SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.– Country Archer Jerky Co., the fastest growing jerky brand in the natural channel, has raised $10 million from Monogram Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm focused on growth consumer and retail investments. The new capital infusion marks the third investment Monogram has made in the vertically integrated brand and will enable Country Archer to more than double production capacity at its Southern California-based facility to support exploding consumer demand for its line of clean, gourmet meat snacks.
A heritage brand that first began crafting gourmet jerky more than 30 years ago, Country Archer makes all its jerky at its 30,000 square foot manufacturing plant in San Bernardino. Here the savory aromas of slowly cooked and marinated grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free turkey fill the air daily. More than 100 local employees comprise the production team responsible for creating the brand’s signature, irresistibly delicious meat snacks. The recent move to pursue a new round of investment with the sole focus of increasing this production capacity was made following a record year of growth for Country Archer in Q1-Q3 of 2018.
“What we do at Country Archer is so much more than selling and marketing beef jerky; we are helping to keep the craft of artisan jerky alive by slow cooking our meats in small batches every single day,” said Eugene Kang, CEO & Co-founder at Country Archer Jerky Co. “Having our own dedicated facility and in-house team are critical components to our success as it enables us to capture better gross margins and increase efficiency while of course controlling the quality of every ingredient and the final product. We’re beyond thankful for our partners at Monogram who’ve believed in our mission to change the way people think about meat snacks and are excited about how this new round of funding will enable us to scale quickly and increase production capacity wise.”
Already the #1 jerky brand in the natural channel, Country Archer recently achieved an incredible 25,000+ distribution points across the U.S., in addition to launching in Canada for the first time, and unveiling new Meat Bars in June. The bars were met with immediate positive response going into distribution with retailers like Target, Sprouts, Lucky’s Market, Raley’s, Natural Grocers, Town and Country Markets, New Seasons Market, 7-Eleven and many more. The brand was also named one of the fastest growing companies in 2018 on the Inc. 5000 list.
“While the jerky aisle has become increasingly crowded, a clear separation has emerged in terms of those brands that are driving outsized velocities relative to peers through elevated quality and repeat customer loyalty – and no one is doing this better than Country Archer,” said Jared Stein, Founder & Partner at Monogram Capital Partners. “This is our third investment in the brand and we strongly believe this will help Country Archer further separate from the pack and bring to market some exciting new innovation that is already well underway. The ability to double production capacity in-house is a game changer for Country Archer, who is seeing accelerated velocities consistently across all of its major retailer partners.”
All Country Archer foods are made with the highest quality ingredients, including cuts of extra-lean, USDA-inspected 100 percent grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free turkey, and are free of nitrites, MSG, gluten, soy, antibiotics and added hormones. Country Archer meat snacks are available at conventional, natural, mass, and convenience stores nationwide, including Starbucks, Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, 7-Eleven, Safeway, Smart & Final, Love’s Travel Centers, Speedway, WaWa, Pilot Flying J and Travel Centers of America. For product and sales inquiries, please contact info@countryarcher.com. To learn more about Country Archer, please visit www.countryarcher.com.
About Country Archer Jerky Co.
Country Archer Jerky Co. is a leading producer of delicious gourmet jerky, meat sticks and meat bars. The largest jerky brand in the natural channel, Country Archer crafts all its meat snacks with high-quality, premium and clean ingredients. Made for outdoor adventurers, busy parents, athletes, and all of the everyday doers who want more from their food, Country Archer pushes the envelope with innovative and mouthwatering flavors, and responsibly sourced and organic local ingredients. A great source of protein, each meat snack is crafted with gourmet cuts of extra-lean, USDA-inspected 100 percent grass-fed beef, tender antibiotic-free turkey and pork. All Country Archer products are free of nitrites, MSG, gluten, soy, antibiotics and added hormones. Country Archer meat snacks are available nationwide at fine retailers, including Whole Foods Market, The Fresh Market, Kroger, Starbucks, Sprouts, Target, National Co+op Grocers, Walgreens, 7-Eleven, Safeway, Costco, Wegmans and more. To learn more about Country Archer, visit www.countryarcher.com, ‘like’ us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram or Twitter.
About Monogram Capital Partners
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, and founded in 2014, Monogram Capital Partners has >$200 million in equity capital under management and focuses exclusively on investing in emerging consumer and retail brands. The firm seeks opportunities to partner with founders and strong management teams, typically investing $5-30 million of equity per transaction. The investment in Country Archer represents the firm’s fifteenth investment across ten platform portfolio companies.
Source: Country Archer Jerky Co.
