The Carriage House Companies, Inc. a unit of Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. and based in Erie, PA, was formed in January 2001, the result of a merger of the Red Wing Company, Inc., Torbitt & Castleman Company, LLC and Martin Gillet & Co., whose foundings date back almost two centuries. These companies were merged to capitalize on each of their independent strengths, resulting in market leadership through superior products across numerous categories.
Today, Carriage House is one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of quality private label foods, including jellies and preserves, peanut butter, barbecue and steak sauces, pasta sauces, Mexican sauces, salad dressings and various syrups.
Carriage House has established itself as a major supplier to the retail and foodservice market segments and will continue to focus on and lead these sectors into the future. Carriage House’s facilities all produce a large variety of kosher certified products, the majority of which are certified as OU Pareve. “The OU certification process is very structured. Products undergo many approvals and checkpoints from the ingredients and ingredient suppliers to the finished products and labels. Carriage House has many systems in place to ensure that the kosher guidelines are being followed properly, in addition to regular rabbinical inspections,” said Christina Thies, Specification Administrator at Carriage House.
“The Orthodox Union is a very highly recognized rabbinical agency that many consumers rely on,” said Ms. Thies. The integrity of Carriage House’s kosher program is maintained with the help of our rabbinic coordinator, Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld, whose knowledge and expertise helps ensure compliance. In addition to Rabbi Schonfeld, there are local OU rabbinic field representatives at the various plants, including Rabbi Moshe Heimowitz, Rabbi Yosef Levy and Rabbi Shraga Kaufman, who add great value to Carriage House’s relationship with the Orthodox Union.
While most products are certified as OU Kosher Pareve, some are certified as OU Kosher Dairy. In the past, Carriage House has also manufactured a small variety of Passover products, which require strict regulations over and above the normal kosher regulations. “The Kosher run orders have provided a nice matrix that works very well in conjunction with our allergen run order requirements,” declared Ms. Thies.
Carriage House has maintained a relationship with the Orthodox Union for more than 25 years, with over one hundred customers and thousands of locations carrying Carriage House’s kosher products. Add that to a nearly 200-year tradition of quality and innovation and it is no wonder that so many leading retailers are proud to offer Carriage House products.