For the Reporter

Pop Gourmet Popcorn is expanding into new international markets beginning with the Middle East, company officials announced this week.

The moves comes off a a breakthrough year of food industry acclaim and a 300-percent spike in domestic sales, company officials said.

The company has finalized an exclusive partnership with the Dubai-based Landmark Group, a leading retail and hospitality conglomerate that distributes products into nearly 1,400 stores in 19 countries throughout the Middle East and India.

As part of the agreement, Landmark gains exclusive rights to the distribution of Pop Gourmet Popcorn products in the region beginning in January and, as target sales milestones are reached, will share in the costs of a plant to produce Pop Gourmet products in Dubai.

“The Landmark Group has more than 40 years of experience selling consumer products in the Middle East region and believes we can collectively achieve more than $10 million in sales by 2015,” said David Israel, president and CEO of Pop Gourmet Popcorn. “We are very fortunate to have them as a distribution partner and look forward to a mutually-beneficial relationship in the years ahead.”

During 2013, Pop Gourmet Popcorn has built an increasingly dominant brand identity that’s been bolstered by a star-studded following including Oprah Winfrey and fitness guru Tony Little as well as numerous food industry awards including the internationally renowned “sofi” award for “Most Outstanding Snack” at the 2013 Fancy Food Show in New York and the “Most Innovative New Product” at the 2013 Sweet and Snack Show.

In October, the company was also recognized as “One of the Top 10 Companies to Watch” by FoodNavigator-US.com – a leading trade publication tracking the food and beverage industry.

About the company

Pop Gourmet Popcorn is a privately-held food business founded in 2010 by David Isreal, the company’s majority stockholder. The company sells a branded line of gourmet popcorn products that are sold in more than 1,000 stores in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and China including Kroger, Hudson News, Bristol Farms, Zabars Markets, Fairway, Ross, TJ Maxx, Dean and Deluca, Amazon China and many others. The company is headquartered in Kent and employs 49 people. More information can be viewed online at www.popgourmetpopcorn.com.