Tulkoff Food Products, a family-owned sauce manufacturer based in Southeast Baltimore, has been purchased by Pennsylvania-based Graham Partners, the private investment firm said this week.
Graham Partners, which targets “advanced manufacturing companies,” did not disclose what it paid for Tulkoff, which was founded in 1926.
The sauce, dip and dressing manufacturer’s third-generation owner, Phil Tulkoff, will continue leading the company as president and CEO for the foreseeable future. He said that Graham Partners will be able to invest in growth by adding employees, increasing research and development ,and expanding manufacturing at Tulkoff’s Cincinnati plant.
Currently headquartered on Van Deman Street near Dundalk, the sauce company primarily supplies food service firms and the industrial sector, but also produces a line of retail products. The brand specializes in horseradish and cocktail sauces, but has expanded into specialty flavors like Kimchi Aioli sold through its retail wing. On the industrial side, the brand’s core offerings consist mostly of horseradish, garlic and ginger products.
Graham Partners said in a news release that it was mainly attracted to the family-owned Baltimore business by the company’s “track record of innovation” and “flexible manufacturing capabilities” — an approach that allows the firm to “service shorter-run and high-mix customers,” giving it an edge over larger sauce manufacturers.
“As consumer interest in unique flavor profiles grows, sauces are playing an elevated role in kitchens and restaurants as a way of driving customer demand and traffic to their locations,” Graham Partners said in the news release. Tulkoff “differentiates itself on the basis of strong customer service and quality products, and Graham anticipates upholding that legacy during its ownership.”
Baltimore Sun reporter Lorraine Mirabella contributed to this article, which will be updated.
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