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Lyons saw renewed emphasis in its wine and spirits portfolio in 1933 with the repreal of Prohibition. Lyons Magnus image<\/p>\n
The sale of Lyons Magnus to Truelink Capital<\/a>\u00a0caps nearly a decade of private equity ownership and closes a chapter that began when a Fresno-area farming family bought the company in 1971. Its roots run deeper still \u2014 to a Gold Rush-era merchandising business founded in <\/a>1852. Here\u2019s how the 174-year-old company arrived at a reported $1 billion deal.<\/p>\n 1852 \u2014 Ernest G. Lyons and his father establish a merchandising operation during the California Gold Rush, founding E.G. Lyons & Co., a San Francisco-based business, according to the company.<\/p>\n 1929 \u2014 E.G. Lyons & Raas Co. merges with Magnus Fruit Products, another producer of glace fruits, syrups and root beer. The combined company is named Lyons Magnus Inc.<\/p>\n 1971 \u2014 Fresno-area farmers Earl and Bob Smittcamp, operators of Wawona Ranch and Wawona Frozen Foods, acquire Lyons Magnus from Consolidated Foods and begin moving the company toward value-added manufacturing.<\/p>\n 1989 \u2014 Lyons Magnus builds a new manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters in Fresno.<\/p>\n 2014 \u2014 Earl Smittcamp, patriarch of the Smittcamp farming and food family, dies. Son Bob Smittcamp serves as chairman and CEO of Lyons Magnus.<\/p>\n May 2017 \u2014 Paine Schwartz Partners makes an equity investment in Wawona Packing Co., the Smittcamp peach farming and packing operation, as part of its $893 million \u201cFood Chain Fund IV.\u201d (Venture capital firm invests big in Wawona Packing<\/a>)<\/p>\n November 2017 \u2014 Paine Schwartz takes a stake in Lyons Magnus, buying the company from the Smittcamp family. (Equity firm doubles down on Smittcamps with Lyons deal<\/a>)<\/p>\n April 2018 \u2014 Bob Smittcamp steps down as Lyons Magnus CEO after more than 40 years, staying on as chairman. Former Campbell Soup executive Ed Carolan is named CEO. (Robert Smittcamp to step down as Lyons Magnus CEO<\/a>)<\/p>\n 2019 \u2014 Lyons Magnus acquires Wisconsin-based TRU Aseptics, entering the aseptic-products market. (Fresno\u2019s Lyons Magnus completes out-of-state acquisition<\/a>)<\/p>\n 2019 \u2014 Paine Schwartz merges Wawona Packing and Gerawan Farming to form Prima Wawona, the nation\u2019s largest stone fruit producer.<\/p>\n 2020 \u2014 Grower Dan Gerawan is ousted as Prima Wawona CEO.<\/p>\n October 2023 \u2014 Prima Wawona files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Dan Gerawan sues Paine Schwartz, alleging it deliberately sank his former company. (Prima Wawona files for bankruptcy protection<\/a>)<\/p>\n January 2024 \u2014 Bankrupt Prima Wawona warns more than 5,400 jobs are on the line. (Bankrupt Prima Wawona warns 5,400 jobs on the line<\/a>)<\/p>\n 2024 \u2014 Schreiber Foods buys the TRU Aseptics business from Lyons Magnus for $20.4 million, according to public records reported by the Beloit Daily News.<\/p>\n October 2024 \u2014 Lyons Magnus acquires Hormel Health Labs from Hormel Foods Corp., establishing Lyons Health Labs in Fresno. Jim Davis is CEO. (Lyons Magnus in Fresno acquires division of Hormel Foods Corp.<\/a>)<\/p>\n