New Owner and CEO for Bazooka

There are some noteworthy changes at Bazooka Candy Brands. The legacy confectionery company was officially acquired by Apax Partners, LLP, and president Tony Jacobs has been promoted to CEO.

The deal between Apax and its previous owners, including the Tornante Co. owned by former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, was finalized this month. Moving forward, Apax intends to work with Bazooka’s leadership team to run the group as an independent business and continue to grow its sales and reach.

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Newly-minted CEO Jacobs will steer the company’s efforts in product innovation, geographic expansion and the strategic acquisition of brands in complementary categories. He was named president of Bazooka Candy Brands in January 2022 and before that, was president of the brand’s previous owner, Topps Confectionery Brands. Jacobs is currently the chair of the National Confectioners Association’s board of trustees, and his background also includes marketing leadership roles at Nabisco, Unilever and Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Apax in this next stage of our growth journey,” he said. “We have an incredibly talented team, and I’m very proud of the leadership position we’ve been able to establish in the marketplace. Together with Apax, we look forward to continuing to deliver truly differentiated and exciting products that customers love. I also want to thank our former owners, Tornante and MDP, as well as CEO Michael Brandstaedter, for their support and commitment to our brands, which have enabled our strong performance and have positioned the business for our next chapter of success.”

Nick Hartman, an Apax partner, echoed the sentiment that expansion is on the horizon. “It’s rare to have the opportunity to partner with a business that can boast the success and heritage that Bazooka has, and we are excited to work with the entire team on this next chapter for the business,” he remarked.

Bazooka is already making strides towards its goals, reporting a 29% boost in retail sales from August 2022 to August 2023. The company’s stable of products includes items under the Ring Pop, Push Pop, Baby Bottle Pop and classic Bazooka Bubble Gum brands.  While its brands are considered legacy, the company has had a series of owners since the mid-2000s, including The Topps Co., and, later, Tornante Co. and Madison Dearborn Partners.