In 2021, Minneapolis, Minnesota based Jonny Pops LLC used Food Export-Midwest’s Branded Program to gain brand awareness for their fruit and cream bars in China. JonnyPops used their allocated Branded Program funds to ship product samples to prospective buyers. With these efforts, in February of 2022, JonnyPops reported significant sales of $85,000 to China with projected sales over $400,000 over the next twelve months. The company also gained 3 new foreign buyer contacts and establishing 3 new distributorships. This sale to China also marks a first-time sale to the market for the Minnesota supplier!
The Minnesota supplier continued to focus expanding their market share to China in 2022. The company used Food Export-Midwest’s Branded Program again to promote their ice cream novelty products by shipping samples to potential buyers in the country. These efforts helped them gain a significant increase in sales to China and they have already applied for Branded Program funding for 2023 to continue to expand their market share.
JonnyPops was founded in a St. Olaf College dorm room and sold its first pops at Twin Cities farmers’ markets and local cafes in 2012. Today, JonnyPops employs 80 people, and their products are sold in major retailers across 50 states and now internationally. On a mission to create a Better Pop for a Better world, JonnyPops are made with simple ingredients and each stick includes an inspiring message, a hallmark of the brand, reflecting the values of the company by placing kindness at the center of every pop.
Since 2016 JonnyPops has participated in Food Export’s Market Access Program (MAP) funded Branded Program, they have been featured in the U.S. FoodLink Featured Products section, attended Buyers Missions, Focused Trade Missions, and has products listed in the Online Product Catalog.
Food Export uses funding from the Market Access Program (MAP) to help America’s small businesses increase their exports of food and agricultural products. As these exports increase, these small businesses are creating jobs and improving the strength and stability of our agricultural economy. Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast are non-profit organizations that work in collaboration with their member state departments of agriculture and the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. They offer a wide range of programs and services that help boost America’s agricultural exports.
