Greenville investor takes stake in protein bar brand

Greenville-based business investor and management company SLG Investment Holdings LLC. is putting its money down on a local snack brand.

Almost 15 years ago, a Greenville mother developed a recipe for a nut-free meal replacement protein bar for her son, a competitive snowboarder. In his honor, she dubbed it Avalanche Bar and moved her production to a local commercial kitchen.

Since buying Avalanche Bar in 2019, Foothills Food Group LLC. manufactures and distributes the bars. Now, SLG Investments is taking a majority stake in the company.

“We were excited when we got the chance to evaluate this company and see the great potential with Avalanche Bars,” SLG founder and CEO Sharon Gordon said in a news release. “We felt we were well‐positioned to add value to this company, expand the distribution of this amazing product and make huge contributions to Avalanche’s overall success.”

Foothills Food Group’s current partner and COO George Buell and chief marketing officer Trevor Gordon will lead the company into the transition, initiated by Buell and Megan Kelly, another Foothills partner.

“When Megan and I discussed the next stage for Avalanche Bars we recognized a need for a more laser‐focused marketing and distribution strategy,” Buell said in the release. “I have gotten to know the SLG team while sourcing other potential opportunities over the last year with them and reached the conclusion that it made sense to introduce them to Avalanche Bars. In discussing this company, not only was it clear that it was a good fit for their small business portfolio, but also that SLG principal Trevor Gordon possessed the background and skills needed to move Avalanche forward.”

SLG Investment holdings is a strategic investment, operation and management company that specializes in locating value-add opportunities among essential small businesses or franchise operations and priming new businesses for growth or expansion, according to the release.

Affiliates include SLG Staffing, SLG Real Estate Holdings LLC and Foothills Food Group.

“George is the kitchen and I am the truck, an unstoppable operations and distribution team,” Gordan said in the release. “I am looking forward to working closely with him on making this the most popular brand around.”