Key Takeaways
- • Colorado Premium, backed by middle-market PE firm Kainos Capital, has acquired Old Hickory Smokehouse, a Tennessee-based smoked and cooked protein producer, expanding its value-added protein platform into naturally smoked products.
- • The acquisition strategically complements Colorado Premium's existing sous vide protein business, which specializes in vacuum-sealed water-bath cooking methods, creating a diversified prepared protein portfolio across multiple cooking techniques.
- • Old Hickory Smokehouse founder Wayne Wolf's sons, Wayne and Brandon Wolf, will remain with the business post-acquisition, ensuring operational continuity and institutional knowledge retention.
- • Colorado Premium plans to invest in expanded production capacity and hiring at Old Hickory's Tennessee facility, signaling confidence in the acquired platform and anticipated revenue synergies.
- • The deal reflects PE investor appetite for value-added protein suppliers serving fragmented foodservice, retail, direct-to-consumer, and industrial channels with differentiated product offerings.
Summary
Colorado Premium, a value-added protein supplier majority-backed by Kainos Capital, has completed its acquisition of Old Hickory Smokehouse, a Tennessee-based producer of smoked and cooked protein products. The transaction marks a strategic portfolio expansion for Colorado Premium, which has built its foundation on sous vide protein products—prepared meats processed through vacuum-sealed water-bath cooking methods. By adding Old Hickory's naturally smoked protein capabilities, Colorado Premium now offers customers multiple value-added protein formats across complementary cooking technologies.
Old Hickory Smokehouse was founded by Wayne Wolf and retains operational leadership from Wolf's sons, Wayne and Brandon Wolf, both of whom will continue with the business following the acquisition. This founder and family retention structure provides continuity for customer relationships and brand identity while signaling management stability to investors. Colorado Premium supplies prepared beef, chicken, and other proteins to a diversified customer base spanning foodservice, retail, direct-to-consumer, and industrial channels.
The acquiring firm, Kainos Capital, is a middle-market private equity investor with specialized focus on food and consumer products businesses. The transaction includes plans for meaningful capital reinvestment at Old Hickory's Tennessee operations, encompassing expanded production capacity and workforce hiring initiatives. This commitment to facility enhancement and headcount growth suggests the PE-backed buyer sees material synergy potential and market tailwinds supporting increased throughput and revenue within the smoked protein category.
Old Hickory Smokehouse was founded by Wayne Wolf and retains operational leadership from Wolf's sons, Wayne and Brandon Wolf, both of whom will continue with the business following the acquisition. This founder and family retention structure provides continuity for customer relationships and brand identity while signaling management stability to investors. Colorado Premium supplies prepared beef, chicken, and other proteins to a diversified customer base spanning foodservice, retail, direct-to-consumer, and industrial channels.
The acquiring firm, Kainos Capital, is a middle-market private equity investor with specialized focus on food and consumer products businesses. The transaction includes plans for meaningful capital reinvestment at Old Hickory's Tennessee operations, encompassing expanded production capacity and workforce hiring initiatives. This commitment to facility enhancement and headcount growth suggests the PE-backed buyer sees material synergy potential and market tailwinds supporting increased throughput and revenue within the smoked protein category.
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