N.K. Hurst Company

What N.K. Hurst Company does

N.K. Hurst Company (legal entity: NK Hurst Company, Inc.) is a privately held, family-owned food manufacturer and distributor founded in 1938 by Needham King Hurst and operated today by the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations of the founding family. Headquartered at a modern production facility built in 2017 at 10505 Bennett Parkway, Suite 100, Zionsville, Indiana, the company operates across three interconnected business segments. Its core product is the HamBeens® brand of seasoned dry bean products, led by the flagship 15 BEAN SOUP® introduced in 1986, which is the all-time top-selling item and is positioned as the #1 selling dry bean brand in the U.S., distributed to every state and U.S. military bases worldwide.

Underlying the packaged beans segment is a food processing and packaging operation featuring horizontal and vertical filling systems for dry products, operated at an SQF Level II-certified facility. The proprietary dry ham flavoring technology, developed with a food chemist in the 1960s and trademarked as HamBeens® in 1963, created the first seasoned dry bean products on the U.S. market and remains the category-defining differentiator. The product portfolio has expanded from a single ham-flavored bean to nearly 20 HamBeens varieties (including Cajun 15 Bean Soup®, Spanish-American Black Bean Soup®, Slow Cooker Chili, and HamPeas®) plus the Hurst's® brand of plain dry beans (Pinto, Yellow Eye, and others).

The business model generates revenue through three streams: (1) branded packaged consumer dry bean products sold via grocery retail chains nationwide (including historical accounts such as A&P Tea, Winn-Dixie, and Kroger); (2) bulk ingredient distribution of sugar (granulated, brown, powdered in multiple grades), sweeteners, dry beans, oats, barley, and other food ingredients to food manufacturers and businesses, with company-owned trucks for Indiana local delivery; and (3) contract co-packaging services for third-party dry food products using the SQF-certified facility. Customer segments span individual consumers via retail, grocery retail chains, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses, U.S. military bases, and co-packing clients — yielding a hybrid segmentation approach. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

N.K. Hurst Company

Legal name

NK Hurst Company, Inc.

Website

https://nkhurst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

N.K. Hurst Company is a family-owned food manufacturer (founded 1938) that produces and distributes the #1 U.S.-selling HamBeens® seasoned dry bean brand, bulk food ingredients, and SQF-certified co-packaging services to grocery retailers, food manufacturers, and U.S. military bases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Dry Beans

NAICS

Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing (311423), Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers (424510)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Canned Beans, Legumes & Pulses Manufacturing (AFAKACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dry Foods & Staples Packaging (Cereals, Pasta, Rice) (IMALAHAJ)

Keywords

• Packaged dry beans
• Food ingredient distribution
• Co-packaging services
• Seasoned bean soup
• Bulk food commodities

Headquarters

HQ city

Zionsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Packaged Bean Products: Sale of branded packaged dry bean products including HamBeens 15 Bean Soup and other seasoned bean products through retail grocery channels
2. Co-Packaging Services: Contract packaging services for third-party food products using the company's SQF-certified facility and filling equipment
3. Ingredient Distribution: Bulk distribution of food ingredients including sugar, sweeteners, dry beans, oats, and barley to food manufacturers and businesses

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

N.K. Hurst Company manufactures, packages, and distributes branded dry bean products under the HamBeens and Hurst's brands for retail grocery sale, including its flagship HamBeens 15 Bean Soup. It also distributes bulk food ingredients (sugar, sweeteners, dry beans, oats, barley) to food manufacturers and provides contract co-packaging services for dry products at its SQF Level II certified facility in Zionsville, Indiana.

Product overview

The N.K. Hurst Company operates three interconnected business segments: (1) Packaged consumer dry bean products under the HamBeens® brand (including the flagship 15 BEAN SOUP®, Green Split HamPeas®, Large Lima HamBeens®, and regional varieties like Cajun 15 Bean Soup® and Spanish-American Black Bean Soup®) and Hurst's® brand dry beans (Pinto and Yellow Eye); (2) Ingredient Distribution of bulk commodities including sugar (granulated, brown, powdered in multiple grades), sweeteners, dry beans, oats, barley, and other food ingredients to food manufacturers and foodservice businesses; and (3) Co-Packaging services for dry products using horizontal and vertical filling systems at an SQF-certified facility. The company serves retail consumers through grocery stores nationwide and B2B customers through direct ingredient sales and contract manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HamBeens®: Seasoned dry bean products brand including Original 15 Bean Soup®, Green Split HamPeas®, Large Lima HamBeens®, Cajun 15 Bean Soup®, Spanish-American Black Bean Soup®, and Slow Cooker Chili - the #1 selling brand of dry beans in the U.S.
• Hurst's®

Products and services

• HamBeens Original 15 Bean Soup
• Green Split HamPeas
• Large Lima HamBeens
• Cajun 15 Bean Soup
• Spanish-American Black Bean Soup
• Hurst's Slow Cooker Chili
• Hurst's Brand Pinto Beans
• Hurst's Brand Yellow Eye Beans
• Co-Packaging Services
• Ingredient Distribution Services
• Bulk Dry Beans
• Bulk Sugar Products
• Bulk Brown Sugar Products
• Bulk Powdered Sugar Products
• Other Bulk Food Ingredients

Quantifiable outcome

• HamBeens 15 Bean Soup became the all-time top selling item starting in 1986
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Roland Foods: Roland Foods is a specialty food importer and distributor serving foodservice and retail. Comparable in B2B ingredient distribution and co-packing orientation, though broader in product scope than N.K. Hurst's dry bean and sugar focus.

Direct peers

• Bush Brothers & Company: Bush's is the dominant U.S. branded bean company (Bush's Best), with a similar product positioning around canned and dry packaged beans. It is the most direct competitor to N.K. Hurst's HamBeens brand in the same shelf-stable bean category.
• Faribault Foods: Faribault Foods produces branded (e.g., S&W Fine Foods, Grandma's) and private label canned beans, vegetables, and dry packaged goods. Directly comparable product mix and contract manufacturing model to N.K. Hurst's co-packing and branded businesses.
• Eden Foods: Eden Foods produces organic dry beans, grains, and pantry staples with a focus on premium/natural positioning. Comparable to N.K. Hurst's dry bean product line and ingredient distribution, with overlap in health-oriented retail channels.
• C&F Foods: C&F Foods is a dried bean and rice processor offering bulk and packaged legumes under the Enrich and Family Heirloom brands. Closely comparable bulk dry bean processing and packaging operations, including co-manufactured and private label supply.
• Goya Foods: Goya is the largest Hispanic food company in the U.S. and a major player in branded dry and canned beans. It directly competes with N.K. Hurst in the dry bean category while operating at much greater scale.
• Hanover Foods: Hanover Foods is a privately held packaged food manufacturer of canned and dry beans, vegetables, and prepared foods. Comparable to N.K. Hurst in being a multi-generational, family-operated bean-focused CPG.

Emerging players

• Bob's Red Mill: Bob's Red Mill is a fast-growing natural foods brand offering dry beans, grains, and pantry staples. Comparable in dry packaged bean and legume product mix, but with a much larger footprint in natural/specialty retail.
• TruRoots: TruRoots focuses on sprouted, organic, and ancient grain/legume products including dry beans and pulses. Adjacent to N.K. Hurst's dry bean portfolio with overlap in the natural and better-for-you consumer segment.

Broad incumbents

• General Mills (Progresso): General Mills competes via Progresso soup and Old El Paso, large-scale shelf-stable CPG platforms that overlap with Hurst's Slow Cooker Chili and HamBeens 15 Bean Soup categories. A broad incumbent rather than a dry bean specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 N.K. Hurst Company