Mount Franklin Foods

What Mount Franklin Foods does

Mount Franklin Foods, LLC is a privately held, El Paso, Texas-headquartered food manufacturer founded in 1907 that produces and distributes confections, nuts, snack mixes, and dry-blend ingredients under a portfolio of operating divisions and sub-brands. Its core subsidiaries — Azar Nut Company (nuts, seeds, and snack/trail mixes for foodservice), Sunrise Confections (gummies, jellies, hard candy, sour candy, and fruit snacks), Hospitality Mints (the largest U.S. supplier of custom mints, acquired 2018), Element Food Solutions (dry-blend ingredients, launched 2020), and the more recently acquired Stuffed Puffs (milk-chocolate-filled marshmallows, 2024) — share SQF Edition 8, USDA Organic, Kosher, Halal, HACCP, and ISO 17025-certified manufacturing infrastructure, anchored by a 220,000 sq ft confectionery plant in San Jeronimo, Chihuahua that opened in 2020 and was more than doubled via a 280,000 sq ft expansion opening in 2024, adding 140 million pounds of incremental capacity.

The company generates revenue through four streams: branded products (Azar, Sunrise, Hospitality Mints, Stuffed Puffs, FruPairs, Fruit Shoppe, Party Sweets), private-label manufacturing for major retailers, contract/co-manufacturing for branded-goods customers needing capacity, and foodservice ingredient supply through Azar Foodservice and Element Food Solutions. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales into mass retailers (Kroger, Target, Walmart, CVS), specialty retail (Hobby Lobby, Party City, Oriental Trading, Amazon), foodservice distributors, and direct brand customers; a notable 2025 exclusive U.S. partnership with Orkla Snacks added viral TikTok-driven distribution of the Bubs Swedish candy brand.

Manufacturing capabilities span nut processing (oil and dry roasting, peanut butters, granola), full confectionery production (starch moguls, hard-candy and panning lines, mints), and dry-blending/packaging at scales from 15-gram pouches to 3,000-pound totes, supported by a pilot lab and R&D team. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed for B2B lines; consumer Bubs SKUs retail at $2.99 per 5-ounce bag. The firm is led by President and CEO Enrique Grajeda (CFO 2014–2019, CEO since July 2019) and CFO Mayela Soto (promoted March 2022), with Chairman Eloy S. Vallina L., and has no disclosed external private-equity or institutional ownership.

Name

Mount Franklin Foods

Legal name

Mount Franklin Foods, LLC

Website

https://mountfranklinfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Mount Franklin Foods is a privately held, El Paso-based food manufacturer founded in 1907 that produces confections, nuts, snack mixes, and dry-blend ingredients via divisions Azar Nut, Sunrise Confections, Hospitality Mints, Element Food Solutions, and Stuffed Puffs, serving retailers, foodservice operators, and co-manufacturing customers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

El Paso

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Branded Products: Sale of proprietary branded products including Azar Nut, Sunrise Confections, Hospitality Mints, Stuffed Puffs, FruPairs, and Fruit Shoppe brands
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Manufacturing of private label products for retailers including candy, nut, snack and gummies, providing retailers flexibility to remain competitive and drive customer loyalty
3. Contract/Co-Manufacturing: Contract manufacturing for companies seeking additional manufacturing and production capacity for nut, snack and candy products, offering competitive tolling fees, equipment installation, raw material sourcing, and turnkey border documentation
4. Foodservice Products: Sale of nut, snack, confections and dry-blend ingredients to the foodservice industry through Azar Nut Company brand

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mount Franklin Foods manufactures, packages, and distributes confections, nuts, snack mixes, dry-blend ingredients, and custom mints for retail, foodservice, and co-manufacturing customers. The company operates through wholly-owned divisions (Azar Nut Company, Sunrise Confections, Hospitality Mints, Element Food Solutions, Stuffed Puffs) and produces branded products, private-label items, and toll-manufactured goods with SQF Edition 8 certified facilities on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border.

Product overview

Mount Franklin Foods is a leading North American food manufacturer offering a diverse portfolio of confections, nuts, snacks, and dry-blend ingredients. The company operates through multiple sub-brands: Azar Nut Company (nuts, seeds, snack mixes for foodservice), Sunrise Confections (gummies, jellies, hard candy, fruit snacks), Hospitality Mints (custom mints), Stuffed Puffs (marshmallows filled with milk chocolate - acquired 2024), and Element Food Solutions (dry-blend ingredients). The company also produces private label and contract manufacturing for retailers and co-manufacturing customers. Manufacturing capabilities include nut processing, confections, packaging, and dry-blending operations. The company holds SQF Edition 8, USDA Organic, Kosher, and Halal certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Azar: Trusted supplier of nuts, seeds and snack/trail mixes for foodservice
• Sunrise
• Hospitality Mints
• Stuffed Puffs
• Fruit Shoppe
• FruPairs
• Party Sweets
• Chef Xpress
• It's Nature
• Nubu Nut Butter Bites

Products and services

• Azar Nut Company (Azar Foodservice) Trusted supplier of nuts, seeds, and snack/trail mixes for foodservice, producing raw nuts, roasted and processed nuts, snack mixes, peanut butter, dried fruit, and prepared nut toppings (Chef Xpress). Marketed and distributed as a 600+ SKU portfolio.
• Sunrise Confections Candy company producing gummies, jellies, jujus, hard candy, sour candy, mellowcremes, and fruit snacks with kosher and gluten-free certified manufacturing.
• Hospitality Mints Largest supplier of custom mints in the U.S., producing wrapped mints for thousands of restaurants and businesses using premium ingredients including real butter and triple distilled peppermint oil.
• Stuffed Puffs Marshmallows filled with real milk chocolate that melts from the inside out, using proprietary marshmallow filling technology acquired by Mount Franklin Foods in 2024.
• Mount Franklin Foods Retail Brands High-quality nuts, snack mixes, and confections produced by the Mount Franklin Foods family for retail distribution.
• Party Sweets Themed-wrapped candy and mints for celebrations using premium ingredients (real butter, triple distilled peppermint oil, pure cane sugar); all products gluten-free.
• Fruit Shoppe Fruit snacks made with real fruit juice and no artificial flavors.
• FruPairs Soft and chewy ropes and bites with dual fruity flavor combinations (Green Apple/Strawberry Cherry/Lime, Orange/Blue Berry, Watermelon/Blue Berry, tropical variants).
• Element Food Solutions Dry-blend ingredients and dry-blend mixes manufactured in an SQF Level 2 plant with organic and kosher certifications.
• It's Nature Walnut Crumbles Culinary plant-based protein using walnuts as a base, available in Chorizo and Italian pre-seasoned flavors for foodservice operators.
• Wash Ups Hand Sanitizing Gel Individually wrapped hand sanitizing gel certified to kill 99.99% of many common harmful bacteria; available in bulk with custom-branded packaging.
• Bubs Swedish Candy (U.S. partner) Manufacture, distribution, and retail sales of Bubs Swedish candy brand in the United States under exclusive partnership with Orkla Snacks; four initial flavors at $2.99 per 5-ounce bag at Kroger, Target, Walmart, and CVS.
• Private Label Manufacturing Manufacturing of private label products for retailers including candy, nut, snack, and gummy products, allowing retailers to drive customer loyalty with competitively priced on-trend flavors.
• Contract Manufacturing Contract manufacturing for nut, snack, and candy products offering competitive tolling fees, equipment installation, raw material sourcing, and turnkey border documentation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130 million pounds of confectionery capacity added with San Jeronimo facility
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Orkla Snacks (Bubs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2025Exclusive partnership where Mount Franklin Foods manufactures, distributes, and manages retail sales of Bubs Swedish candy brand in the United States. Bubs went viral on TikTok in 2024 and was featured on Time's Time100 Most Influential Companies list. U.S. production began July 2025 with official retail debut in August 2025 at major retailers including Kroger, Target, Walmart, and CVS.
• InforcoreTechnology or Integration · 28 June 2022Mount Franklin Foods selected Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage solution to support rapid business growth and digital transformation. Implementation includes supply chain planning, Infor Factory Track, dynamic Enterprise Performance Management, and warehouse mobility to attain greater supply chain transparency and operational efficiency.
• Foodservice Brands AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2021Alliance with Diamond Crystal Brands, Idahoan Foods, and Knouse Foods to revolutionize the traditional broker sales agency model in foodservice through accountability, simplicity, and transparency. The Alliance focuses on driving industry leading efficiencies within the Broker Sales Agency model.
• Element Food Solutions, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Sister company of Mount Franklin Foods that began operations in 2020 expanding foodservice capabilities with synergies in dry-blend ingredients category. Element Food Solutions specializes in manufacturing dry-blend ingredients and dry-blend mixes within an SQF Level 2 certified plant.
• Hospitality Mints, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Parent company of Mount Franklin Foods acquired Hospitality Mints, LLC in 2018. Hospitality Mints is a manufacturer of custom-ordered mints for thousands of restaurants and businesses and is the largest supplier of custom mints in the USA.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Spangler Candy Company: Direct peer in non-chocolate confectionery manufacturing (Dum Dums lollipops, candy canes, seasonal candies). Similar private-label and co-manufacturing capabilities, family-/privately-held operating profile, and customer segments across mass-market U.S. retail.
• Jelly Belly Candy Company: Direct peer in non-chocolate confectionery manufacturing with leading positions in jelly beans, gummies, and confections. Comparable scale, private-label and custom manufacturing capabilities, and customer types with Mount Franklin's Sunrise Confections and Hospitality Mints divisions.
• Ferrara Candy Company: Direct peer in sugar and non-chocolate confectionery manufacturing with a strong private-label and branded portfolio (Nerds, SweeTarts, Brach's, Now and Later). Comparable private-label manufacturing scale, customer base of major retailers, and product-category overlap with Mount Franklin's Sunrise Confections division.
• TreeHouse Foods: Direct peer as a leading private-label food manufacturer spanning snacks, candy, nuts, and dry-blend categories. Comparable contract and private-label manufacturing business model, customer base of major retailers, and broad food manufacturing portfolio.
• Pearson Candy Company: Direct peer in regional sugar confectionery manufacturing (saltwater taffy, candies). Similar long-history family/privately-held ownership profile, private-label manufacturing scale, and customer types in U.S. retail channels.

Emerging players

• Sahale Snacks: Emerging player in premium nut and trail-mix snacks (now part of JM Smucker). Comparable to Mount Franklin's Azar Foodservice prepared nut toppings and nut snacks business in channel positioning and product format.
• Ricola: Emerging branded player in mints and confectionery with focus on herbal drops. Comparable to Mount Franklin's Hospitality Mints custom-mint business in product category and foodservice/retail channel mix.

Broad incumbents

• The Hershey Company: Broad incumbent in confectionery manufacturing with a massive branded portfolio (Reese's, Hershey's, Jolly Rancher, Skittles). Comparable in confectionery manufacturing scale and retail reach, though significantly larger and more brand-led than Mount Franklin.
• Diamond Foods: Broad incumbent in nuts and snack foods (Emerald nuts, Pop Secret, Kettle Brand). Comparable in nuts, seeds, and snack foods manufacturing to Mount Franklin's Azar Nut division, with significant scale advantage and similar foodservice channel exposure.
• Mars Wrigley: Broad incumbent in confectionery manufacturing including major non-chocolate brands (Skittles, Starburst, Life Savers, M&M's). Comparable in non-chocolate confectionery scale, retail distribution, and ingredient sourcing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mount-franklin-foods

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mount Franklin Foods