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Jeff Brinkhoff, CEO
Jeff Brinkhoff, CEO

2012 Dynamic Dozen No. 8: Red Monkey Foods

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The team at Mount Vernon-based Red Monkey Foods stayed busy in 2011, selling some 4.5 million spice units and generating more than $7 million in revenues, according to President Jeff Brinkhoff.  The company achieved triple-digit growth 2009-11.

Founded in 2002, Red Monkey produces spices, spice grinders, rubs and other food products under Brinkhoff & Monoson Inc., providing private label spices for retailers including Target and Safeway. Its Red Monkey brand was added in 2004.

Brinkhoff says most of the company’s recent growth is in the private sector, through the addition of new clients including The Fresh Market and Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc.

Red Monkey brand spices are available at RedMonkeyFoods.com and through retailers such as Price Cutter and Harter House grocery stores.

Dan Grider, store manager of Harter House’s Eastgate location, says the store carries several, but not all, of Red Monkey’s spices, and particularly, those that would go well with the store’s meats.

“They have some spice grinders for grilling, and we carry some of those, and we carry some of the basic spices,” Grider says.

He notes that carrying products from companies such as Red Monkey fits with Harter House’s efforts to support local businesses.

“If you’ve got a great local product that supports the local community … why not carry it?” he says.

In 2011, Red Monkey cracked Inc. magazine’s Inc. 500 list, debuting on the list at No. 465, making it one of only three local companies on the list that year. The company was No. 4 on Springfield Business Journal’s 2011 Dynamic Dozen list.

Top sellers for Red Monkey include Mango Habanera Rub, Cajun Spice Rub and Roasted Raspberry Chipotle.

The company continues to expand its lineup based on research and has added products as the market dictates.

“We’ve come out with some dipping blends, and we’ve also come out with some Bloody Mary grinders,” Brinkhoff says. The bread dipping blends come in roasted garlic and herbs, sun-dried tomato Parmesan and northern Italian flavors and sell for $3.49 apiece, according to the company’s Web site.

Red Monkey also recently expanded its packaging options to broaden its reach to customers.

“We’re now offering bagged spices in small, one- to three-ounce bags,” he added.

In recent years, the company has begun purchasing its packaging materials directly from manufacturers, when doing so makes sense for the bottom line.

“When appropriate, depending on volume, we’ll go create our own bottle molds and buy directly from the manufacturer,” Brinkhoff says. “Certain packaging options, we don’t have that luxury because we don’t have the volume.”

The company’s work force has more than doubled to 56, from 26 in 2009. While Brinkhoff noted that managing the company’s growth hasn’t always been easy, he’s working to keep the momentum going, pushing toward projected revenues of $11 million in 2012.

Up next is a mid-March launch of a new platform aimed at bolstering the company’s online business.

“We’re working toward really busting out our Web presence and trying to build a bigger brand or cult following through social media and e-commerce sales,” Brinkhoff says, noting that he already has hired one staffer to handle social media, with plans to add another to handle outreach on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

“We’re putting an emphasis on creating an online community for repeat sales for growing the business,” he added.

He’s also exploring the possibility of branching beyond spices and adding complementary lines to diversify the company.

“There are multiple categories, and we’re still doing our due diligence (and) looking at the marketplace to make the right decision,” he says.

Click here for the complete 2012 Dynamic Dozen overview.[[In-content Ad]]

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