Sprout Organic and CROSSMARK announce market-leading partnership

With this agreement, Sprout is investing in proven capabilities that will drive growth of the Sprout brand nationally. Sprout gains a knowledgeable salesforce with a solid track record in the organic space and access to more than 5,500 retail merchandisers across the country. Retailers will benefit from collaborative planning to bring dynamic innovation and category/shopper insights to the rapid growing organic segment of the baby category.

The partnership with CROSSMARK is an important part of a major new brand investment by Sprout, under new ownership of private equity firm North Castle Partners, and a new CEO, Rick Klauser, a 10-year veteran of Gerber. The brand revitalization was ignited earlier this year with a packaging graphic redesign, the launch of 15 new products and a major marketing investment to drive retailer and baby category growth. Sprout also plans to build on its momentum, by adding new items in the fall, including Sprout Smash, an Organic Fruit Puree snack expanding the brand into the Squeezable Snack category. The improved speed-to-shelf capability will allow parents to find healthy, whole organic foods at their favorite retailers.

"Securing national distribution and strong retailer partnerships are both strategic priorities for us.  Our new relationship with CROSSMARK represents a significant building block to achieve this important milestone," said Rick Klauser, CEO of Sprout. "Organic baby food is a millennial mom's expectation for what's best for her baby!  Parents are setting a higher bar for product quality and clean, honest, labeling. It's no surprise that this would influence the expectations parents have for premium organic purees that we deliver through our Honesty Pledge: Non-GMO, Only Whole Fruits & Vegetables (never concentrates, preservatives fillers or thickeners), and transparent labeling." 

"CROSSMARK is honored to work alongside Sprout as they continue to grow and set the standard in organics. Our analytics capabilities and retail representation across the country will help Sprout drive an increasing presence nationwide as they bring 'real, honest and pure' products to market and give parents increasing confidence in their choices," said Steve Schuckenbrock, CEO of CROSSMARK. "This partnership is a win- win."

About Sprout Organic
Sprout Nutrition (formerly Sprout Organic Foods) provides premium organic foods for babies, toddlers and their families that encourage happy and healthy eating. Founded in 2009, Sprout was the first company to introduce baby food in a pouch, triggering the explosion of the organic baby food pouch segment in the U.S. The company uses only organic and GMO-free ingredients and unique cooking methods to create tasty, nutritious combinations that appeal to all ages. Sprout believes that a meal is more than nourishment: it's a chance to inspire. That's why the company is committed to developing an early love of healthy, whole ORGANIC foods. For more information, visit http://www.sproutorganicfoods.com.

About CROSSMARK, Inc.
CROSSMARK is a leading sales and marketing services company that provides growth solutions for consumer-branded suppliers and retailers. For more than 100 years, CROSSMARK has helped the world's most powerful brands achieve their business objectives across major classes of trade. Expertise includes Headquarter Sales, Retail Merchandising, Retailer Solutions, Shopper and Consumer Engagement, In-Store Events, Experiential Marketing, Shopper Marketing, In-Store Data Collection & Field Intelligence, and Analytics & Insights.

CROSSMARK is majority owned by Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, CROSSMARK employs over 40,000 people throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

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SOURCE CROSSMARK

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