Fontaine Santé Foods (“Fontaine Santé” or the “Company”), a premier plant-forward refrigerated foods platform and one of the largest manufacturers of hummus, dips, salads, salsa, and tofu in North America, named Joe Ens as CEO. Joe brings over 25 years of consumer packaged goods (CPG) experience to the Company’s operations and brands, and most recently served as CEO of HighKey, a maker of gluten-free and sugar-free cookies, crackers, wafers, and chocolates.
Fontaine Santé Foods is headquartered in Montréal, Québec and its Fontaine Santé® brand dominates the hummus category in Canada’s retail food market – with almost 60% market share. The Company makes its products at manufacturing facilities located in Québec and Michigan. In the U.S., the Company sells products under its Lantana® and Garden Fresh Gourmet® brands.
Ens brings significant brand-building experience to Fontaine Santé Foods having spent over 20 years at General Mills in various leadership roles growing powerhouse cereal brands including Cheerios®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch®, Lucky Charms®, and Trix®. He also served as VP on its Snack Bars business unit that includes brands like Nature Valley® and Fiber One®. For his last stint at General Mills, Joe was tapped to serve as Regional CEO of Australasia, an autonomous $350 million business. A native of the Greater Toronto Area, Ens holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from York University.
“It’s exciting to join Fontaine Santé at this stage in its transformation,” said Ens. “The Company has always made incredible products, and the Fontaine Santé brand is a favorite in Canada. Now it’s time to get consumers across North America reaching for all of our brands. We know there’s a desire to eat healthier, but who wants to give up on taste? By focusing on brand building, we can introduce more people to delicious foods made from plants and set the Company up for its next phase of growth.”
Fontaine Santé Foods is owned by Arbor Investments, a specialized private equity firm focused exclusively on acquiring companies in food, beverage, and related industries. Arbor announced the acquisition in November 2021.
“Joe is an accomplished executive with a passion for building high-performance teams that can align and deliver on a strategic plan,” said Carl Allegretti, President of Arbor Investments and Chairman of the Board for Fontaine Santé. “His understanding of CPG, the dynamics of U.S. and Canadian markets, and experience with challenger brands will be pivotal to driving continued growth at the Company.”
