Iowa City gluten-free baking mix company sold

Twelve years after Breads from Anna was launched by Iowa City entrepreneur Anna Sobaski, the assets of the specialty baking mix brand have been sold.

Wholesome Treats, a business formed specifically to acquire Breads from Anna and expand its growth, plans to keep the business and employees in Iowa City.

'Growing Breads from Anna from launch in 2004 to a product line of 12 gluten-free and allergen-free mixes distributed globally has been a rewarding experience,” said Sobaski, president of Breads from Anna, in a news release. 'The purchase by Wholesome Treats brings the knowledge and experience critical to continued growth of the brand in a very competitive market.”

Shad Chaudary, the new co-owner and CEO of Breads from Anna, said the company has tremendous growth potential in the retail outlet, web direct and food service space.

'We will continue Anna's mission by opening new channels of distribution and building consumer awareness,” Chaudary said in a news release.

Sobaski, who founded Breads from Anna after being diagnosed with celiac disease, has led the company as it grew into regional and national retail store distribution. Three years ago, she lined up her first investors, which enabled the purchase of new equipment and hiring of additional talent needed to compete in a growing and crowded gluten-free category. Sobaski will continue her involvement with the company as brand president.

'This transition allows me to be part of a team of experts in the food business all working together to create more awareness and sales of Breads from Anna products,” Sobaski said. 'Our growth has outpaced the category in the past few years, and that is very exciting for us.”

Chaudary brings a wealth of global markets and management experience to Breads From Anna.

He most recently was director of procurement and supply chain for Little Lady Foods, a suburban Chicago-based contract manufacturer of specialty frozen pizzas for the largest retail and food service markets.

Chaudary has held leadership positions in industries ranging from textile manufacturing to food importing and exporting.