In the lifecycle of building a brand, there often comes a time to take a big leap in order to open new opportunities. For years, RIND Snacks has operated in an asset-light model where co-manufacturers and service providers helped the dried fruit snack maker ideate and produce its products. Last fall, RIND took the big leap and acquired Vermont-based granola maker Small Batch Organics. The deal positioned RIND with full control of its production for the first time while also providing the company its own warehousing and fulfillment space. The move from co-manufacturing to self-production has already allowed the company to operate at economies of scale and, in the process, improve margins.
An elevated level of operational control has also built out more opportunities in brand collaborations, which have proven successful in the past (look to the collaboration with Lesser Evil on fruit-flavored popcorn varieties). This year, RIND used the granola expertise of the Small Batch Organics team (who were integrated into RIND) to partner with Graza on olive-oil granola, aptly named Grazola. The dried fruit snack brand also leveraged its new capabilities to expand its Remix line (Cherry Cashew Crunch) with rumors of product innovation planned for the new year.
