22 fast-growing natural companies make Inc. 5000 list—make that 23
Seven of the top 10 food and beverage companies, according to Inc. magazine’s annual list of fastest-growing private enterprises, are part of the natural product industry.
Inc 5000
Cece's Veggie Co. produces a line of organic vegetable meal add-ons, to include vegetable noodles and riced vegetables. Products are available in grocery stores nationwide. Leadership: Mason Arnold 2018 Revenue: $24.9 Million 3-Year Growth: 23,880% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 1 Location: Austin, Texas Founded: 2015 Employees: 190
NuLeaf Naturals sells organic hemp oil extracts to all 50 states and to over 40 countries worldwide. CBD oil extracts are sold for both human and pet consumption. Leadership: Jaden Barnes 2018 Revenue: $13.9 Million 3-Year Growth: 11,949% Industry: Consumer Products & Services—No. 3 Location: Denver, Colorado Founded: 2014 Employees: 40
Green Grass Foods (Nutpods) produces a plant-based, dairy-free creamer for coffee, tea, and recipes. Leadership: Madeline Haydon 2018 Revenue: $19.1 Million 3-Year Growth: 11,623% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 2 Location: Bellevue, Washington Founded: 2013 Employees: 23
Chomps makes healthier versions of popular snacks, such as grass-fed meat sticks. Leadership: Peter Maldonado 2018 Revenue: $21 Million 3-Year Growth: 4,469% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 3 Location: Naples, Florida Founded: 2012 Employees: 8 2018: No. 124
4th & Heart produces grass-fed ghee butter products, distributed across the country. Encourages consumers to incorporate into daily life its product lineup, which includes ghee spreads, oils and chocolate spreads. Leadership: Raquel Tavares 2018 Revenue: $14.3 Million 3-Year Growth: 4,283% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 4 Location: Venice Beach, California Founded: 2014 Employees: 7
Sweet Loren's produces cookie dough made with clean ingredients, to meet the needs of consumers. Products are gluten-free, nut-free and vegan. Leadership: Loren Brill 2018 Revenue: $6.4 Million 3-Year Growth: 3,026% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 5 Location: New York, New York Founded: 2010 Employees: 5
Koia manufactures a plant-based protein drink designed to be a healthy snack, meal accompaniment or post-workout beverage for people with active lifestyles. Leadership: Chris Hunter, Maya French 2018 Revenue: $8.2 Million 3-Year Growth: 2,101% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 6 Location: Los Angeles, California Founded: 2013 Employees: 15
SnackNation curates and delivers snack boxes to thousands of member offices nationwide. Leadership: Sean Kelly 2018 Revenue: $24.2 Million 3-Year Growth: 1,293% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 10 Location: Culver City, California Founded: 2014 Employees: 166 2018: No. 24
FloWater produces water refill stations for distribution in schools, fitness centers, hotels and businesses. Leadership: Rich Razgaitis 2018 Revenue: $5.3 Million 3-Year Growth: 894% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 14 Location: Denver, Colorado Founded: 2013 Employees: 36
Kuli Kuli Foods makes and sells smoothies, bars, powders and other foods from moringa, a leafy green superfood. Leadership: Lisa Curtis 2018 Revenue: $4.5 Million 3-Year Growth: 820% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 15 Location: Oakland, California Founded: 2014 Employees: 10 2018: No. 354
Zolli Candy creates and sells sugar-free candy. Products are sold in all major retailers across the country. Leadership: Alina Morse 2018 Revenue: $2.2 Million 3-Year Growth: 696% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 17 Location: Commerce Township, Michigan Founded: 2013 Employees: 10
Rebbl makes and sells herbal and superfood beverages such as chai, maca cold brew and matcha latte. It's a NEXTY Gold winner, too. Leadership: Michele Kessler 2018 Revenue: $22.8 Million 3-Year Growth: 692% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 18 Location: Emeryville, California Founded: 2011 Employees: 40 2018: No. 228
Quicksilver Scientific manufactures nutritional systems, offering a focus on detoxification. Specializes in liposomal delivery systems and heavy metal testing. Leadership: Chris Shade 2018 Revenue: $22.3 Million 3-Year Growth: 675% Industry: Health Location: Lafayette, Colorado Founded: 2005 Employees: 65
High Road Craft Ice Cream makes ice cream sold in grocery and specialty food stores and to chefs and ice cream shops. Leadership: Keith Schroeder 2018 Revenue: $15.3 Million 3-Year Growth: 399% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 30 Location: Marietta, Georgia Founded: 2010 Employees: 45 2018: No. 1386 2017: No. 1176 2016: No. 1841
Waiakea bottles and sells Hawaiian volcanic water. Leadership: Ryan Emmons 2018 Revenue: $6.7 Million 3-Year Growth: 314% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 34 Location: Culver City, California Founded: 2012 Employees: 26 2018: No. 774 2017: No. 414
The GFB: Gluten Free Bar offers GMO free, gluten free, vegan and kosher snacks and other food items. Leadership: Marshall Rader, Elliott Rader 2018 Revenue: $9.1 Million 3-Year Growth: 252% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 45 Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan Founded: 2010 Employees: 56
Perfect Snacks develops, distributes and markets nutrition bars and other functional foods. Perfect Bar's signature product is its refrigerated nutrition bar which was the first of its kind in 2005. Leadership: Bill Keith 2018 Revenue: $84.1 Million 3-Year Growth: 223% Industry: Food & Beverage—No. 50 Location: San Diego, California Founded: 2005 Employees: 105 2014: No. 1901 Editor’s note: Mondelēz International acquired Perfect Snacks in June.
Tiesta Tea Company creates understandable, affordable and accessible quality loose tea blends by using natural fruits, herbs and spices that enhance the flavor and function of tea. Co-founders: Dan Klein, Patrick Tannous 2018 Revenue: $7.6 Million 3-Year Growth: 216% Industry: Food & Beverage Location: Chicago, Illinois Founded: 2010 Raised: $5.1 million 2018: No. 3080 2017: No. 759
Harvest-fresh coconut oil through coconut palms in tropical regions. The company offers co-packing, private label and bulk food services in relation to their coconut products. Leadership: Erin Meagher 2018 Revenue: $16.9 Million 3-Year Growth: 216% Industry: Food & Beverage Location: Tampa, Florida Founded: 2009 Employees: 40
I and Love and You creates holistic pet foods and treats. Leadership: Beau Mainous 2018 Revenue: $22.2 Million 3-Year Growth: 94% Industry: Consumer Products & Services Location: Boulder, Colorado Founded: 2014 Employees: 24
Firehook Bakery specializes in authentic artisan breads, crackers, and cookies that are sold in natural food stores and supermarkets nationwide. Leadership: Pierre Abushacra 2018 Revenue: $11.5 Million 3-Year Growth: 87% Industry: Food & Beverage Location: Chantilly, Virginia Founded: 1992 Employees: 100 2018: No. 4524
Tender Belly provides pork and bacon products. Leadership: Shannon Duffy 2018 Revenue: $11.1 Million 3-Year Growth: 81% Industry: Food & Beverage Location: Denver, Colorado Founded: 2010 Employees: 22 Five-time Inc. 5000 honoree 2018: No. 2973 2017: No. 1737 2016: No. 1029 2015: No. 698
Saffron Road Foods markets all-natural, antibiotic-free, sustainably farmed and organic halal food products. Leadership: Adnan Durrani 2018 Revenue: $42.3 Million 3-Year Growth: 58% Industry: Consumer Products & Services Location: Stamford, Connecticut Founded: 2010 Employees: 31 2016: No. 703 2015: No. 642
Saffron Road Foods markets all-natural, antibiotic-free, sustainably farmed and organic halal food products. Leadership: Adnan Durrani 2018 Revenue: $42.3 Million 3-Year Growth: 58% Industry: Consumer Products & Services Location: Stamford, Connecticut Founded: 2010 Employees: 31 2016: No. 703 2015: No. 642
Natural foods, beverages and consumer products blew up the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies.
Cece’s Veggie Co. was the No. 1 company in the food and beverage industry and third overall. “Cece's started as a hare-brained scheme in my kitchen involving my kids (who have gluten allergies), power tools and a lot of mangled sweet potatoes,” Mason Arnold, Cece’s Veggie Co. founder, said in a released statement. “For a produce company to be ranked at the top of this list is completely bananas. The demand for healthy, convenient and organic meal solutions that taste delicious is strong and Cece’s will continue to innovate with simple but twisted offerings for the whole family.”
Green Grass Foods, which makes the plant-based, dairy-free Nutpods creamers, came in second on the food and beverage list and 13th overall. “We are so proud of the growth of Nutpods, a product I created based on a personal need …,” founder and CEO Madeline Haydon said in a released statement. “As proud as we are, we are just getting started in our mission to reshape the non-dairy creamer category to allow people to rethink their coffee ritual.”
To be eligible for the 2019 list, companies had to generate revenue by March 31, 2015; be privately held, independent and for-profit; and based in the United States. Companies are ranked by the percentage of revenue growth between 2015 and 2018.
Also, the companies must have had revenue of $100,000 in 2015 and at least $2 million in 2018.
“The companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 have followed so many different paths to success,” says Inc. editor in chief James Ledbetter. “There’s no single course you can follow or investment you can take that will guarantee this kind of spectacular growth. But what they have in common is persistence and seizing opportunities.”
Click through the slide show to see the natural companies on this year’s list.
Correction: Firehook Bakery was added to this list on Thursday, Aug. 15. Its ranking on the list was corrected on Monday, Aug. 19.
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