The research is going well! I found out the founder of Annie's is a woman named Ann Withey, and while she no longer runs the company, she started it by designing her own recipes out of her Connecticut farmhouse (fun fact – I’m from Connecticut). You know that delicious white cheddar popcorn, Smartfood? She made that, around fifteen years before Annie's, but sold it to Frito Lay for 15 million dollars. Turns out this was a good call, as she used that money to start the new surprisingly successful company. It grew at an accelerated rate – by 1995, the company had its first Direct Public Offering, raising investment dollars recorded at $3.35 million and is featured in something like 52% of supermarkets nationwide. (http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Annies-Homegrown-Inc-Company-History.html). Damn!
Companies (like Solera capital, never heard of it) are investing to help Annie’s become more of a presence in mainstream supermarkets and persuade natural food stores to carry a broader range of their products ("Deal should help natural Mac & Cheese maker boost presence in supermarkets." The Food Institute Report). Oh yeah, Annie’s sells way more than mac and cheese! I’ll have to talk about that later because lab report lab report lab report.
First of all, I care very deeply about how much air pressure is inside a hot air balloon at STP, and do not appreciate the implication that this is not a serious concern.
ReplyDeleteBut on a serious note, it's interesting to learn the rather obscure origins of a major company like Annie's. I actually always kind of hated that Smartfood popcorn stuff, but now when I see it in the supermarket I won't think "Ew, that stuff is so gross," but rather, "Hey, that's where Annie's came from!" And Annie's I'm definitely cool with! It's interesting that it's such a well-established brand but, as you say in your blog, it's still trying to get more of a mainstream presence even today. I guess you could call it a "cult" company.