CHANTILLY, VA and GREENWICH, CT — Forward Consumer Partners, a private investment firm, has acquired Firehook Bakery, a Washington, DC-based artisanal cracker and bread manufacturer. Pierre Abushacra, founder of Firehook Bakery, will retain a significant minority ownership stake in the company.
“In identifying a partner to shepherd Firehook’s next phase of growth, it was essential to find a team who could support our mission of continuing to build an exceptional business rooted in quality and transparency,” said Abushacra, who is a Specialty Food Association board member. “Forward shares our vision and, most importantly, our values. Their track record of helping grow iconic consumer brands makes the firm an ideal partner as we continue to propel our business forward.”
As a result of the acquisition, Maura Mottolese, who previously served as CEO of Tate’s Bake Shop, was named Firehook’s new CEO.
“It is a true privilege to join a business with such a rare combination of existing success and future opportunity,” Mottolese said. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation that Pierre and team have created as we strengthen the Firehook brand, expand the company’s capabilities, and grow its loyal base of consumers.”
Firehook also expanded its executive team with the addition of Terry Bigham as chief growth officer and Ellen Howse as CMO.
“We could not be more excited to partner with Pierre and the talented individuals who comprise the Firehook team,” said Matt Leeds, founder and managing partner of Forward Consumer Partners and chair of Firehook. “We are grateful to have pursued this unique opportunity on a fully proprietary basis and are honored to be entrusted with the next chapter in Firehook’s journey.”
The bakery’s name was inspired by a tool dating back thousands of years to the first-known bakers, who used a hook-shaped implement to pull their creations out of clay pots in sunken fire pits.
