Stuffed Puffs acquired by Texas company, Lehigh Valley plant to close

Oct 14, 2024

Mount Franklin Foods announced Tuesday that it has acquired Stuffed Puffs, the Hanover Township, Northampton County, sweet treat company, for an undisclosed amount.

On the same day, a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification was issued saying that the Stuffed Puffs plant in the Bethlehem Business Park was closing, affecting 106 workers.

The WARN notice goes into effect Oct. 26 and ends Nov. 9. Federal law requires employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of a closing or mass layoff.

It is unclear where Stuffed Puffs will be manufactured in the future. A spokesperson for El Paso, Texas-based Mount Franklin Foods was not immediately available for comment.

The company manufactures branded, contract and private label confectionery nuts, snacks and foodservice products. Its brands include Azar Nut, Sunrise Confections and Hospitality Mints.

Stuffed Puffs was founded by Michael Tierney in 2019 and is known for its marshmallow products filled with milk chocolate and other ingredients. The company has attracted celebrity investors such as Grammy-nominated artist Marshmello and his manager Moe Shalizi.

The inspiration for Stuffed Puffs goes back to 2008, when Tierney was a college freshman and wondered how to create the perfect s’more.

Stuffed Puffs opened a 165,000-square-foot factory in 2021 with four shifts working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to produce about 2,000 puffs a minute. The company invested more than $30 million in the facility, including $1.1 million in state funds.

In a statement issued by Mount Franklin Foods, Tierney said Stuffed Puffs is “thrilled” to join the Mount Franklin Foods family.

“With a shared vision for the future of Stuffed Puffs, our strategic alignment with Mount Franklin Foods, together with its scale and resources, will be a major unlock for us to accelerate our growth trajectory and innovation pipeline,” Tierney said.

Enrique Grajeda, CEO of Mount Franklin Foods, said acquiring Stuffed Puffs is a significant step in broadening its portfolio.

“We are excited to wed our strengths with those of Stuffed Puffs to deliver even more value and innovation to our customer,” Grajeda said.

Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at [email protected].