Monogram Foods

Last updated
Monogram Foods Solutions, LLC
Company type Private
Industry Food processing
Founded2004;20 years ago (2004) in Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Headquarters Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Key people
  • Karl Schledwitz (chairman and CEO)
  • Wes Jackson (president and co-founder)
ProductsPackaged foods
Number of employees
4000 (2023) [1]
Website monogramfoods.com

Monogram Foods is a privately held, Memphis, Tennessee-based, manufacturer and marketer of packaged and value-added foods. The company, which distributes its products nationwide, operates manufacturing and distribution facilities in Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Monogram Foods manufactures a number of items, including beef jerky, corn dogs, frozen appetizers, assembled sandwiches, and baked goods.

Contents

History

Monogram Food Solutions, LLC was founded in 2004 and formed through the acquisition of the King Cotton (now King's Rightly Seasoned) and Circle B meat brands, previously owned by Sara Lee Corporation. [2]

In 2022, Monogram's reported revenue was $1.3 billion. Inc. Magazine has named Monogram Foods as one of the 5000 fastest-growing privately held companies consecutively from 2009 to 2019. [3] In June 2017, Monogram Foods was named The National Provisioner's Processor of the Year for 2017 in part due to Monogram's significant growth through acquisitions and capital investments. [4] It also won the National Clean Energy Award and its Martinsville, Virginia biogas system was named Project of the Year by the American Biogas Council. [5] The company has 4,000 employees across eight manufacturing plants as of 2023. [1]

In 2012, [6] the company created the Monogram Foods Loves Kids Foundation which raises funds for children's charities in the communities in which Monogram Foods operates. [7] To date Monogram Foods Loves Kids has raised more than $16 million for child-focused charitable organizations. [8] The funds are raised and donated by employees, shareholders, team members, friends, and suppliers of the company. [9] [10] [11]

Acquisitions

Monogram Foods considers the number of acquisitions it has made to be one of the key aspects of its growth. In 2006, Monogram Foods acquired its first production plant in Chandler, Minnesota to produce meat jerky snacks. In 2009, Monogram Foods purchased American's Food Group meat snack business in Martinsville, Virginia. [12] In 2012, Hinsdale Farms of Bristol, Indiana, one of the largest manufacturers of corn dogs, sold its manufacturing facility to Monogram Foods. [13] [14] Westin Foods sold its Shelby County Cookers business and bacon manufacturing operation in Harlan, Iowa, to Monogram Foods in 2013. [15] The facility was changed to Monogram Prepared Meals, LLC, and kept the 187 employees that were employed at the facility. [16]

In July 2015, Monogram acquired Golden County Foods of Plover, Wisconsin, a frozen foods business with two production facilities, and reported annual sales of $100 million. [17] In April 2016, Monogram Foods acquired Progressive Gourmet, a baked goods and hors d'oeuvres business in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The acquisition was targeted by the company for the purpose of merging it with Monogram's other frozen appetizer plant in Plover, Wisconsin. By purchasing this plant and renaming it Monogram Appetizers, Monogram expanded its frozen foods division into a three-plant, 800-employee unit. [18]

In June 2021, Monogram Foods acquired Quality Foods Processors, a pork belly processor in Denison, Iowa, in June 2021. [19] In November 2021, Monogram Foods acquired a facility in Dickson, Tennessee, marking its first Tennessee-based location and 13th facility nationwide. [20] [6]

Facilities

The first production plant Monogram Foods acquired is located in Chandler, Minnesota. The plant's legal name is Monogram Meat Snacks as it produces primarily meat jerky and sticks. It has seen significant capital investments since it was purchased in 2006, including four new production lines and an improved wastewater system. It has grown from 115 employees in 2006 to 400 in 2023. [7]

The company's facility in Martinsville, Virginia, has expanded four times since its purchase by Monogram Foods in 2009, increasing employment from 115 employees in 2009 to 600 in 2017. In 2015, improvements to warehousing and logistics capabilities were carried out in partnership with multiple local organizations, including The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation, The Governor's Opportunity Fund, and The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. [21]

Acquired in 2012 from former competitor Hinsdale Farms, the company's Bristol, Indiana plant produces more than 1.1 million corn dogs and 2.9 million mini corn dogs daily, estimated to be 80 percent of the private-label corn dog and mini corn dog market in the United States. [9] [22]

The Plover, Wisconsin, facility was purchased in 2015. Its legal name is Monogram Appetizers. It has grown from 550 to 650 employees in 2017. It has received more than 15 million dollars in capital improvements, primarily to improve automation. [23]

In 2022, Monogram opened its second location in the Boston area in Medford, Massachusetts, [24] as well as its third Boston location in Haverhill, Massachusetts. In 2023, [25] both projects were recognized by MassEcon with awards for contributions to local and Massachusetts economy. [26] [27]

Products

Monogram Foods produces a variety of products such as beef jerky, corn dogs, pre-cooked bacon, frozen appetizers, baked goods, and hors d'oeuvres. Products are produced both as internally owned as well as licensed brands. Some of their internal brands are King's Rightly Seasoned, Circle B, Wild Bill's, Bull's, Hannah's, Trail's Best, O' Brien's, and Snapps. [28]

In 2015, Monogram Foods created a type of pre-cooked bacon, which uses a proprietary roasting technique developed during the creation of bacon jerky, to remove most of the oil for longer shelf life. This allowed the bacon to be only partially pre-cooked with the intention of the consumer completing the cooking process in a pan quickly and with less mess. [2] [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyson Foods</span> American food company

Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork after JBS S.A. It annually exports the largest percentage of beef out of the United States. Together with its subsidiaries, it operates major food brands, including Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Wright Brand, Aidells, and State Fair. Tyson Foods ranked No. 79 in the 2020 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slim Jim (snack food)</span> American brand of meat snack

Slim Jim is an American meat snack brand sold globally and manufactured by Conagra Brands. Slim Jim snacks are widely available and popular in the United States, generating $575 million in revenue in 2015. About 1 billion Slim Jim snacks are produced annually in at least 21 varieties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Dutch Foods</span> Snack food manufacturer based in Roseville, Minnesota and Winnipeg, Manitoba

Old Dutch Foods, Inc. is a manufacturer of potato chips and other snack foods in the Midwestern United States, New England and Canada. Their product line includes brands such as Old Dutch Potato Chips, Dutch Crunch, Ripples, Cheese Pleesers and Restaurante Style Tortilla Chips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Lee Corporation</span> Defunct American consumer good company

The Sara Lee Corporation was an American consumer-goods company based in Downers Grove, Illinois. On July 4, 2012, Sara Lee Corporation was split into two companies: one for North American operations renamed Hillshire Brands, the other for international beverage and bakery businesses named D.E Master Blenders 1753.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dippin' Dots</span> Ice cream brand

Dippin' Dots is an ice cream snack invented by Curt Jones in 1988. The confection is created by flash freezing ice cream mix in liquid nitrogen. The snack is made by Dippin' Dots, Inc., headquartered in Paducah, Kentucky. Dippin' Dots are sold in 14 countries, including Honduras and Luxembourg.

Snackbrands (SBA) is one of the largest suppliers of snack foods in Australia and acts as the main competitor to the long established The Smith's Snackfood Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Products</span> American food corporation

Rich Products Corporation is a privately held multinational food products corporation headquartered in Buffalo, New York. The company was founded in 1945 by Robert E. Rich, Sr., after his development of a non-dairy whipped topping based on soybean oil, 21 years before Cool Whip. Since then, the company has expanded its non-dairy frozen food offerings and also supplies products to retailers, bakeries, and foodservice providers.

J&J Snack Foods Corp. (JJSFC) is an American manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of name brand snack foods and frozen beverages. Headquartered in Mt. Laurel, NJ, JJSF uses over 175 facilities for manufacturing, warehousing, and distributing located in 44 states, Mexico, and Canada. The company is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market as "JJSFC", and serves both national and international markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morningstar Farms</span> Division of Kellanova

Morningstar Farms is a division of Kellanova that produces vegan and vegetarian food. Many of their offerings are plant-based variations of traditionally meat products. Their products include meatless chicken nuggets, popcorn chicken, corn dogs, breakfast sausage, burgers, hot dogs, bacon, and pizza snack rolls with vegan cheese. Originally, Morningstar offered some, but not all vegan products. In 2019, Morningstar Farms announced all products would be vegan by 2021, but had not yet done so as of May 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalapeño popper</span> Breaded, fried, stuffed jalapeño pepper

Jalapeño poppers, or jalapeño bites, are jalapeño peppers that have been hollowed out, stuffed with a mixture of cheese, spices, and sometimes ground meat, and breaded and deep-fried. They are a common dish on appetizer menus in chain restaurants in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DiGiorno</span> Brand name of frozen pizza by Nestlé

DiGiorno is a brand of frozen pizzas sold in the United States, and is a subsidiary of Nestlé. In 2023, Nestle discontinued sales of Delissio pizzas in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flowers Foods</span> Bakeries of the United States

Flowers Foods, headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia, is a producer and marketer of packed bakery food. The company operates 47 bakeries producing bread, buns, rolls, snack cakes, pastries, and tortillas. Flowers Foods' products are sold regionally through a direct store delivery network that encompasses the East, South, Southwest, West, and the Northwest regions of the United States and are delivered nationwide to retailer's warehouses. It has made acquisitions of a number of bakeries and other food companies over the years, continuing through to the present day. As of February 2013, it had grown to be the "second-largest baking company in the United States".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oberto Snacks Inc.</span> American food company

Oberto is an American family-owned business that makes meat snacks including all natural jerky, pepperoni, charcuterie, chicken bites and other smoked meats. The company was founded in 1918 by Constantino Oberto in Seattle, Washington. It is now headquartered in Kent, Washington. The company sells products under the following brand names: Oberto, Oberto Classics, Lowrey's Meat Snacks, Pacific Gold Beef Jerky and Cattleman's Cut brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingredion</span> American ingredient manufacturer

Ingredion Inc. is an American food and beverage ingredient provider based in Westchester, Illinois, producing mainly starches, non-GMO sweeteners, stevia, and pea protein. The company turns corn, tapioca, potatoes, plant-based stevia, grains, fruits, gums and other vegetables into ingredients for the food, beverage, brewing, and pharmaceutical industries and numerous industrial sectors. It has about 12,000 employees in 44 locations, and customers in excess of 120 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shearer's Foods</span> Snack product manufacturer

Shearer's Foods, LLC is a U.S. manufacturer and distributor of snack foods. Founded in 1974 as Shearer's Snacks, it is headquartered in Brewster, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred's Frozen Foods</span>

Fred's Frozen Foods and Fred's for Starters are frozen food brands that trace their origin to Fred Luker who first started manufacturing frozen meat and vegetable products in Noblesville, Indiana in 1947. As of 2002, both brands are operated by Windsor Quality Food Company, LTD, which is ultimately owned by the Hojel and Meinig families through their holding company HM International based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Link's</span> American snack company

Link Snacks, Inc., better known as Jack Link's Protein Snacks, or simply Jack Link's, is an American snack company best known as the producer and marketer of the eponymous brand of beef jerky. It was founded by John 'Jack' Link in 1986, using the recipes of his great-grandfather, Chris Link, a master sausage maker from Germany. They are known for their "Messin' with Sasquatch" ads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PrJSC MHP</span> Ukrainian international food & agrotech company

The PrJSC MHP is a leading international food & agrotech company with headquarters in Kyiv, Ukraine. It is the leading producer of poultry and culinary products in Ukraine and one of the leaders in poultry production and meat processing in the Balkans through its Perutnina Ptuj facilities. The MHP company is also one of the largest grain producers, a leading processed-meat producer and the leading biogas producer in Ukraine.

References

  1. 1 2 Fasold, Emily (November 25, 2019). "Monogram Foods pursuing co-packing and private label buys, CEO says". Merger Market. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Lawrence Aylward (November 2015). "Bacon in the Fast Lane". No. November 2015. Food Business News.
  3. "Monogram Foods: Inc. Profile". Inc.com.
  4. "Fast-rising Memphis firm is meat industry's '2017 Processor of the Year'". The Commercial Appeal.
  5. Steimer, Jacob (November 1, 2017). "Memphis-based food maker wins biogas award". Memphis Biz Journal. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Who We Are". Monogram Foods. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  7. 1 2 Karl Evers-Hillstrom (7 February 2017). "Monogram Foods CEO visits Chandler plant; talks of plans to expand,..." The Globe.
  8. "Monogram Loves Kids Foundation accepting grant application". Denison Bulletin Review. April 10, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  9. 1 2 Ben Quiggle (10 February 2017). "Corn dog capital: Monogram Foods to invest $20 million in Bristol plant this year". The Elkhart Truth.
  10. Mike Brownlee (5 October 2016). "Monogram Foods doles out $25,000 for Harlan projects". The Daily Nonpareil.
  11. "Community Outreach". Monogram Foods. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  12. Bryan Salvage (August 14, 2009). "Monogram Food Solutions buying A.F.G.'s meat snack business". MEAT+POULTRY.
  13. "Monogram Foods lands another acquisition in quest for growth goals". Memphis Business Journal. September 14, 2012.
  14. "Memphis' Monogram Foods Buys Indiana Corn Dog Manufacturer". The Commercial Appeal.
  15. Barbara Soderlin (29 October 2013). "Bacon Plant's New Owner May Add Jobs". Omaha World-Herald.
  16. Sheffield, Michael (2013). "Monogram Foods brings home the bacon". Memphis Business Journal. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  17. "Monogram Foods Buys $100 Million Frozen-Appetizers Maker". Memphis Daily News.
  18. Evanoff, Ted (12 April 2016). "Monogram buys bakery that supplies hotels, restaurants, supermarkets". The Commercial Appeal.
  19. "Monogram Foods announces new acquisition in Denison, Iowa".
  20. "Monogram Foods expands production to Tennessee". www.meatpoultry.com. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  21. "Monogram Foods to Expand". Henry County Virginia. 1 June 2015.
  22. "Monogram Foods to expand operations in Bristol". South Bend Tribune.
  23. Nathan Vine (24 February 2017). "Plover food plant grows, boosts workers' pay". Stevens Point Journal.
  24. "Medford, Massachusetts". Monogram Foods. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  25. "Haverhill, Massachusetts". Monogram Foods. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  26. Vaughan, Sally (2023-03-08). "Monogram Foods Makes History with Award Recognizing Investment and Growth". Monogram Foods. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  27. LaBella, Mike (February 23, 2021). "Food production plant poised to bring 350 jobs to Haverhill". The Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  28. "Our Capabilities". Monogram Foods. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  29. "Easy Bacon Partners Steve Harvey With Memphis-Based Monogram Foods". Memphis Daily News.