Meet Amy Goldsmith of Praim Group in Brentwood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Goldsmith.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started in the food industry about 16 years ago as a public relations and marketing consultant to a variety of brands. Many of these brands were start-up companies, so I had the opportunity to get heavily involved in other aspects of these businesses including RnD, sales, packaging design and more.

While consulting, I decided to create and launch my own products. I founded a baked goods company called Aunt Ida’s. The brand became a direct-to-consumer catalog and HSN darling. This was my first time creating a product on my own. It was hard yet exhilarating, and I learned so much. Unfortunately, a fire at my primary co-manufacturer and the recession hurting my back-up manufacturer forced Aunt Ida’s to close.

Nonetheless, it was an incredible learning experience. It also provided solid contacts at HSN with whom I still work with today. Also during this time, I invested in a confections brand that later became Praim Group that I co-founded with my business partner Paul Pruett. Whether through licensing or our own original designs, Praim Group is best known for its chic packaging, delicious all-natural chocolate and as the perfect gift for every occasion, season and celebration. Our chocolate bars can be found nationwide.

With our deep industry knowledge and network, we receive calls daily from emerging and established brands seeking our advice. As a result, we recently launched a subsidiary of Praim Group called Growcery Partners, a one-stop shop that works with CPG companies of all sizes with any needs they may have in their business.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A colleague who recently launched a new beverage product just said to me, “if I knew how hard this industry was, I would have run the other way.” The food business is not easy. It takes a lot of money, the right product, perfect timing, hard work and some luck to make a brand work.

I’ve worked with brands that might not resonate with consumers, or they don’t have enough funding to support the product once it’s on store shelves. Marketing dollars are key, and it costs even more than a person might think to support the brand. In addition, there are constantly changing buyers, tighter margins and in the chocolate world – seasonality.

Chocolate bars are best nine months of the year – summer months tend to be slow, so Praim has to financially and strategically plan for that time. We’ve recently launched a line of Entenmann’s Chocolate that’s a true grocery and convenience store item that makes sense year round.

Praim Group – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Praim celebrates its 13th birthday this year, and we still manage to create fun, chic and fresh designs. Praim chocolate bars are carried in retailers from Target, Michaels, TJx and Whole Foods Market to small Mom and Pop’s nationwide.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There’s nothing better than walking into a store and seeing your product on the shelf. Whether it’s a new design or a new product, it’s always a great moment. Fortunately, I’ve had a lot of proud career moments.

Pricing:

• 3.5-ounce chocolate bars MSRP $4.95

Contact Info:

• Website: www.PraimGroup.Com
• Phone: (800)745.5154
• Email: sales@praimgroup.com
• Instagram: @thegrocerygal
• Facebook: PraimGroup
• Twitter: @praimgroup

Image Credit:
Paul Pruett

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