LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Cornbread Hemp proudly announces its ranking as the fastest growing hemp company in America via the prestigious Inc. 5000 list for 2024. Having grown nearly 3,000% over the past three years, this recognition highlights Cornbread Hemp’s rapid growth and innovation in the hemp industry, marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey to become a market leader in hemp wellness products.
In the same ranking, they are recognized as the fastest growing company in Kentucky, among the top 10 fastest growing consumer packaged goods companies, and 122nd fastest growing company in America overall.
“This recognition adds further validation to THC and CBD wellness products becoming more mainstream in America” said Eric Zipperle, CEO and co-founder of Cornbread Hemp. “We started Cornbread Hemp in my living room over five years ago, and now we are employing more than fifty people. It’s proof that the American dream is still alive and is possible in rural America.”
The Inc. 5000 list, published annually by Inc. Magazine, recognizes the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. This year’s list showcases the remarkable achievements of companies that have demonstrated exceptional growth, resilience, and leadership during a particularly difficult three-year stretch from 2020 to 2023.
“Cornbread Hemp is the fastest growing CBD brand in America for a reason – because of our unwavering dedication to our customers’ quality of life,” said co-founder Jim Higdon. “In the face of incredible challenges, we have built a company that connects Kentucky’s 250-year hemp history with the wellness needs of modern Americans. The benefits of hemp are real, and our growth proves that this category has only just begun to reach its full potential.”
Since its inception in 2019, Cornbread Hemp has distinguished itself by exceeding industry standards in quality and transparency. Their early focus on USDA organic hemp, full-spectrum formulations (with a legal amount of THC), and transparency with third-party lab testing set them apart from other brands in the category.
As Cornbread Hemp continues to grow, the company remains committed to advocating for federal regulation for all cannabinoid products. “We believe in the power of CBD and THC to improve lives, and that’s why we fight so hard to protect it,” says co-founder Jim Higdon. “Our work with Congress is a natural result of that mission, and the progress we’ve made to ensure our industry will continue to thrive.”
Building on the momentum from their inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list, Cornbread Hemp plans to “continue leading the category through expansions in our first-to-market USDA organic product line,” Higdon said.
About Cornbread Hemp
Cornbread Hemp is a family-owned company specializing in USDA organic hemp-derived wellness products. Founded on the principles of quality, transparency, and sustainability, Cornbread Hemp is dedicated to providing consumers with effective and trustworthy hemp products that help provide a better quality of life. With a commitment to full-spectrum formulations that include THC, Cornbread Hemp is a leader in the hemp industry, setting new standards for excellence and integrity.
About the Methodology Behind the Inc. 5000
Companies on the 2024 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2020 to 2023. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2020. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2023. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2020 is $100,000; the minimum for 2023 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places.
About Inc.
Inc. Business Media is the leading multimedia brand for entrepreneurs. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of our community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating our future. Inc.’s award-winning work achieves a monthly brand footprint of more than 40 million across a variety of channels, including events, print, digital, video, podcasts, newsletters, and social media. Its proprietary Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since its launch as the Inc. 100 in 1982, analyzes company data to rank the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The recognition that comes with inclusion on this and other prestigious Inc. lists, such as Female Founders and Power Partners, gives the founders of top businesses the opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent.
