Monogram Foods

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, Wisconsin, and Virginia.

Monogram Foods Solutions LLC
TypePrivate
IndustryFood processing
Founded2004 (2004) in Memphis, Tennessee, United States
HeadquartersMemphis, Tennessee, United States
Key people
  • Karl Schledwitz (chairman​ and CEO)
  • Wes Jackson (president​ and co-founder)
ProductsPackaged foods
Number of employees
5000 (2018)
Websitemonogramfoods.com

History

Monogram Foods Solutions was founded in 2004 and formed through the merger of assets of the King Cotton and Circle B meat brands, previously owned by Sara Lee Corporation. [1] In 2006 the company purchased its first additional facility in Chandler, Minnesota to produce meat jerky snacks.[2]

Inc. Magazine has named Monogram as one of the 5000 fastest-growing privately held companies consecutively from 2009 to 2016.[3]

In 2010, the company created the Monogram Loves Kids Foundation which raises funds for children's charities in the communities in which Monogram Foods operates.[2] The funds are raised and donated by employees, shareholders, team members, friends and vendors of the company.[4][5]

In June 2017, Monogram Foods was named The National Provisioner's Processor of the Year for 2017 due to significant growth through acquisitions and capital investments.[6]

Acquisitions

In 2009, Monogram Foods purchased American's Food Group meat snack business in Martinsville, Virginia.[7] In 2012, Monogram Foods purchased Indiana corn dog manufacturer Hinsdale Farms as well as the Enjoy and Hickory's Best brands from California-based Enjoy Foods International, with the intention of expanding their market into the west coast.[8] Westin Foods sold its Shelby County Cookers business and bacon manufacturing operation in Harlan, Iowa to Monogram foods in 2013.[9] Monogram Foods also reopened the closed Double B Jerky processing plant in Schulenburg, Texas to manufacture dog treats, however the facility was sold in 2019 due to falling sales.[10]

Hinsdale Farms of Bristol, Indiana, one of the largest manufacturers of corn dogs, sold its manufacturing facility to Monogram Foods in 2014.[11] 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 dollars.[12]

Monogram Foods acquired Progressive Gourmet, a baked goods and hors d'oeuvres business in Wilmington, Mass, in April 2016. 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.[13]

Facilities

Acquired in 2012 from former competitor Hinsdale Farms, the company's Bristol, Indiana plant produces more than 1.7 million corn dogs and mini corn dogs daily, estimated to be 80 percent of the private-label corn dog and mini corn dog market.[4][14]

The first production plant Monogram acquired is called Monogram Meat Snacks, which is located in Chandler, Minnesota. It produces primarily meat jerky and sticks for Cotton Meats and Trail's Best. 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 almost 400 in 2017[2]

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.[15]

The facility named Monogram Appetizers after its purchase in 2015 is located in Plover, Wisconsin, and has grown from 550 to 650 employees in 2017. It has received over 15 million dollars in capital improvements, primarily to improve automation.[16]

Products

Monogram Foods produces a variety of products such as beef jerky, corn dogs, pre-cooked bacon, frozen appetizers, baked goods, hors d'oeuvres and pet treats. Products are produced both as internally owned as well as licensed brands. Some of their internal brands are King Cotton, Circle B, Wild Bill's, Bull's, Hannah's, Trail's Best, O' Brien's, Carnival Dogs, Snapps, and Brookfield. Some of their licensed brands include Bass Pro Shops, Butterball, Johnsonville, and Team Real Tree.[8][17]

Monogram Foods was the first manufacturer and marketer of bacon jerky, introduced in 2011.[18]

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.[1][19]

References
  1. Lawrence Aylward (November 2015). "Bacon in the Fast Lane" (November 2015). Food Business News.
  2. Karl Evers-Hillstrom (7 February 2017). "Monogram Foods CEO visits Chandler plant; talks of plans to expand,..." The Globe.
  3. "Monogram Foods: Number 2819 on the 2016 Inc. 5000". Inc.com.
  4. Ben Quiggle (10 February 2017). "Corn dog capital: Monogram Foods to invest $20 million in Bristol plant this year". The Elkhart Truth.
  5. Mike Brownlee (5 October 2016). "Monogram Foods doles out $25,000 for Harlan projects". The Daily Nonpareil.
  6. "Fast-rising Memphis firm is meat industry's '2017 Processor of the Year'". The Commercial Appeal.
  7. Bryan Salvage (August 14, 2009). "Monogram Food Solutions buying A.F.G.'s meat snack business". MEAT+POULTRY.
  8. "Monogram Foods lands another acquisition in quest for growth goals". Memphis Business Journal. September 14, 2012.
  9. Barbara Soderlin (29 October 2013). "Bacon Plant's New Owner May Add Jobs". Omaha World-Herald.
  10. Andy Behlen (10 April 2013). "Monogram Foods to Reopen Double B". Schulenburg Sticker.
  11. "Memphis' Monogram Foods Buys Indiana Corn Dog Manufacturer". The Commercial Appeal.
  12. "Monogram Foods Buys $100 Million Frozen-Appetizers Maker". Memphis Daily News.
  13. Evanoff, Ted (12 April 2016). "Monogram buys bakery that supplies hotels, restaurants, supermarkets". The Commercial Appeal.
  14. "Monogram Foods to expand operations in Bristol". South Bend Tribune.
  15. "Monogram Foods to Expand". Henry County Virginia. 1 June 2015.
  16. Nathan Vine (24 February 2017). "Plover food plant grows, boosts workers' pay". Stevens Point Journal.
  17. Collins, Paul. "Expansion Plans: Monogram Foods hopes to announce deal with two national companies". Martinsville Bulletin.
  18. Barbara Soderlin (24 February 2014). "Bacon Jerky the Latest Addition as Meat Snack Sales Soar". Omaha World-Herald.
  19. "Easy Bacon Partners Steve Harvey With Memphis-Based Monogram Foods". Memphis Daily News.
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