In a recent article, Forbes staff writer Chloe Sorvino interviewed Country Archer Founder Eugene Kang for an article entitled: How a Bold 35-Year-Old CEO FIred Up A $100 Million Jerky Brand. Read excerpts from the article below.
"Country Archer’s Eugene Kang grew up stocking shelves at his parents’ gas station convenience stores. Now he’s producing one of the fastest-growing better-for-you snack foods in America."
His description of the Country Archer Jerky factory is on point:
"The tang of vinegar and soy sauce laced with the pungent scent of raw beef hits immediately as Eugene Kang, CEO of Country Archer, steps into his jerky factory in San Bernardino, California. Slabs of five-pound rounds get injected via 100 needles with a mango and habanero marinade—and, after soaking it all in overnight, the meat then moves into low-and-slow ovens. All told, Country Archer produces about 22,000 pounds of jerky a day, or some 500,000 pounds each month, from this facility."
Forbes also outlined the current state of the jerky sector, saying:
"And the brand has been a bright spot in the jerky sector—which is otherwise struggling. Sales of jerky dropped more than 4% in the past year, as grocery buyers are ordering less than previous years. But Country Archer’s jerky and meat sticks are the fastest-growing and have even drawn in some customers
away from other snacks—of the new consumers eating jerky, some 16% come from chips, 12% of protein bars, and 9% of seed, nut and trail mixes shoppers, according to grocery sales data.
Customers at retailers, including Harris Teeter, Wegmans, Sprouts, Ahold Delhaize and Albertson’s, are flocking to Country Archer’s grass-fed and zero-sugar jerkies, alongside non-traditional retailers such as AMC movie theaters, REI, and hotels brands such as Hilton and Marriott."
