Chomps brings meat sticks to the mountains with Ikon Pass partnership. Partnership launches at the beginning of the new year to align with the surge of health and wellness resolutions. Meat snack brand Chomps is announcing a yearlong partnership with Ikon Pass, a ski and snowboard season pass. Through the partnership, Chomps expands its presence beyond conventional retail. Chomps is the exclusive 2026 meat stick vendor across seven US mountain destinations, placing the brand directly in front of millions of annual visitors through dedicated retail presence and year-round on-mountain signage, including the following destinations: * Steamboat - Steamboat Springs, Colorado * Winter Park Resort - Winter Park, Colorado * Mammoth Mountain- Mammoth Lakes, California * Big Bear Mountain Resort - Big Bear Lake, California * Snow Valley- Big Bear Lake, California * Stratton - Windham County, Vermont * Palisades Tahoe - Olympic Valley, California To amplify this partnership, Chomps is taking the mountain mindset beyond the slopes with its first-ever lifestyle collection: a limited-edition winter drop featuring a custom scarf, a beanie hat and a Chomps variety pack for $49.95. Available in limited quantities, this exclusive release gives consumers a tangible way to celebrate the collaboration. "Today's consumers don't want to think harder about eating well, they want it to be easier, especially in moments when they're active and on-the-go," said Stacey Hartnett, SVP of marketing at Chomps. "By showing up on the mountain, we're removing a real barrier by making high-quality, protein-forward fuel instantly accessible, so people can spend less time worrying about what to eat and more time enjoying every moment of their adventure." Beginning February 2026, Chomps will host two-day sampling activations at four premier destinations: Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Mammoth Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort. This initiative marks a shift toward in-person connections on the mountain, when convenience and quality matter most. Chomps is also launching a sweepstakes offering one winner $2,000 to spend at Steamboat, plus lift tickets and Chomps product to fuel their adventure. "Our community represents a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts: from the serious athletes to the family vacationers. Chomps understands that performing your best, whether you're on the slopes, the trails, or just keeping up with the kids, requires quality fuel," said Ryan Blanchard, VP brand partnerships for Alterra Mountain Co "This partnership ensures that when you're grabbing a quick bite between activities, you have access to real, sustained energy that keeps you going all day."

Chomps bites into surging meat stick demand with new Nebraska plant. The facility, set to open in 2027, will increase annual production capacity by 15% and comes as the company has struggled to keep up with demand. Fast-growing Chomps is set to build its second dedicated plant to manufacture meat sticks as it aims to meet consumer demand for the convenient, protein-packed snacks. Chomps said the planned 160,000-square-foot facility in Beatrice, Nebraska, is capable of making up to 150 million meat sticks a year and will increase Chomps' annual production capacity by 15%. Chomps said earlier this year that demand for its meat sticks has been so strong that, despite producing 2 million a day, it can only fulfill 85% of its orders. Now, it's fulfilling closer to 95% of its orders. The shortfall prompted Chomps to turn down requests from new retailers and hold off on developing its innovation pipeline as a result. "The explosive growth we've experienced makes increasing our capacity not just a goal, but an essential step to meet the continuous, high demand for Chomps," Rashid Ali, Chomps co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. "This facility is a major strategic move that will allow us to scale with intention, supporting both sustained momentum and future innovation." The site is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2027 and will create about 150 jobs. Chomps is collaborating with Landmark Snacks, a co-manufacturing partner, on the plant. Chomps said it is the fastest-growing company in the meat sticks space, posting 161% year-over-year sales growth and outpacing the category's already robust 16.1% increase. The company is on track to generate close to $1 billion in sales this year compared to just $50 million in 2019. In an email to Food Dive, Jason Dols, Chomps' senior vice president of operations, said the new plant has benefits beyond just increasing volume. The company can also accelerate innovation, expand into new channels and better support retail partners and direct-to-consumer shoppers by improving service levels and in-stock rates. In addition, he said Chomps can invest in a "large-scale national campaigns that match our momentum and drive deeper consumer trial and loyalty." The Nebraska facility is the second dedicated meat sticks location for Chomps. Earlier this year, it opened a 300,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Missouri. It also works with other co-manufacturers to produce its products. Meat stick sales have soared as the sector responds to consumer demand for protein and convenience. Sales of dried meat snacks, excluding jerky, rose 10.7% to $3.3 billion in 2024 from the prior year, according to data provided by Circana. Since 2020, the category has added nearly $1.2 billion in sales. The rapid growth has prompted other manufacturers to also add new capacity. Jack Link's also opened a $450 million processing plant in June and Archer this month opened a second plant in Los Angeles that will nearly double its manufacturing capacity.