Killer Brownie partners with the IFG portfolio

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Killer Brownie partners with the IFG portfolio

1 Aug 2024

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

GARDENA, CA — Irresistible Foods Group (IFG), a family-owned house of brands including King’s Hawaiian, Grillo’s Pickles, Shaka Tea, Innovation Bakers and the IFG Restaurant Group, is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Miamisburg, OH-based The Killer Brownie Co., a top-selling gourmet brownie company, to accelerate future growth for the Killer Brownie brand.

Cody Peak Advisors and the Baird Business Owner Solutions group assisted in completing the partnership.

Killer Brownie’s premium products, known for indulgent flavors and textures, were originally sold in Dayton, OH-based Dorothy Lane Market, a family-owned, upscale regional grocer. The Killer Brownie brand was, in fact, founded by Norman Mayne, Dorothy Lane’s CEO, in 1988.

Since then, Killer Brownie has expanded its reach to grocery stores in several markets throughout the US. In just over a decade, the operation has outgrown two manufacturing facilities, and the brand has experienced triple-digit growth since 2019.

The baking company is led by CEO Chimene Ross, who has been part of Killer Brownie since 2013. She led the sales team, then served as chief customer officer and president, before being named as CEO in July. Ross credits much of the brand’s growth to investing in strong sales and marketing teams.

“The IFG team and the Taira family have been amazing to work with. Like us, they prioritize people and culture first.” — Chimene Ross | CEO | The Killer Brownie Co.

While the indulgent product line and innovative marketing are hallmarks of the Killer Brownie brand, the company is well-known for its values-based corporate culture.

Alignment with these values was a primary driver for the partnership with IFG.

“It’s not in our nature to take on partners, so in order for us to do so, it would have to be with a very special family-owned business who would share the same values that we have at Killer Brownie and Dorothy Lane Market,” Mayne said. “We found such a family, the Taira family, and their president John Linehan. For us, the future is bright to have partners who are such incredible folks.”

IFG operates on a decentralized model, retaining individual company leadership for each brand. As such, Killer Brownie’s executive team and management group plan to remain in place, including Ross as CEO and Matt Ross as COO, leading the company to a great future.

“The IFG team and the Taira family have been amazing to work with,” Chimene said. “Like us, they prioritize people and culture first. The future is going to be ‘Killer.’”

The original IFG business was founded in 1950 in Hilo, HI, as a small bakery that became known on the Big Island as the King’s Hawaiian brand. Almost 75 years later, it is still family-owned as IFG.

“This is a partnership between two wonderful families that share similar values and long records of being great employers and members of their communities,” said John Linehan, IFG president. “They are also close friends who have been talking about and planning this partnership for several years. We could not be more excited about our future together.”

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