KEEBLER FOODS IN ACCORD TO BUY PRESIDENT BAKING

MARYELLEN LO BOSCO

ELMHURST, Ill. -- Robert P. Crozer, chairman of the board at Keebler Foods here, announced that the company has reached an agreement to acquire President Baking Co.

President is the leading supplier of Girl Scout cookies and counts Famous Amos, Plantation and Murray among its key brands. Headquartered in Atlanta, President has annualized net sales of more than $450 million. The acquisition is to be completed this month.

According to Troy Rutman of Golin Harris Communications, Keebler's public relations firm, the acquisition would give Keebler a new presence in convenience stores and vending machines, with Famous Amos cookies and Plantation brownies. At the same time, the President brands would gain a higher profile in supermarkets, since Keebler has wide national distribution, while President has a strong presence in supermarkets only in the Southeast.

President services supermarkets through a direct-store distribution system. Leading cookie brands are Murray, Murray Sugar Free and Famous Amos. The company also distributes cookie products nationally under value brand names and produces private-label cookies and snack cakes.

Keebler is the second-largest cookie and cracker manufacturer, behind Nabisco, Parsippany, N.J.