Monogram Foods

What Monogram Foods does

Monogram Foods is a privately held, value-added food manufacturer and co-manufacturer headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 2004 by Karl Schledwitz and Wes Jackson after acquiring the King Cotton and Circle B brands from Sara Lee, the company has scaled from nine employees to nearly 4,500 team members across 13 manufacturing facilities in 7 states (Tennessee, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Virginia, Wisconsin). Revenue reached $1.4 billion in 2024, up from over $1 billion in 2021. The company operates three distinct go-to-market motions: (1) private label and co-manufacturing for national grocery retailers and club stores; (2) high-volume production of assembled sandwiches and prepared foods for national foodservice customers, including a 3 million-sandwich-per-week commitment from a major multinational restaurant chain at its 135,000 sq. ft. Haverhill, Massachusetts plant; and (3) branded and licensed production under its own portfolio (Wild Bill's, O'Brien's, Trail's Best, Hannah's, Bull's, Snapps, King Cotton, Circle B) and licensed brands (Bass Pro Shop Uncle Buck's, Johnsonville, Butterball, Team Realtree). Revenue is generated through per-unit manufacturing fees on co-manufacturing/private label production, unit sales of branded products through retail distribution, and licensing royalties on licensed-brand production; pricing is negotiated per-customer, per-product and is not publicly disclosed.

Monogram's production platform spans meat snacks, raw and cooked bacon, corn dogs, appetizers, assembled sandwiches, flatbreads, wraps, and baked goods. A core technical differentiator is the operation of one of only a handful of USDA-certified bakeries in the US — including the 86,000 sq. ft. Wilmington, MA facility, the 60,000 sq. ft. Medford, MA bakery opened in April 2022, and the 135,000 sq. ft. Haverhill plant — capable of mass-producing dough-enrobed meats via straight, pie, pretzel, and laminated dough processes; humidity-controlled in-line proofing; carousel convection ovens; and IQF capabilities. Ready-to-eat assembly lines include crustless crimped sandwich production and robotic retail packaging. Monogram Snacks' Martinsville, VA site runs an $11M anaerobic digester that converts methane from production water into renewable electricity for the Appalachian Power grid, with fryer oil converted to biodiesel and food waste diverted to animal feed.

The company is backed by Pritzker Private Capital, which acquired a significant stake in August 2021 alongside HF Capital (the Haslam family). Co-founders Karl Schledwitz and Wes Jackson remain significant owners; Karl Schledwitz transitioned to Chairman in 2025 when Jeff Frank (formerly CEO of Organic Valley and a 25-year Hormel Foods veteran) was appointed as the second CEO in company history. Enterprise sales are led by SVP of Sales and Business Development Jess Reese and Chief Commercial Officer Michael Medor, while operational scale is supported by a newly installed C-suite drawn from Hormel, Tyson, Kellogg, and Organic Valley, including COO Gary Giles, CFO Jana Haynes, CIO Dawn Drewry, CSCO Larry Elliott, and CPO Kirsten Patchett. Monogram has been recognized on Inc. Magazine's list of America's fastest-growing private companies for 11 consecutive years, won The National Provisioner's Processor of the Year award in 2017, and runs the Monogram Foods Loves Kids Foundation, which has donated over $17 million since 2010.

Name

Monogram Foods

Legal name

Monogram Food Solutions, LLC

Website

https://monogramfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Monogram Foods is a private value-added food manufacturer and co-manufacturer producing meat snacks, sandwiches, bacon, corn dogs, and USDA-certified baked goods for national retailers, foodservice chains, and licensed brands across 13 facilities in 7 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Commercial Bakeries (311812)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Bakery Products (2050), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepared Meat & Seafood Entrées with Sides (Complete Meals) (AFANAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale / Commercial Bakeries (B2B Supply) (THAFAFAF), Pretzels & Savory Baked Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAD)

Keywords

• Co-manufactured food products
• Private label meat
• Meat snacks production
• USDA bakery products
• Food contract manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Co-Manufacturing / Private Label Production: Monogram Foods manufactures products under retailers' private label brands and for strategic foodservice customers. Revenue is generated through per-unit manufacturing fees, production agreements, and margin on manufactured goods sold under customer brands.
2. Branded Consumer Products: Monogram Foods manufactures and markets its own branded products including Wild Bill's, O'Brien's, Trail's Best, Hannah's, Bull's, and Snapps meat snacks. Revenue is earned on product sales through retail distribution.
3. Licensed Brand Manufacturing: Monogram produces products under licensed brands including Bass Pro Shop's Uncle Buck's, Johnsonville, Butterball, and Team Realtree, earning licensing royalties or co-manufacturing fees for branded production.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Monogram Foods manufactures value-added meat products, snacks, appetizers, assembled sandwiches, raw and cooked bacon, corn dogs, and USDA-certified baked goods as a B2B co-manufacturer and private label provider for major national retailers, foodservice chains, and branded food companies. The company operates 13 manufacturing facilities across 7 states, producing 800,000+ pounds daily, including 3 million assembled sandwiches per week at its Haverhill plant. Beyond private label, Monogram markets its own branded meat snacks (Wild Bill's, O'Brien's, Trail's Best, Hannah's, Bull's, Snapps) and licensed brands (Johnsonville, Butterball, Uncle Buck's, Team Realtree).

Product overview

Monogram Foods is a packaged foods producer and private label provider offering co-manufacturing and foodservice solutions. The company operates as a single unified manufacturing platform rather than a software platform, producing a diverse portfolio of food products including meat snacks (Wild Bill's, O'Brien's, Trail's Best, Hannah's, Bull's, Snapps), appetizers, assembled sandwiches, raw and cooked bacon, corn dogs, and USDA baked goods. The company also manufactures convenience products and offers private label/co-manufacturing services to strategic partners throughout the United States. Founded in 2004, Monogram Foods has grown through acquisitions including King Cotton and Circle B brands from Sara Lee Corporation, and holds various licensed brand partnerships including Bass Pro Shop's Uncle Buck's, Johnsonville, Butterball, and Team Realtree.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wild Bill's: Meat snack brand
• O'Brien's
• Trail's Best
• Hannah's
• Bull's
• Snapps
• Bass Pro Shop's Uncle Buck's
• Johnsonville
• Butterball
• Team Realtree

Products and services

• Meat Snacks Full range of meat snack products including own brands (Wild Bill's, O'Brien's, Trail's Best, Hannah's, Bull's, Snapps) and licensed brands (Bass Pro Shop's Uncle Buck's, Johnsonville, Team Realtree) sold through grocery retail and club store channels.
• Assembled Sandwiches and Wraps Ready-to-eat assembled sandwiches, flatbreads, and wraps produced at multiple facilities including Haverhill (3 million per week) and Medford (2.4 million baked items per week) for foodservice and private label customers.
• Raw and Cooked Bacon Fully-cooked and raw bacon products manufactured for retail private label and foodservice customers.
• Corn Dogs Corn dog products manufactured for private label and branded customers under various brands.
• USDA Baked Goods and Dough-Enrobed Meats One of the only USDA-approved bakeries in the US, producing dough-enrobed meats and baked items including handheld frozen sandwiches. Capabilities include multiple dough processes (straight, pie, pretzel, laminated), humidity-controlled in-line proofer, full-size carousel convection ovens, dough sheeting, scale drop fill process, and pin-wheel dough capabilities.
• Appetizers Various appetizer products manufactured for co-manufacturing partners and private label customers.
• Breaded and Battered Extruded Vegetable Products Ready-to-Cook fry line products using mix, extrude, cut-to-shape processes with robotic retail packaging lines for breaded and battered extruded vegetable products.
• Private Label and Co-Manufacturing Services Strategic co-manufacturing partnership services producing private label products for major national grocery retailers and club stores, as well as branded food companies (Johnsonville, Butterball, Bass Pro Shop Uncle Buck's, Team Realtree) under licensing agreements. Revenue is generated through per-unit manufacturing fees and production agreements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue grew from $1 billion (2021) to $1.4 billion (2024)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Community Foundation of Greater MemphisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012The Monogram Foods Loves Kids Foundation (MFLK), Monogram's charitable fund, is administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. The foundation awards community grants to nonprofits in communities where Monogram operates facilities.

Scale indicators36 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AdvancePierre Foods: A leading manufacturer of value-added proteins and sandwich solutions serving foodservice and retail, acquired by Tyson Foods in 2017. Highly comparable to Monogram in product mix (ready-to-eat sandwiches, prepared proteins) and customer base (national foodservice chains and grocery private label).
• Bellisio Foods: Co-manufacturer and marketer of frozen meals including assembled sandwiches, pasta dishes, and ethnic cuisines for foodservice and retail. Closely comparable to Monogram in the assembled sandwich and RTE meal category serving similar enterprise customers.
• Reser's Fine Foods: Family-owned manufacturer of prepared refrigerated meals, salads, and side dishes serving retail deli and foodservice channels. Comparable to Monogram in co-manufacturing model, multi-category production capability, and retail/foodservice customer mix.
• TreeHouse Foods: Public pure-play private label food manufacturer with diverse portfolio across snacks, meals, and bakery categories serving major retailers. Closely comparable to Monogram's private label and co-manufacturing business model and national grocery customer relationships.
• Ruiz Food Products: Manufacturer of frozen Mexican food and hand-held sandwiches under branded and private label for retail and foodservice. Comparable to Monogram in frozen convenience foods category, co-manufacturing model, and retail/foodservice customer base.
• Windsor Foods: Co-manufacturer of frozen ethnic foods, appetizers, and value-added meals serving retail and foodservice, now part of Conagra Brands. Comparable to Monogram in appetizer and prepared meal categories with similar B2B co-manufacturing model.

Broad incumbents

• Tyson Foods: Largest US meat processor with broad portfolio across beef, pork, poultry, and prepared foods including brands like Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm. Larger-scale competitor with overlapping capabilities in prepared meats and assembled foods categories where Monogram operates.
• Hormel Foods: Diversified meat and food manufacturer with brands including SPAM, Skippy, and Applegate. Broader incumbent with overlapping prepared meats, snacks, and foodservice offerings; Monogram's leadership has heavy Hormel alumni representation, indicating direct talent and category overlap.
• Schwan's Company: Frozen food manufacturer and distributor operating across retail, foodservice, and direct-to-consumer channels, owned by CJ CheilJedang. Comparable in frozen prepared foods category, multi-channel distribution, and foodservice co-manufacturing capabilities.
• Conagra Brands: Major packaged food company with brands including Marie Callender's, Healthy Choice, and Slim Jim. Larger incumbent with overlapping categories in frozen meals, snacks, and prepared meats where Monogram operates through co-manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MonogramFoods
• Xx.com/MonogramFoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/342912

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Monogram Foods