So, you’re thinking about starting your own popcorn brand. The quickest and easiest way to start your own gourmet popcorn business is by using a reputable popcorn manufacturer/co-packer. Unlike dedicated wholesalers, manufacturers and co-packers have the ability to private label their products for sell under any other brand name. Here are 10 of the Best Gourmet Popcorn Manufacturers and Co-Packers in the US.
1. Snacktime Express – Montgomery, Texas
Located 30 miles north of Houston, Texas, Snacktime Express manufactures over 40 flavors of gourmet popcorn. They are a registered manufacturer with both the state of Texas and the FDA. They make custom flavors to customer’s specifications. Snacktime Express offers private labeling, an on-site nutritionist, artwork design services, and cooks all of their popcorn in coconut oil. Snacktime Express works with both small retail to large big box stores. They work with both short and long-term agreements.
2. Shearer’s Foods – Massillon, Ohio
Shearer’s is known for producing the highest quality conventional, organic, gluten free, non-GMO and kosher salty snacks in assorted flavors and sizes, including kettle cooked potato chips, traditional potato chips, tortilla chips, rice crisps, popcorn, baked chips, cheese curls, a variety of pellet based and extruded snacks, as well as a full line of national brands equivalent and value cookies, crackers and wafers.
3. Snak King – California and Minnesota
With operations on the West Coast and the Midwest, Snak King is a well-known snack food conglomerate. Throughout the years, they have been able to build a portfolio of both private label and branded snack products across all industry categories. They have been known as a company that has maintained a nimble, entrepreneurial spirit since their founding, even as they have grown from 1,200 square feet to over 700,000 square feet. They now produce snacks for customers nationally and internationally.
4. Wyandot Snacks – Marion, Ohio
Centrally located in Ohio, Wyandot’s manufacturing and warehouse facilities are located within a day’s drive of two-thirds of the US population. On site logistics department providing truckload, LTL and intermodal transit solutions averaging over 99.75% order fill rate.
5. Jody’s Popcorn – Norfolk, Virginia
Jody’s Popcorn has operations solely in Norfolk, Virginia, and operates not just manufacturing, but distributes their own brand online, in several retail stores, and in their own brick and mortar stores. With a dedicated factory and an impressive list of flavors, Jody’s Popcorn can meet most customer needs.
6. Herr’s Snacks – Nottingham, Pennsylvania
Founded by Jim Herr, this snack company is considered a household name throughout the midwest and the east coast. They are also the ones behind the scenes for several other popcorn and potato chip brands.
7. A.L. Schutzman Company – Waukesha, Wisconsin
Since 1921, the A.L. Schutzman Company has been providing quality products and dependable service. Manufacturer and co-packer of nuts, trail mixes, dried fruits, chocolate, candy and flavored popcorn.
8. Preferred Popcorn – Omaha, Nebraska
Preferred Popcorn celebrates one of the highest customer retention rates in the industry and welcomes popcorn connoisseurs from all over the globe. They take people on tractor rides and tours – only now those fields might also be in any of the seven states where Preferred Popcorn grows. Now, our customers will find the latest storage and processing technology run by highly qualified teams of experts at each of our locations. And, they are led by highly experienced farmers who spend much of their days in their fields overseeing the growth and integrity of the product they send around the world.
9. Barrel O’ Fun Snacks – Perham, Minnesota
From salty to savory, Barrel O’ Fun produces an extensive line of snack foods including potato chips, tortilla chips, cheese puffs, corn pops and pretzels. Using only quality ingredients and a superior cooking method, they create great tasting snacks that families love to share.
10. Uncle Pops – Gardena, California
Featured on the OWN Network, Uncle Pops is an FDA certified co-packer exclusively specializing in gourmet popcorn. They can produce using their own recipes, or the recipes of their customers.
When looking for a company to produce your brand, you must verify that they can produce the quantity needed, the quality is high and the price point is within your budget.