What Weaver Popcorn does

Weaver Popcorn is a U.S.-based, family-owned bulk popcorn kernel supplier founded in 1928 in Indiana and now headquartered in Whitestown. The company sells exclusively to commercial B2B buyers — not direct to consumers — through a quote-based, volume-tiered pricing model ranging from under 10,000 pounds to over 1 million pounds per buyer, packaged from 50-pound bags up to full tanker loads. Customers are segmented across CPG and food manufacturers, theaters and concessions, gourmet and specialty shops, foodservice operators and distributors, private-label brand owners, and small businesses, with documented end-market presence in North America (USA), Europe (Ireland, UK), and Asia (China).

The company's core technology is agricultural rather than software: hybrid popcorn kernel genetics co-developed with strategic partner Weaver Hybrids, using intentional breeding for expansion rate, moisture content, density, durability, and structural integrity. The product portfolio is engineered around end-use applications — High Expansion Butterfly for theaters and concessions, round Mushroom Kernels that hold caramel and chocolate coatings for gourmet applications, and uniformly sized Large Kernel Butterfly for high-volume operations. Every lot is subjected to testing for size, color, density, and moisture, with only top-performing hybrid varieties accepted into the product line.

The business model is a transaction-based, direct enterprise sales motion: inbound quote requests come through the corporate website (weaverpopcornbulk.com), which segments buyers by type, volume, and packaging preference, and the sales team responds within one business day. Revenue comes from one-time bulk ingredient sales with no disclosed subscription, licensing, or recurring components. The company has remained privately held across five generations of family ownership, with no external institutional investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no M&A activity. Headcount sits in the 101–250 range and the operating model is supported by a dedicated CTO (Todd Bandauski) overseeing the seed-development and quality-control backbone. Marketing is primarily digital (LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and a Knowledge Center content hub) targeting commercial buyers rather than end consumers.

Name

Weaver Popcorn

Legal name

Weaver Popcorn, LLC

Website

https://popweaver.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Weaver Popcorn is a U.S.-based, fifth-generation family-owned supplier of bulk popcorn kernels serving commercial B2B buyers worldwide. It sells hybrid popcorn seed varieties co-developed with Weaver Hybrids to CPG manufacturers, theaters, gourmet shops, foodservice operators, and private-label brands across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bulk Popcorn Kernels

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

akta.pro primary industry

Popcorn Manufacturing (AFAKAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Popcorn & Puffed Snacks (CRADABAH)

Keywords

• Bulk popcorn kernels
• Popcorn seed production
• Hybrid popcorn varieties
• Commercial popcorn supply
• Private label popcorn

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitestown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bulk Popcorn Kernel Sales: Sale of bulk popcorn kernels to commercial buyers including CPG manufacturers, theaters, concessions, gourmet shops, and small businesses. Volume-based pricing with multiple packaging formats (50-lb bags, 2,000-lb totes, super sacks, full tankers). Transaction-based model based on order volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Weaver Popcorn, LLC grows, develops hybrid genetics for, and sells bulk popcorn kernels to commercial buyers. The company supplies multiple kernel types (butterfly and mushroom varieties) to CPG food manufacturers, movie theaters, concessions, gourmet popcorn shops, and private-label brands operating in Whitestown, Indiana.

Product overview

Weaver Popcorn is a bulk popcorn kernel supplier serving commercial buyers including CPG brands, gourmet makers, theaters, and small businesses. The company offers a portfolio of kernel types—High Expansion Butterfly, Mushroom Kernels, Large Kernel Butterfly, and Bulk & Commercial Formats—each designed for specific applications from movie theaters to gourmet specialty shops. Products are available in various packaging formats ranging from 50-lb bags to full truckloads, addressing the needs of CPG & Food Manufacturers, Theaters & Concessions, Gourmet & Specialty Shops, and Small Businesses & Retailers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Superior pop — every time (from website marketing claim, not independently verified)

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Weaver HybridscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeaver Popcorn works closely with Weaver Hybrids to select and develop hybrid popcorn varieties that produce the best expansion, durability, size, color, density, and moisture characteristics. Only top-performing varieties make it into the product line.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Pop Corn Company (Jolly Time): American Pop Corn Company is one of the oldest popcorn companies in the U.S. (founded 1914), producing and selling both branded retail popcorn (Jolly Time) and bulk kernel supply. It competes with Weaver Popcorn directly in the bulk kernel and CPG supply category.
• Black Jewell Popcorn: Black Jewell is a vertically-integrated popcorn grower and supplier that develops proprietary hybrids and supplies bulk kernels to foodservice, concessions, and gourmet customers. It is one of the most direct competitors to Weaver's hybrid-kernel B2B model.
• Preferred Popcorn: Preferred Popcorn is a Nebraska-based bulk popcorn kernel supplier serving foodservice, concession, and commercial customers. It competes directly with Weaver in B2B bulk kernel supply across volume tiers.
• Amish Country Popcorn: Amish Country Popcorn sells bulk popcorn kernels to retail, wholesale, and foodservice customers with multi-volume formats. It is a comparable B2B/retail popcorn kernel supplier, though its distribution is more retail-skewed than Weaver's.
• Great Northern Popcorn: Great Northern Popcorn supplies popcorn kernels, popcorn makers, and concession supplies to commercial buyers, theaters, and gourmet shops. Its product breadth and customer base overlap with Weaver's theaters/concessions and gourmet segments.
• Popcorn Indiana: Popcorn Indiana is a branded popcorn snack company that sources bulk popcorn for its gourmet and retail popcorn products. As a potential B2B buyer of Weaver's mushroom kernels, it is a directly comparable channel participant in the popcorn value chain.

Emerging players

• Pipcorn Heirloom Snacks: Pipcorn is a smaller, premium-positioned popcorn and snack brand focused on heirloom and specialty corn varieties. While smaller in scale, it competes in the gourmet/specialty popcorn segment where Weaver's mushroom kernels are also deployed.

Broad incumbents

• Conagra Brands: Conagra is a major packaged food conglomerate owning multiple snack brands including popcorn-adjacent products. It is a large-scale incumbent that could in-source popcorn supply and competes with Weaver at the CPG buyer level for shelf space and contract manufacturing relationships.
• The Hershey Company: Hershey owns SkinnyPop and other popcorn/snack brands through its salty snacks portfolio. As a major CPG incumbent in popcorn, it competes with Weaver for premium kernel supply and at the consumer/CPG level.
• Campbell Soup Company (Campbell Snacks): Campbell's snack portfolio includes popcorn-adjacent brands (Snyder's-Lance, etc.). As a broad CPG incumbent with popcorn exposure, it represents a comparable large-buyer profile and competitive threat at the CPG procurement level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weaver-popcorn
• Facebookfacebook.com/popweaver

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Weaver Popcorn