James Foods

What James Foods does

James Foods, Inc. is a privately held, founder-operated food manufacturer founded in 2004 and headquartered in Graham, North Carolina. The company operates a 50,000 square foot Federal USDA inspected poultry and meat processing facility producing a full line of frozen gourmet entrees and desserts — including Chicken Pies, Lasagnas, Pasta dishes, Casseroles, cobblers, and side dishes such as Loaded Red Bliss Mashed Potatoes — all marketed as ready-to-cook products with premium ingredients and homemade taste. Beyond the core frozen offering, James Foods has built two specialized adjacent product lines: (1) Senior Tray Meals, which are frozen microwave-ready tray kits in 5 and 7 day configurations plus custom meal kits for institutional senior nutrition programs; and (2) Shelf Stable Meals, which are pre-packaged meal boxes containing 5, 7, or 10 meals that require no refrigeration, are 1/3 RDI compliant, and are customizable in content for government and nonprofit meal programs.

Name

James Foods

Legal name

James Foods, Inc.

Website

https://jamesfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

James Foods is a North Carolina-based USDA inspected food manufacturer producing frozen gourmet entrees, senior tray meals, and shelf stable meal boxes for grocery, foodservice, senior nutrition, and emergency relief programs across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412), Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing (311813)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Meal kits & subscription meal components manufacturing (AFAKAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cold Prepared Foods & Meal Components (Sides, Proteins, Family Meals) (CRAHAKAC), Frozen Prepared Meals & Entrées Wholesale (AFAIAHAG)

Keywords

• Frozen food manufacturing
• Frozen gourmet meals
• Contract food manufacturing
• Senior meal programs
• Shelf stable meals

Headquarters

HQ city

Graham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Frozen Products: Sale of frozen gourmet entrees and desserts through grocery stores under the James Foods Caterer's Select brand. One-time product purchases by consumers.
2. Foodservice Distribution: Sale of frozen meals to schools, hospitals, and restaurants. Volume-based B2B sales to institutional buyers.
3. Senior and Community Meal Programs: Supply of shelf stable and frozen tray meals to senior programs, Meals on Wheels, food banks, and Area Agency on Aging programs. Contract-style orders with customizable meal kits.
4. Contract Manufacturing: Manufacturing products for other companies under their own labels. B2B private label production.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

James Foods is a USDA-inspected food manufacturer producing frozen gourmet entrees and desserts (chicken pies, lasagnas, pastas, casseroles, cobblers) for retail grocery, foodservice, and senior/community meal programs. The company also packages shelf stable meal boxes (5/7/10 meal configurations) for emergency and senior feeding programs and offers B2B contract/private-label manufacturing for other companies.

Product overview

James Foods is a multi-faceted food manufacturer based in Graham, NC specializing in a full line of foodservice and retail frozen gourmet entreés and desserts. The company operates under the James Foods Caterer's Select sub-brand for high-end retail packaging sold at grocery stores. Its product portfolio spans three main categories: (1) Senior Tray Meals - frozen premade tray meals in 5 and 7 day kits for senior programs, Area Agency on Aging, and Meals on Wheels; (2) Shelf Stable Meals - meal boxes with 5, 7, or 10 meals for emergency services, food banks, and disaster relief; and (3) Frozen gourmet products including Chicken Pies, Lasagnas, Pasta dishes, Casseroles, cobblers, and Loaded Red Bliss Mashed Potatoes available through the online store. All products are frozen and ready to cook, made with premium ingredients for homemade taste. The company also manufactures food products for other companies (private label/contract manufacturing).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• James Foods Caterer's Select: High-end retail packaging sold at multiple grocery stores.
• James Foods Label

Products and services

• Shelf Stable Meals Pre-packaged shelf stable meal boxes containing 5, 7, or 10 meals (e.g., spaghetti and meatballs, tuna/chicken salad, soups, breakfast items) designed for senior programs, food banks, kids programs, emergency services, and Meals on Wheels. No refrigeration required and RDI-compliant (1/3 RDI).
• Senior Tray Meals Frozen tray meals available in 5-day and 7-day kits plus custom meal kits for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; microwave-heated before use. Targeted at senior programs, Area Agency on Aging, and Meals on Wheels programs.
• Loaded Red Bliss Mashed Potatoes Pre-packaged Red Bliss mashed potatoes intended as a ready-to-cook side dish that can be enhanced with cheese, bacon, chives, and garlic.
• Chicken Pot Pie and Pumpkin Pie Bundle Bundle offering a 2.5 pound chicken pot pie and a large pumpkin pie for $20.99; both items are ready to bake.
• Contract Manufacturing (Private Label) B2B manufacturing service that produces food products for other companies under their own labels, leveraging the company's USDA-inspected facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• RDI Compliant meals can be 1/3 RDI Compliant

Named customers5 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

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schwan's Company: Large-scale manufacturer of frozen foods with a direct-to-home delivery model and branded retail frozen meals (e.g., Tony's Pizza, Freschetta). Closely comparable in core frozen meal manufacturing and foodservice/retail distribution, but at significantly larger scale.
• Cedar Foods / Brakebush Brothers: USDA-inspected protein-focused food manufacturer supplying chicken and meat-based prepared foods to foodservice and retail channels. Comparable in USDA-inspected poultry/meat processing capability and prepared foods lines.
• Bellisio Foods: Manufacturer of frozen Italian and Asian-style entrees including Michelina's, Frozen Gourmet, and Bertolli frozen meals. Direct competitor on frozen retail and foodservice prepared entrees with similar assortment breadth.
• Preferred Meals Systems: Specialized prepared meals provider focused on senior nutrition, school meal programs, and government foodservice contracts. Closely comparable to James Foods' senior tray meal and government program lines.
• Fresh & Ready Foods: Prepared meal manufacturer serving foodservice operators, convenience retail, and grab-and-go channels with ready-to-heat items. Comparable small-to-mid scale contract manufacturing and prepared entrees business.

Emerging players

• Kevin's Natural Foods: Premium frozen prepared meals manufacturer (Paleo, Keto) with retail and foodservice presence in natural and conventional grocery channels. Comparable in premium-positioned frozen entrees marketed on better-for-you credentials.
• Atkins Nutritionals / The Simply Good Foods Company: Frozen meal manufacturer focused on low-carb and nutrition-positioned entrees sold at retail and foodservice. Comparable in branding and frozen-meal retail assortment, but with a narrower dietary positioning than James Foods.

Broad incumbents

• Conagra Brands: Major packaged-foods company owning Marie Callender's, Banquet, Healthy Choice, Bertolli, and other frozen meal brands. Broad incumbent in retail and foodservice frozen prepared meals with overlapping product categories (pot pies, casseroles, frozen entrees).
• Nestlé USA (Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine): Mass-market frozen prepared meal manufacturer with flagship brands Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine, controlling substantial grocery shelf space and foodservice relationships. Broader portfolio, but directly comparable in frozen entrees and prepared meals.

Regional players

• Dot Foods: Large foodservice redistributor supplying restaurants, schools, healthcare, and government feeding programs. Similar foodservice/government customer footprint but operating as a broadline distributor rather than a manufacturer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jamesfoodsfresh

Compliance1 record

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 James Foods