Second Nature Brands enters protein snacks with Tillamook Country Smoker deal

Second Nature Brands moved straight into protein snacks with its acquisition of Tillamook Country Smoker, a deal that gives the company an immediate foothold in meat snacks and a category that has become a real target for large snack platforms. The portfolio it bought is built for the grab-and-go protein shopper: zero-sugar jerky, beef sticks and sausages that already fit the way consumers graze between meals and look for portable fuel.

The transaction was announced June 8, 2026, and the terms were not disclosed. It was subject to customary closing conditions and was expected to close in the coming months. Second Nature Brands said it was its first investment in the protein snacks category, and Adam Butler, who became chief executive effective August 2025, framed Tillamook as a complementary addition to the company’s broader better-for-you lineup.

That broader lineup has been anchored in sweets and snack adjacencies, including Sanders Candy, Kar’s Nuts, Sahale Snacks, Voortman Bakery, Second Nature Snacks and Brownie Brittle. Bringing in Tillamook marked a clear shift beyond sweeter snack occasions and into savory protein, where brands can sit closer to crackers, chips and convenience-store staples while still carrying a nutrition-forward message.

Tillamook Country Smoker brought more than just a new aisle to the portfolio. The company said its factory opened in 1975, and Insignia Capital Group acquired it in May 2017 from the founding families. The business is based in Bay City, Oregon, and has two manufacturing facilities in the state and about 480 employees. The scale matters: Tillamook had more than $175 million in sales, giving Second Nature a meaningful platform rather than a speculative brand add-on.

The move lands in a meat-snack market that has been expanding fast enough to catch the attention of strategics. A CoBank report published June 2, 2026, said meat snack sales had grown more than 45% over the past four years to $4.4 billion, with more than $1 billion in additional meat-snack processing investment announced since 2020. That is the real signal here: protein is no longer just a claim on bars and drinks. It has become a core M&A lane in mainstream snacking, and Second Nature just bought its way in.