Justin’s
Justin's is a Boulder, Colorado-based organic CPG brand founded in 2004 that produces nut butters, nut butter cups, chocolate candy pieces, and chocolate bars sold through natural and mass-market retailers plus e-commerce to health-conscious consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Justin’s does
Justin's is a Boulder, Colorado-based consumer packaged goods brand that produces organic nut butters, nut butter cups, chocolate candy pieces, and chocolate candy bars. Founded in 2004 by Justin Gold at a Boulder farmers market, the company built its identity around USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Rainforest Alliance-certified, gluten-free, and Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil-sourced ingredients across its product portfolio. The brand is best known for its peanut and almond butters in flavors including Classic, Honey, Maple, Cinnamon, Vanilla, and Coconut, and for chocolate-covered peanut, almond, and cashew butter cups in milk, dark, white, and crispy varieties. In 2025 the company extended into peanut-caramel-nougat chocolate bars.
The business operates a wholesale retail and DTC e-commerce model, distributing products through natural grocery retailers (Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, The Fresh Market), mass-market retailers (Target, Stop & Shop), and e-commerce channels including Amazon and its own website. Marketing relies on owned content, recipe assets, and organic social on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok, with no disclosed enterprise contracts and no proprietary technology stack.
Following its 2016 acquisition by Hormel Foods, Justin's was divested in two steps in 2025: a definitive agreement signed in October 2025 with Forward Consumer Partners, and a December 2025 close in which Forward acquired a 51% majority stake while Hormel retained 49%. Justin's now operates as a standalone private company led by CEO Peter Burns, with founder Justin Gold returning as strategic advisor and a rebuilt C-suite including COO, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer, Chief Sales Officer, SVP Marketing & E-commerce, and VP Brand roles.
Justin’s firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Justin’s
- Legal name
- Justin's, LLC
- Website
- https://justins.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Justin's is a Boulder, Colorado-based organic CPG brand founded in 2004 that produces nut butters, nut butter cups, chocolate candy pieces, and chocolate bars sold through natural and mass-market retailers plus e-commerce to health-conscious consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Justin’s industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Nut Butters and Confections
- NAICS
- Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352), Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113)
- SIC
- Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Chocolate & Candy Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Nuts, Seeds & Trail Mix Snacks (CRADABAF)
Keywords
Where Justin’s is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Justin’s business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consumer Packaged Goods Sales: Justin’s generates revenue through the sale of nut butters, nut butter cups, chocolate candy pieces, and chocolate candy bars through retail and e-commerce channels.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Justin’s product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Justin's manufactures and sells organic nut butters (peanut and almond in multiple flavors), chocolate-covered nut butter cups (peanut, almond, cashew), organic chocolate candy pieces, and chocolate candy bars. Products are sold through natural and mainstream grocery retailers and e-commerce channels, emphasizing USDA Organic, Non-GMO, Rainforest Alliance, and Gluten-Free certifications.
Product overview
Justin’s is a specialty food brand offering a portfolio of organic nut butters, nut butter cups, chocolate candy pieces, and chocolate candy bars. The core product lines include: Nut Butters (peanut and almond butter varieties in Classic, Honey, Maple, Cinnamon, Vanilla, and Coconut flavors); Nut Butter Cups (chocolate-covered peanut, almond, and cashew butter cups in multiple chocolate varieties including Milk, Dark, White, and Crispy); Chocolate Candy Pieces (organic chocolate-covered peanut butter pieces with candy shells); and Chocolate Candy Bars (peanut caramel nougat bars in Milk and Dark Chocolate). All products emphasize organic, non-GMO, and mindfully-sourced ingredients. The company operates as a standalone entity following a 2025 partnership between Hormel Foods and Forward Consumer Partners, with Forward holding 51% ownership and Hormel retaining 49%.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nut Butters Organic peanut butter and almond butter varieties in multiple flavors including Classic, Honey, Maple, Cinnamon, Vanilla, and Coconut. USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and made with mindfully-sourced ingredients; targeted at health-conscious consumers.
- Nut Butter Cups Chocolate-covered nut butter cups in Peanut (Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Crispy), Almond (Dark Chocolate), and Cashew (Dark Chocolate) varieties. Certified USDA Organic, Rainforest Alliance, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Gluten-Free.
- Chocolate Candy Pieces Organic chocolate-covered candy pieces with a peanut butter or peanut butter crisp center, available in Dark Chocolate Peanut and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter varieties. Certified gluten-free and made with natural colorings from fruits and vegetables.
- Chocolate Candy Bars Chocolate candy bars featuring peanut caramel nougat, available in Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate varieties, plus mini bag formats. Organic and certified as part of Justin's expanded confection line.
Companies that use Justin’s
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Justin’s technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Justin’s partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Justin’s competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lily's Sweets: Stevia-sweetened chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, and baking chips; direct competitor in the better-for-you chocolate cup and bar category with similar natural grocery channel presence.
- Hu Kitchen: Paleo-friendly chocolate bars and confectionery with clean-label and paleo certifications; directly comparable better-for-you chocolate product format competing in natural and mainstream grocery.
- Peanut Butter & Co: Direct nut butter competitor offering flavored peanut and almond butters through retail and DTC channels; comparable specialty/specialty-natural positioning targeting health-conscious consumers.
- Barney Butter: Premium almond butter brand with nationwide retail distribution in natural and mainstream channels; directly comparable product format (jarred nut butters) and clean-label positioning.
- Nutiva: Organic, non-GMO superfood brand offering nut butters and related spreads with comparable certification stack (USDA Organic, Non-GMO) and natural-channel retail distribution.
Emerging players
- Unreal Snacks: Better-for-you chocolate snacks (chocolate-coated nuts, coconut bars) competing for the same shelf set as Justin's nut butter cups and candy pieces in natural and mainstream grocery.
- Artisana Organics: Organic nut and seed butters with comparable USDA Organic, raw, and clean-label positioning; competes in the premium nut butter category in natural and specialty retail.
Broad incumbents
- The J.M. Smucker Company: Diversified packaged food company whose Smucker's Natural Balance and Santa Cruz Organic nut butters compete with Justin's across conventional and natural grocery channels.
- The Hershey Company: Largest North American chocolate manufacturer with premium and better-for-you extensions (Lily's, SkinnyPop, Dot's); competes directly with Justin's confectionery and increasingly in better-for-you nut butter cups.
- Mars, Incorporated: Global confectionery leader with KIND Snacks and RXBAR acquisitions, providing deep competition across better-for-you snacking and chocolate categories.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Justin’s social profiles
Digital presenceJustin’s financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Justin’s leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Justin’s funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Justin’s M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Justin’s
What does Justin’s do?
Justin's manufactures and sells organic nut butters (peanut and almond in multiple flavors), chocolate-covered nut butter cups (peanut, almond, cashew), organic chocolate candy pieces, and chocolate candy bars. Products are sold through natural and mainstream grocery retailers and e-commerce channels, emphasizing USDA Organic, Non-GMO, Rainforest Alliance, and Gluten-Free certifications.
Is Justin’s a public or private company?
Justin’s is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Justin’s founded?
Justin’s was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Justin’s based?
Justin’s is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
How does Justin’s make money?
One revenue line is on record: consumer Packaged Goods Sales.
Who are Justin’s's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lily's Sweets, Hu Kitchen, Peanut Butter & Co, Barney Butter and Nutiva. Emerging players are Unreal Snacks and Artisana Organics. Broad incumbents are The J.M. Smucker Company, The Hershey Company and Mars, Incorporated.
Does Justin’s have an API?
No public API is recorded for Justin’s.
What industry is Justin’s in?
Justin’s's product category is Specialty Nut Butters and Confections. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAIAM, Chocolate & Candy Snacks Manufacturing, with a secondary code of CRADABAF, Nuts, Seeds & Trail Mix Snacks. Its NAICS code is 311352 and its SIC code is 2060.