Hillshire Brands Co (LSE:HSH) ROCE % : 13.19% (As of Jun. 2014)

Hillshire Brands Co was organized as a corporation in Baltimore, Maryland in 1941 as The C.D. Kenny Company, was renamed Sara Lee Corporation in 1985 and adopted its current name in June 2012. It is a manufacturer and marketer of food products. It provides meat-centric food solutions for the retail and foodservice markets. The Company's Brands' portfolio includes iconic brands such as Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farm, State Fair, Sara Lee frozen bakery and Chef Pierre pies, as well as artisanal brands Aidells and Gallo Salame. Its operations are organized around two business segments - Retail and Foodservice/Other. Retail sells a variety of packaged meat and frozen bakery products to retail customers in North America. Products include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages, breakfast convenience items, including breakfast sandwiches and bowls, dinner sausages, premium deli and luncheon meats and cooked hams, as well as frozen pies, cakes, cheesecakes and other desserts. The primary raw materials for the segment's products include pork and beef, which are purchased almost entirely from third party suppliers and independent farmers, and poultry. The branded meat business is highly competitive, with an emphasis on product quality, innovation and value. New product innovations are a key component to its success. The Retail segment competes with other international, national, regional and local companies in each of the product categories. Foodservice/Other sells a variety of meat and bakery products to foodservice customers in North America. Products include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages and sandwiches, dinner sausages, premium deli and luncheon meats, ham, beef and turkey as well as a variety of bakery products, including pastries, muffins, frozen pies, cakes and cheesecakes. The primary raw materials for Foodservice/Other's products include pork, beef and poultry and, to a lesser extent, wheat flour, sugar, corn syrup, cooking oils, butter, fruit and eggs, which are purchased from independent suppliers and farmers. The Foodservice/Other segment competes with other international, national, regional and local companies in each of its product categories. It considers major mass retailers and supermarket chains in the United States to be its most significant customers. The Company is subject to regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.