Portage-based BNutty Gourmet Peanut Butter is bringing its peanut butter goodness to Saudi Arabia.
The company plans to double its international sales to the market this year.
BNutty has been working to expand its products internationally since 2021. Food Export-Midwest has assisted BNutty with that process. Food Export’s Branded Program helped to defer costs associated with marketing BNutty’s products internationally.
“Food Export has been a critical partner for BNutty,” said Carol Podolak, co-founder of BNutty, in a press release. “They make it possible for us to succeed overseas and grow our business back home.”
BNutty began with two moms on a soccer field. They were unhappy with fundraisers that promoted unhealthy food choices. They hatched the idea to create a gourmet peanut butter to help young athletes raise money for their soccer team tournament expenses.
The product’s popularity grew. The soccer team began selling their peanut butter at a weekly farmers market booth. They expanded their flavor combinations, offering white chocolate peanut butter, and toffee and milk chocolate peanut butter. Soon BNutty products were in local grocery stores and then sold nationally. Today their products are sold in 13 countries.
Food Export uses funding from the Market Access Program (MAP) to help small businesses increase their exports of food and agricultural products. BNutty, a minority and woman-owned company, is an example of the program’s success. Since 2014, BNutty has added 74 jobs. They have expanded from a home kitchen to a 48,000-square-foot facility.
Food Export-Midwest is a nonprofit organization. It works in collaboration with state departments of agriculture and the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. The organization offers programs that help boost agricultural exports. As exports increase, these businesses create jobs and strengthen the country’s agricultural economy.
