Milling & Baking News Corporate Profiles - 2015 - (Page 88)

Company Overview Company Overview The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. Catering to millennials helps fuel company growth T he Hain Celest ial Group, Inc. achieved more than 100,000 new points of distribution at retailers across the country this year. Hain has been growing through the expansion of such retail partners as Whole Foods and Sprouts, but now the company appears to be reaching a new growth phase as more mainstream retailers seek to stock their shelves with products in Hain's sweet spot. "I have never seen so much demand, so many retailers wanting to bring more and more natural, organic products, including our on-line business of Amazon, and many other direct retailers that are looking to get into the natural organic product line," Irwin Simon, chairman, president 2015 net sales - $2.7 billion Chief executive officer - Irwin Simon Top brands - 88 \ October 2015 Celestial Seasonings Hain Pure Foods Garden of Eatin' Greek Gods Yogurt Terra Chips and chief executive officer of the Hain Celestial Group, said May 6 in a conference call with financial analysts to discuss third-quarter results. The company's new points of distribution (PODs) include 50,000 new PODs at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.; 26,000 at Target Stores; 21,000 at Kroger; and 11,000 at Publix Stores. "We had the early adopters like Kroger and Publix, but we are starting to see a whole second tier of retailers, say: 'Look, this trend is for real; it's key for us to attract millennials that we play in this area; and we need some help working our strategy,'" said John Carroll, executive vicepresident and chief executive officer of Hain Celestial North America, during an Aug. 18 earnings call with financial analysts. Reaching millennials has been the motivation behind much of Hain's activity. The company reinvigorated its Celestial Seasonings tea business to reach a younger audience by enhancing its packaging and introducing new tea varieties and ready-to-drink options. To grow the brand further, the company plans to consider the single-serve category and K-Cups, Mr. Simon said. "If you come back and look at the K-Cup category and its growth, tea has not got its share of it," Mr. Simon said. "Millennials are a big part of that. We need to be controlling that, and we are in the midst of trying to do some things there to make that a bigger part of Celestial Seasonings." In March, Hain Celestial paid $57.6 million for the remaining 80% of EK Holdings, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Empire Kosher Poultry, Inc., that it did not already own. The acquisition brought the Kosher Valley brand into Hain's fold. Kosher Valley is the first brand of certified kosher antibiotic-free, vegetarian fed and humanely raised all natural branded chicken and turkey products. In the year ahead, Hain said it is working to improve some of its offerings in the natural channel, including Imagine soups, Dream plant-based beverages and MaraNatha nut butters, which were recalled last year following a Salmonella scare but are now returning to shelves. "Those are three key brands that we're putting quite a bit of effort against, and we think that we can dictate our own fortunes in the natural channel by investing in those businesses and driving increased consumption against what I'd argue is probably a low base in that channel," Mr. Carroll said. CP Milling & Baking News * Food Business News * Baking & Snack * Meat+Poultry Corporate Profiles

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Milling & Baking News Corporate Profiles - 2015

Milling & Baking News Corporate Profiles - 2015
Table of Contents
Editorial - With growth elusive, its pursuit only intensifies
Industry Review: Grain-based Foods
Industry Review: Packaged Foods
Can K-Cups kick-start soup?
Industry Review: Beverages
Industry Review: Meat and Poultry
Industry Review: Dairy
Industry Review: Confectionery
Industry Review: Food Service
Industry Review: Clean Label
Company Overview - Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V.
Company Overview - Campbell Soup Co.
Company Overview - Coca-Cola Co.
Company Overview - ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Company Overview - Flowers Foods, Inc.
Company Overview - General Mills, Inc.
Company Overview - The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.
Company Overview - The Hershey Co.

Milling & Baking News Corporate Profiles - 2015