Litehouse Inc., the Sandpoint-based salad dressing maker, grew sales by more than 10 percent in 2015, a year after becoming 100 percent employee owned, says Litehouse CEO Jim Frank.

Litehouse formed its employee stock ownership plan in 2006, selling 30 percent of the company to employees. Increasing the employees’ stake to 100 percent in December of 2014 ensured continued local ownership with the potential for significant retirement funds for employees, Frank says.

Litehouse’s 10 percent growth outpaced the salad dressing industry growth average of 1.1 percent, he says, citing figures compiled by Datamonitor, a London-based international market analysis company.

Frank attributes the company’s strong growth to the ESOP, saying that it increases employee engagement in all facets of the company.

Litehouse has 395 employees based in Sandpoint, and a total of 700 employees throughout the company.

“As an employee-owner, you come to work in a different mind frame,” he says.

One example of increased engagement has been demonstrated by the sales and marketing team, he asserts.

Only a few years ago, Litehouse’s market penetration flat-lined with its brand presence in 48 percent of U.S. grocery stores.

“In the last couple of years, they’ve moved that number to over 78 percent,” he claims. 

In other Litehouse milestones last year, the company recorded the highest sales week and highest sales month in its 53-year history, Frank says.

Litehouse introduced several new products in 2015, including two new flavors and a new look to its organic dressing line, which Frank claims is a top-selling organic brand of refrigerated salad dressings.

Six years ago, Litehouse reported annual revenue at $120 million. Frank declines to disclose current revenue figures, but says that since 2010, the company has nearly doubled in size, revenue, and employees.

The company two years ago bought the 35,000-square-foot administration building on the former Coldwater Creek Campus and relocated its corporate headquarters there.

It has manufacturing, packaging, and cheese and buttermilk facilities in Sandpoint, and it also has manufacturing facilities in Utah and Michigan.

Frank is no relation to the prominent Liberty Lake real estate developer of the same name.

“Litehouse has nearly doubled in size, revenue. and employees in the last six years.”

Jim Frank

Litehouse Inc.