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showing up on the shelves of Kroger, Target, Walmart, and Costco. The company brought in $5 million annually but knew it could do more. JonnyPops wanted to expand its options, exploring layered ice pops using different flavors. They explored the same machinery that competitors used but found it outdated, with most from the 1980s. Brust and Wray decided they needed to take manufacturing into their own hands, opening a large factory in 2021 in Elk River, Minnesota, and filing 20 patents and trademarks. JonnyPops is now available in 27,000 stores nationwide with plenty of room for growth. Around 60% of stores nationwide have yet to sell their products. Whenever new brands reach this level of success, bigger food companies always look to scoop them up and add them to their product line. Experts estimate that Brust and Wray could get more than $300 million if they were to sell to Dove, Klondike, Mars, General Mills, or Unilever. Many of these brands have been looking for a healthier alternative to offer to their customer base, which makes JonnyPops a target. However, Erik Brust states, “We’re thinking about what the next decade looks like. This was never a grow- the-business-to-sell-it type of idea.”
THE CIA’S MOST PURR-PLEXING MISSION Cats as Spies? Probably Not In the 1960s, the CIA tried to turn a cat into a spy. The top-secret project, called Acoustic Kitty, involved wiring a cat with a microphone in its ear, a transmitter in its skull, and an antenna woven through its fur. The goal? Train the cat to eavesdrop on foreign officials by lounging nearby. But the cats had other ideas. On the first test run, CIA agents released the cat near two men on a park bench. Instead of approaching them, the cat wandered into the street and was promptly hit by a taxi. That was the end of the mission — and the program. A memo later admitted that the project wasn’t suited to the CIA’s “highly specialized needs.” You think? Although Brust and Wray are unlikely to sell their company, their success has also led to some negativity. Last year, GoodPop, a competitor, filed a class action lawsuit for false advertising, claiming that the JonnyPops aren’t as healthy as they claim and contain lots of sugar. JonnyPops has not commented on the ongoing litigation. JonnyPops’ story proves that the power of friendship can lead to incredible business success and millions of dollars in profit. If you work together and strive to do the best for your business and customers, anything is possible!
HAVE A Laugh
Still, the government didn’t give up on animal spies. Years later, DARPA developed remote-controlled beetles — turns out bugs are better spies. And housecats? Still terrible at taking orders.
jwyatt@harrisonlawgroup.com | HarrisonLawGroup.com | 3
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