Sara Lee Corp. (SLE) said it selected Hillshire Brands Co. as the new name for its North American business. Hillshire Brands will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "HSH."
Sara Lee said that the Hillshire name was inspired by the Hillshire Farm brand, which it acquired in 1971.
Sara Lee will become two independent pure-play, publicly-traded companies on June 28, 2012. D.E MASTER BLENDERS 1753 will focus on international coffee and tea and Hillshire Brands will focus on meat-centric food products and foodservice operations. Hillshire Brands will include several popular, market-leading consumer brands including Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Aidells, Gallo Salame and State Fair.
After the spin-off, Hillshire Brands' Foodservice division will continue to be known as "Sara Lee Foodservice." This brand name is well-known and respected throughout the industry for its full portfolio of meat and bakery items, including both front-of-the-house and back-of-the house brands.
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