Major Products

What Major Products does

Major Products is a third-generation, family-owned B2B food manufacturer founded in 1951 and headquartered in Little Ferry, New Jersey. The company produces soup bases, stock bases, bouillon cubes, gravies, sauces, dressings, marinades, and seasonings under the Major Chefs' brand (Elite, Premier, Smart Choice, and Basics quality tiers), the Superb line, and the Hispanic-cuisine La Ranchera sub-brand. Manufacturing runs from two USDA facilities — Little Ferry, NJ (HQ) and North Las Vegas, NV (recently expanded by 28,000 square feet) — supported by an in-house team of certified flavor chemists, food scientists, and culinary professionals that delivers custom formulation, replication, and small-batch development services to industrial and foodservice customers.

The company sells exclusively through B2B channels with pricing that is quote-based and tier-dependent: no public list pricing exists. Distribution is multi-channel — a regional field sales force (West, Midwest, South East, North East), large foodservice distribution networks, and contract manufacturers — enabling reach across all 50 states and select international markets. The customer base spans four primary segments: foodservice distributors, industrial manufacturers, restaurant chains, and foodservice operators (including hospitality, education, healthcare, and cruise lines). The company has won the IFDA Partner of the Year award in back-to-back years (2017, 2018), reflecting high standing within the foodservice distribution community.

Operational capabilities include a new kettle system installed in 2021 enabling hot and cold fill for liquid concentrates, a 2020 solar conversion providing approximately 75% of the New Jersey facility's energy requirements, and a long-standing supply-chain partnership with 4SIGHT Supply Chain Group (since 2011) that has reportedly doubled manufacturing throughput without proportional infrastructure additions. The company remains privately held under DeRose family ownership with no outside institutional capital, having spun off its UK subsidiary Major International in 2017 to focus exclusively on the North American business.

Name

Major Products

Legal name

Major Products

Website

https://majorproducts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Major Products is a third-generation, family-owned B2B food manufacturer producing soup bases, stocks, gravies, sauces, and seasonings under the Major Chefs', Superb, and La Ranchera brands, selling to foodservice distributors, industrial manufacturers, restaurant chains, and operators across all 50 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Ingredient Manufacturing

NAICS

Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Condiments, Sauces & Dressings (CRADAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

BBQ Sauce & Marinades Manufacturing (AFAKADAH), Dips, Salsas, Relishes & Chutneys Manufacturing (AFAKADAM)

Keywords

• Foodservice ingredient manufacturing
• Soup bases and bouillons
• Gravy and sauce mixes
• Flavor systems production
• Culinary seasoning blends

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Ferry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Foodservice Ingredients Manufacturing: Manufactures and sells stock bases, bouillons, marinades, gravies, sauces, and seasonings to foodservice industry. Products sold in multiple quality tiers to serve different customer segments from premium to budget-conscious.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Major Products is a third-generation family-owned food manufacturer that produces soup bases, stock bases, bouillons, gravies, marinades, sauces, and seasonings for the foodservice industry. The company manufactures its Major Chefs product line in four quality tiers (Elite, Premier, Smart Choice, and Basics) under the Major Chefs brand, plus the Superb line of mixes and the La Ranchera Mexican-style sub-brand. Production occurs at two USDA facilities in New Jersey and Las Vegas, with customization capabilities for industrial and foodservice customers.

Product overview

Major Products is a third-generation family-owned food manufacturer offering a tiered portfolio of soup bases, stocks, flavor systems, gravies, sauces, and seasonings. The product lineup centers on the Major Chefs' brand with four quality tiers: Elite (premium), Premier (mid-tier), Smart Choice (cleaner-label/gluten-free), and Basics (economical). Supporting products include Superb Gravy Mixes, Dressing Mixes, Sauce Mixes, and Seasonings. The company also offers La Ranchera as a Mexican-style sub-brand. All products are manufactured at USDA facilities in New Jersey and Las Vegas, with customization capabilities for industrial and foodservice customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Major Chefs: Product line brand for stocks, bases, gravies, and sauce mixes in various quality tiers including Elite, Premier, Smart Choice, Basics, and Superb.
• La Ranchera

Products and services

• Major Chefs' Elite Stock Bases
• Major Chefs' Premier Bases
• Major Chefs' Smart Choice Bases
• Major Chefs' Basic Bases
• Gravy Mixes
• Seasonings & Mixes
• Dressing Mixes
• Sauce & Sauce Mixes
• Major Chefs' Superb Line
• La Ranchera

Quantifiable outcome

• Doubled manufacturing throughput without adding costly infrastructure through operational optimization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 4SIGHT Supply Chain GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011Long-term strategic partnership since 2011 for supply chain optimization. 4SIGHT completed operations assessment, facility layout optimization, and workforce management improvements. Enabled Major to double manufacturing throughput while maintaining FDA and USDA regulations without adding costly infrastructure. Partnership continues with equipment/labor efficiency improvements and Las Vegas expansion design support.
• Foodservice Distributor PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor partners selected soup kitchen and food pantry recipients for Major's 1,000,000 bowl soup donation program. Major provided product while distributors handled logistics and delivery to local charities.
• Large Distribution Networks and Contract ManufacturerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with largest distribution networks and contract manufacturers enables Major to service customers in all 50 states and internationally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ventura Foods: Manufacturer of sauces, dressings, and culinary solutions for foodservice and industrial customers; directly comparable B2B model with national distribution.
• More Than Gourmet: Specialty stock and base manufacturer (glace de viande, demi-glace, fonds) focused on premium and chef-driven applications, comparable in size and customer base.
• Newly Weds Foods: Custom seasoning, coating, and flavor systems supplier to foodservice and industrial customers. Comparable in customization, formats, and customer segments.
• Custom Culinary (Griffith Foods): Direct competitor in stock bases, gravies, and sauces for foodservice. Both serve distributors, chains, and industrial manufacturers with tiered, customizable flavor systems.

Broad incumbents

• Knorr (Unilever Food Solutions): Global leader in bouillons, soups, sauces, and seasonings, operating across foodservice as a Unilever brand. A large incumbent competing with Major on chain accounts.
• Better Than Bouillon (McCormick): Concentrated bouillon and base products owned by McCormick. Overlaps with Major's stock and base business across retail and foodservice.
• Tone's (B&G Foods): Seasoning and flavor systems manufacturer serving foodservice and industrial accounts, comparable in product mix (seasonings, bases) and channel.
• French's (McCormick): Major sauce and condiment brand (mustard, etc.) under McCormick with foodservice and industrial presence. Adjacent competitor on the sauce and dressing side.
• Minor's (Nestlé Professional): Major incumbent in the soup base and gravy category under Nestlé Professional, serving the same foodservice channels with a larger national sales force and broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Custom Food Solutions (Lion Star): Custom seasoning and flavor solutions provider; comparable as a smaller, custom-focused foodservice ingredient manufacturer targeting industrial and chain customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/majorproductsco
• Facebookfacebook.com/MajorProductsCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/major-products-co-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Major Products