US: Tusk leads $1m equity investment for nut butter maker Natural Way

  • 5 March 2021
  • Start-ups
Brothers Austin and Quinn Simkins founded the company in 2017 to offer nut butter products made with sustainable olive oil
From left: Natural Way co-founders Quinn and Austin Simkins
From left: Natural Way co-founders Quinn and Austin Simkins.
Photo as seen on Natural Way’s Facebook page

Nut butter products maker Natural Way Food Group has secured $1 million to accelerate growth. The capital raise was led by Tusk Private Investment, a private investment firm with offices in Dallas and Northwest Arkansas focused on investing in and supporting top-tier operators in high-growth businesses.

Headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Natural Way manufactures, sells, and distributes clean, sustainable nut butter products that are currently sold by Amazon and in select Walmart, Whole Foods, Safeway/Albertsons, Sprouts, Central Market, and Harps stores in the US.

The company was founded by brothers Austin and Quinn Simkins in 2017, armed with a family peanut butter recipe and a passion for health and sustainability.

“This capital raise will allow Natural Way Food Group to invest in all facets of our business,” says co-founder Simkins.  “We feel great about our current product portfolio and retailer partnerships. We are excited to be able to expand distribution and deliver more healthy and sustainable products to market. We are also focused on investing in people, filling important positions and expanding our already great team.”

Photo as seen on the company Facebook page

The Natural Way brand offers, what it claims to be the first and only nut butters on the market made with olive oil, a healthier and more sustainable alternative to palm oil, which currently dominates the shelves and can be devastating to the environment.

Tusk managing partner Aaron Pierce said: “Natural Way is truly representative of the type of businesses we’re looking to invest in and partner with. Founders Austin and Quinn Simkins have developed a category leading product that tastes exceptional and is both healthier for you and better for the environment.”

Pierce argued the unique combination of talented founders of a well-run family business, doubling revenues annually with a superior product, in a growing category segment is rare to find. “And we’re excited to grow Natural Way and support their continued expansion over the coming years.”