL launched a corporate rebranding from ThermoServ to NTL in late 2018 to help manage their growing portfolio of brands that include ThermoServ, Prolon, Capitol Cups, Makit and now Gessner.
In the wake of the deal, Neth said the company is excited about the coming year, particularly for its foodservice division.
“We just came back from a great NAFEM show in Orlando and are ready to ramp up with our combined Prolon and Gessner forces,” he said. “It's going to be a great year for foodservice.”
