NEW YORK — Artisanal Brands, Inc. has announced that its registration statement on Form S-1 has become effective with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The registration gives the Company the opportunity to offer shares of its common stock directly to individual investors.
The company has elected to market its shares without the assistance of an investment banking firm. Artisanal has developed a loyal following of customers that it has serviced directly since its inception in 2003. Many of these customers use the Company as a local store where they make repeated purchases for personal consumption and gifts. The "Main Street" approach to this direct stock offering is in the spirit of crowd-funding, where companies are looking to consumers who are interested in a product and want to support the business that delivers that product.
Specialty cheese sales are growing nearly 10% annually and the market size at retail, not including foodservice and E-commerce, is $3.4 billion. Specialty cheese has been the leading product category in the specialty food sector for three straight years. The growth is attributed to greater consumer demand for more natural products and information about the products they consume as part of a healthier lifestyle.
Daniel W. Dowe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Artisanal Brands commented, "Offering an ownership stake in our Company to the customers who are our lifeblood is a major step for us. Loyal customers that own shares of a company contribute more in the form of continued purchases and referrals. Members of our new Owner's Club will have a seat at the table and become part of our Company with voting privileges and attendance at shareholder meetings. Just as social media has transformed E-commerce businesses into a 'corner store' experience; the establishment of the Owner's Club will encourage existing and new customers to become active in our business. Members will also receive enhanced services, quarterly offers of pre-ordered unique cheeses not available in the U.S. market, newsletters about our company and industry, free shipping and we will look for their input as to what we are doing right and wrong to help our business improve.
"Under the Artisanal Premium Cheese brand, we can market an unlimited supply of artisan, specialty and farmstead cheeses. Our overriding goal is to build one umbrella brand that consumers can trust when purchasing specialty cheeses. Just what Kraft did with basic cheeses, we want to accomplish at the specialty cheese category," Dowe concluded.
The Company anticipates that the Artisanal Owner's Club funding will go toward widening its supply of artisan cheeses, paying down initial development stage loans, reaching its goal of making the Company's new retail program available in 500 stores, improving its website and for working capital to ensure its relationships with suppliers remain strong.
For more information on how Artisanal is tapping into its customers' passions for artisan cheese and fostering its growth through its new Owners Club, visit www.artisanalcheese.com/ownersclub .
About Artisanal Premium Cheese
Artisanal Premium Cheese markets and distributes a line of specialty, artisanal and farmstead cheese products, as well as other related specialty food products under its own brand to food wholesalers and retailers, as well as directly to consumers through its catalogue and Web site, artisanalcheese.com. Artisanal Brands, Inc. is based in New York, New York.
Safe Harbor Statement:
Forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on current management expectations that involve risks and uncertainties that may result in such expectations not being realized. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks described in Company filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Source: Artisanal Brands, Inc.
