Utz Quality Foods LLC, the largest independent salty snack company in the United States, and Metropoulos & Co., an investment firm specializing in iconic American brands and assets, have formed a strategic partnership. Metropoulos & Co. is known for its past work with Hostess Brands, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Ghirardelli Chocolates, Bumble Bee Foods, Vlasic Pickles, Chef Boyardee and Perrier-Jouet/Mumm, among others.