In the case of Henderson, Texas-based Sadler’s Smokehouse, success had come in the Southwest regional marketplace it served, but the company appeared capable of so much more, says Terry O’Brien, who took the reins as CEO of Sadler’s after its acquisition by Wholesome Holdings Group LLC and Brazos Private Equity Partners in 2007.
“We certainly knew of the business and admired it from afar,” O’Brien says. “We have always intended to preserve the best parts of the Sadler brand legacy such as high quality, focus on customer service. We’ve always planned to retain those parts and then add the missing pieces needed to take the brand coast to coast.”