Top Seedz cofounder Rebecca Brady on the longterm plan for her rapidly-growing Buffalo company.
Just weeks after announcing that it had doubled production capacity at its downtown Buffalo headquarters, Top Seedz is already looking toward its next phase of growth.
The Buffalo-based maker of artisan crackers and seeds has begun expanding into new sales channels, continued hiring inside its new manufacturing facility and is projecting another year of significant revenue growth.
Series B recently spoke with founder Rebecca Brady about the company's momentum, what's changing inside the factory and where Top Seedz goes next.
Where is the next wave of growth coming from?
Top Seedz got its first big break with small retail accounts at Wegmans and Whole Foods, and has since expanded to stores across the U.S.
With growing relationships at many major national companies, retail remains an important part of the business, but Brady said the company is increasingly finding opportunities outside traditional grocery shelves.
Top Seedz crackers are now included in premium protein snack packs distributed by Maple Leaf Foods (think of a much healthier version of Lunchables) and sold through retailers including Target, Kroger, Publix and Sprouts.
Top Seedz has also begun supplying products to meal-kit provider Hungryroot while pursuing additional opportunities in food service and the airline industry.
"We're not sitting back and saying we're only going to sell in stores," Brady said.
Has automation changed the company?
Top Seedz was known for handmade quality, so it’s challenge has been to maintain that quality through automated manufacturing processes that can efficiently fill massive pallets to places like Costco.
But Brady said there’s been no shortage of work for the company’s 85 employees, with additional hiring tied to the company's second production line.
Rather than replacing employees, Brady said automation has allowed many longtime production workers to move into more technical manufacturing roles while creating capacity for new product lines and packaging formats.
"I love that we've been able to upskill those people," she said.
What’s the longterm goal here?
Brady said she and her husband, Will Brady, a retired Moog engineer who is now the company’s COO, remain focused on building a business that will ultimately become an attractive acquisition candidate.
But for now the focus is on pouring their attention into growth nodes that please new customers and increase the value of the business. Top Seedz crossed $11 million in sales last year and will likely do more than $16 million this year.
The company’s investors include 43North, which awarded Top Seedz a $1 million investment in 2021, and the Western New York Impact Investment Fund, which invested $750,000 in 2024 to support the company’s move to new space in downtown Buffalo.
What excites Brady most beyond the company's own growth?
Helping Buffalo's food manufacturing ecosystem continue to mature.
Brady is involved in informal gatherings of consumer packaged goods founders to share lessons about manufacturing, distribution, trade shows and scaling. She’s an oft-cited mentor from other entrepreneurs in the space building in Buffalo.
"No matter how big or small you are, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses," Brady said. "I feel like I can learn from everyone."
