Alabama’s popular Wickles Pickles has been acquired by Fenwick Food Group, a division of Alabama-based Fenwick Brands Inc.

Fenwick Food Group is an operating platform for food businesses that includes Alabama-based Moore’s Marinades & Sauces. Fenwick Brands offers a variety of other products, including household cleaning and gardening supplies, soaps and shampoos, and hair coloring.

Wickles was founded in 1998 by brothers Will and Trey Sims, and Andy Anderson. The company has captured a growing market share within the billion-dollar pickle category.

“Fenwick is the perfect partner to accelerate the brand’s growth trajectory while preserving its identity and operating roots,” Will Sims said in a news release. “We’re excited to see Wickles get the resources and investment it deserves to scale.”

“Will, Trey and Andy have built an incredible brand with impressive momentum,” said Melissa Baker, Fenwick Food Group president and CEO. “We were aligned on the long-term vision and strategy for the brand, which cemented the partnership.”

Wickles Pickles has built a loyal following in Alabama and beyond. (Wickles Pickles)

In 2013 Baker partnered with Benny M. LaRussa, Jr., and the pair has been investing and operating in the consumer packaged goods sector ever since.

Fenwick’s track record as owner-operators of the Moore’s brand was appealing to the Wickles team, the news release said.

“Two Alabama-based consumer brands coming together is special in the broader consumer packaged goods industry and made the investment more relational than transactional.” Baker said.

Moore’s Marinades & Sauces began over 35 years ago at a family-owned steakhouse in Jasper. Since then, Moore’s has expanded its line to include several products, including an award-winning Buffalo wing sauce.

Wickles Pickles was built around a 90-year-old secret family recipe. The brand has been growing in popularity across the nation. Moore’s products, too, are now available at retailers across the country.

The Wickles deal closed on Nov. 29. The business will be headquartered out of Birmingham alongside Moore’s. Financial details of the transaction were not released.

Wickles is poised to expand under new ownership. (Wickles Pickles)

“Our long-term strategy is to curate a food platform with a handful of brands that could benefit from a shared team, investment and operational synergies,” Baker said. “Scale is becoming increasingly more difficult and expensive, and we want to help similar brands with strong consumer demand stay around.”