Elmwood Park, NJ – December 21, 2022 – Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods (“Dr. Praeger’s” or the “Company”), a leading brand specializing in delicious, nutritious plant-based frozen foods made from simple ingredients, announced today that Steve Polonowski has joined the Company as Chief Customer Officer. Dr. Praeger’s is a portfolio company of Vestar Capital Partners.
“Steve brings an impressive track record of building health-oriented brands through strategic customer partnerships and building strong teams. His diverse experience with better-for-you brands in different categories, customers and channels will be a huge asset for the team at Dr. Praeger’s,” said Dr. Praeger’s CEO Andy Reichgut.
Mr. Polonowski has worked at global, industry leading consumer packaged goods companies including PepsiCo and Glanbia Performance Nutrition, and most recently at smaller brands such as Amazing Grass, Simple Mills and BetterBrand. In his most recent position, he served as President and Chief Commercial Officer at BetterBrand, where he partnered with the founder to build an emerging and disruptive brand in the marketplace. Prior to that, he was the Chief Sales Officer for Simple Mills, another Vestar portfolio company. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MBA from Michigan State University.
“I am incredibly excited to join Andy and the Dr. Praeger’s team to accelerate growth of this fantastic brand,” said Mr. Polonowski. “We are uniquely positioned to help consumers eat healthier by simply making veggies into great tasting and convenient food.”
About Dr. Praeger’s
For over 25 years, Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods has offered delicious and convenient frozen food options for the whole family. Founded by two heart surgeons determined to make healthy food easily accessible, Dr. Praeger’s is a leader in the all-natural, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and kosher frozen food categories and has a wide range of products including Veggie Burgers, Bowls, Cakes, Puffs and Hash Browns, sustainable Seafood items, kids Littles and more. For more information visit www.drpraegers.com.
About Vestar Capital Partners
Vestar Capital Partners is a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm specializing in management buyouts and growth capital investments. Vestar invests and collaborates with incumbent management teams and private owners to build long-term enterprise value, with a focus on Consumer, Business & Technology Services, and Healthcare. Since inception in 1988, Vestar funds have invested $11 billion in 90 companies – as well as more than 200 add-on acquisitions – with a total value of approximately $52 billion. For more information on Vestar, please visit www.vestarcapital.com.
