Hearthside Food Solutions files for bankruptcy; Located in Idaho

Since there are no proprietary brands, you’re probably not familiar with this popular snack food manufacturer. Little did they know that a company that produces some of the country’s best-known snack food brands has had a location in Boise for nearly eight years.

Who is Hearthside Food Solutions?

Accordingly Food processingThe food manufacturer was a silent partner in major brands such as General Mills and PepsiCo. The US Sun also mentions that they have worked with Kraft and Kellogg’s. Of all private bakeries in America, they were the largest producer of granola and nutritional bars in 2019 when they won the title of 2019 Processor of the Year. This is the type of product they have been producing at their Eisenman Road facility since they purchased an old PowerBar facility at that address.

Hearthside Foods Solutions’ parent company files for bankruptcy

It is unfortunate that you are discovering this company’s presence in Idaho’s economy at a time when it is facing some major difficulties. Business Wire reports that H-Food Holdings LLC, Hearthside’s parent company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As they go through the process, they want to act as if nothing is wrong. You want to ensure that customer programs continue to be available, suppliers are paid after the petition, and employees receive their paychecks and benefits.

READ MORE: 13 Major Brands Closing Idaho Locations in 2024

Reuters adds that the company is trying to reduce its heavy $1.9 billion in debt and restructure its operations.

Hearthside is facing major controversy

As we read this Reuters article, we noticed some serious allegations that Hearthside is under scrutiny for employing underage migrant workers at its facilities in Grand Rapids, Michigan. According to the New York Times, This was a common theme at all Hearthside facilities in the area, where workers baked and packaged products such as Chewy and Nature Valley granola bars and Lucky Charms granola and Cheetos snacks. The 15-year-old they spoke to was trying to earn money to send home to her ailing grandmother in Guatemala.

The article alleges that the manufacturer knew that the identities of some of the very young workers it had hired through a third party were mislabeled and that it did not care.

Reuters said the company denied the allegations and denied they played any role in the bankruptcy.

Hearthside is not the first company with ties to Idaho to file for bankruptcy in Idaho. Many of the companies that closed some of their Idaho locations in 2024 filed for bankruptcy this year.