DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hail Merry, LLC, whose award-winning macaroons and coconut oil ganache tarts have led growth in natural refrigerated snacks and desserts, announced today receipt of investment capital from Dallas-based HBC Investments and Los Angeles-based Powerplant Ventures (PPV), led by Mark Rampolla, founder of ZICO Coconut Water, and Kevin Boylan, co-founder of Veggie Grill.
With this investment both companies become partners with Hail Merry and will enable the company to further expand its consumer and customer marketing and sales support along with distribution.
“We are grateful and excited for this investment from HBC Investments and Powerplant,” said Susan O’Brien, founder of Hail Merry. “Their funding and partnership will allow us to grow our conscious enterprise and expand the number of health savvy consumers who will find Hail Merry snacks in their local stores.”
“Investment capital from two well-respected equity partners and Mark and Kevin’s experience ramping their own brands contribute a deep understanding of the consumer product industry. This infusion of capital will enable us to rapidly scale our growth and focus our distribution channels,” said Sarah Palisi Chapin, Hail Merry CEO.
Powerplant Ventures is the first venture fund to focus on plant-centric businesses that seek to revolutionize our global food system by offering nutrition people need in sustainable and ethical ways. T.K. Pillan (co-founder of Veggie Grill) and Dan Beldy of tech VC firms Hummer Winblad and Steamboat Ventures are also partners in PPV.
HBC Investments is a private equity investment firm with deep operational experience and a track record for accelerated scaling of growth companies. Jim and Hale Hoak, Peter Brodsky and Joe Colonnetta are the firm’s principals and they have contributed to retail, consumer products, manufacturing, energy and media companies. HBC Investments focuses on companies that are in leadership market positions with high barriers to entry.
“Consumers continue to become more interested in food sourcing and pure ingredients, and Hail Merry meets the needs of millennials and mainstream alike,” said Brodsky, of HBC Investments. “We see the growth potential for the brand and are pleased to join Hail Merry to achieve an expanded vision.”
“We believe Hail Merry has that rare combination of great brand, great products, great taste and great team that will allow it to become a mega-brand in healthy snacks and desserts,” said Rampolla, who successfully scaled ZICO and sold it to the Coca Cola Company and has been an active health and wellness investor. “Consumers who know and love Hail Merry (like me) want to see it everywhere and those who don’t know it yet will soon, and they’ll love it, too.”
Evale Holdings and Bedrock Holdings will continue as major investors in the business as will Hail Merry principals, O’Brien, Chapin and Alison Brushaber, chief product officer.
Hail Merry’s customers include Whole Foods Market, Virgin America, OMNI Hotels and Resorts, HEB and Central Market, Natural Grocers/Vitamin Cottage and Costco. The company also seeks to reach growing demand for its line with independent natural stores and cooperatives as well as other retailers with an interest in natural foods.
About Hail Merry
Hail Merry is a category redefining snack-food company born out of yoga culture. Susan O’Brien founded the company in 2008 to create great tasting snacks from pure ingredients that are consciously sourced and prepared in innovative ways. O’Brien, along with CEO Sarah Palisi Chapin and Chief Product Officer, Alison Brushaber, lead the company with conscious capitalism as the core of their mission and value system for the company. All Hail Merry Snacks and Desserts are certified gluten-free, non-GMO verified, vegan, and kosher. www.hailmerry.com
