Meet the big food company in Memphis you don’t know exists

By Ellen Chamberlain – Daily Memphian

January 4, 2026

Packages of frozen egg bites, pancakes-and-sausage-on-a-stick, corndogs and other frozen foods start their journey to retailers across the country from Memphis.

Those products come from Memphis-based Monogram Foods, a quietly influential company whose impact reaches kitchens nationwide.

“Our food is probably in your freezer at home, or you’re enjoying it at breakfast on your way to work,” said Liz McKee, Monogram’s director of corporate communications.

But consumers may never realize the products they enjoy are produced by Monogram. Most packaging does not carry the company’s branding. Instead, products are labeled under the brands of Monogram’s corporate customers.

Those clients include major restaurant brands with grocery store presence, meat snack companies, and large fast-casual chains. While many consumers recognize those brands, Monogram typically keeps its client list confidential.

Who is Monogram

Monogram Foods’ portfolio includes frozen foods, snacks, and bacon products, managed by specialized teams. The company employs about 3,500 people across 13 locations in the eastern United States, with headquarters in Crosstown Concourse in Memphis and about 150 local employees.

CEO Jeff Frank said the company’s size allows it to move quickly while staying aligned with customer needs.

“Every launch considers the customer first,” Frank said. “We want our products to be relevant and useful, not just creative.”

Some of Monogram’s owned brands include King’s Rightly Seasoned (formerly King Cotton), which produces bacon and sausages, and Circle B Brand sausages.

The company operates manufacturing facilities across the country, including in Wisconsin, where it produces items like stuffed potato skins and cheese snacks, and in Massachusetts, where it makes ready-to-eat sandwiches.

“We’re big enough to have the right people in the right places but not so big that things get lost in the shuffle,” Frank said.

Innovations on the menu

Monogram’s frozen division, led by senior vice president Palmer Jackson and senior director of R&D Stephanie Lockwood, develops and manufactures the company’s frozen product lines.

Recently, the division has focused on sweet and savory pastries produced at its Boston-area facilities, with product concepts developed in Memphis.

“Frozen pastry has been a growing space for us,” Jackson said. “And there’s a lot of good products coming out over the next year or so.”

Lockwood said successful product development depends on anticipating trends and aligning with both client and consumer preferences.

For example, the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic has influenced food demand.

“GLP-1s reduce overall calorie intake,” Lockwood said. “So we build more protein into our products to make them more appealing for those lifestyles.”

Company culture

“I love that our work is dynamic,” said Iesha Harris, a commercialization project manager. “We take ideas from sales and R&D, and once a concept is confirmed, we develop it in real time. Every product is unique, every launch varies, and that keeps things exciting.”

Harris, who has been with the company for five years, said Monogram’s culture played a key role in her decision to join.

“The company values my professional opinion and is intentional about my growth,” she said. “There are always opportunities to learn and contribute.”

She is also involved in the company’s Black Inclusion Group, which supports employees and fosters professional development.

McKee said employee engagement is a core part of Monogram’s strategy.

The company also supports communities through the Monogram Foods Loves Kids foundation, which awards $60,000 annually to each of nine communities where it operates. Since 2004, the foundation has donated about $7 million to charitable organizations.

“Even though our support center is in Memphis, we invest in every community where our people live and work,” Frank said.

Internally, Monogram provides employee assistance funds, reviews policies for fairness, and supports professional development.

“We’re in the business of making food and taking care of our customers,” McKee said. “But to do that well, we must take care of our people.”