Windsor Foods

Windsor Quality Holdings makes frozen foods for lovers of ethnic flavors. The firm (aka Windsor Foods) offers stuffed pastas, egg rolls, pot stickers, barbecue, chili, burritos, and taquitos, among other flavorful fare. Brands include Bernardi (Italian), Golden Tiger (Pan-Asian), José Olé (Mexican), and The Original Chili Bowl (Southwest). Windsor caters to foodservice operators, chain restaurants, and industrial customers, along with retail grocery, convenience, warehouse, and club stores across the US (such as Costco and Sam's Club). It provides private-label, custom blending and packaging, and marketing support services for its customers. Windsor operates about a dozen production plants in seven states.

To give teeth to its Golden Tiger-branded Asian business, Windsor in early 2011 bought Discovery Foods, based in California. The maker of frozen Asian snacks, appetizers, and entrees sells products under the Ling Ling, Tai Pei, and VIP brand names. While Windsor holds top positions in the Italian and Mexican frozen food segments, purchasing Discovery Foods better positions the firm's Asian category for similar accolades. During the past few years, Discovery Foods had been boosting its presence in the grocery retail market, fortifying its sales force, rolling out new ethnic items, and streamlining its manufacturing costs. As part of the agreement, family-owned Windsor picked up a pair of plants in California and Texas.

The company was founded in 1996 after it acquired certain frozen-food operations from Keebler (now Kellogg U.S. Snacks). Windsor continued to grow in 2004 with the purchase of Specialty Brands (maker of Mexican and Italian frozen entrees).