2021, by the numbers
It was a banner year over at Nugget! While 2021 brought many surprises of its own – supply chain issues, material shortages, new logistical challenges – the year also brought amazing opportunities and moments of growth. We hustled to fill Backorders from 2020, launched a suite of new favorite colors, and collaborated with two huge names: The World of Eric Carle and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street. We nearly doubled our Cover Club impact to raise $279,150 for local non-profits, and at Nugget HQ, we grew our team to 94 Nuggeteers.
Oh, and we made the news! For the second year in a row, we were named the fastest-growing manufacturing company in the country by Inc. Magazine. What does that mean? Well, other than the need for a nap, it means a whole lot of work, creativity, and fun. For our third annual "By the Numbers," we broke down the numbers that made 2021 unique, all the way from 2 to 279,150.
2: Two years, two No. 1 honors. For the second year in a row, we topped Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest-growing manufacturing companies in the US, as well as the list of fastest-growing companies in North Carolina. While our goal is never growth for the sake of growth, we’re very proud of our terrific two-peat! This number represents the hard work that we put in throughout the last year to more quickly fulfill orders while providing our community of Nuggeteers with a stellar experience, and the opportunity we have to spark imaginations for years to come.
7: Kids play couches may have recently become all the rage, but we’ve been designing, making and shipping Nuggets since 2014 — a few years before we even came up with the “play couch” phrase! As we close out our seventh year in business, it’s incredible to think back on the changes through the years. Gone are the days of manually rolling and stuffing each Nugget into a Big Orange Box in a small tobacco warehouse. Now, our home is Nugget HQ, a 120,000 square foot facility in Butner, NC, the Nugget capital of the world, where our Big Machines and dedicated team make it possible to ship out thousands of Nuggets a day!
$20: This year, we implemented a number of updates to company-wide benefits that we’re proud of, from doubling PTO to improving our parental leave benefits. $20 stands out as a big one; in 2021, we moved our starting salary at Nugget to $20 an hour — nearly triple the NC minimum wage. As we continue to grow imaginations in homes everywhere, we’ll continue to grow our own imaginations about what a business can do, and what kind of business we can be.
10: We introduced 10 Nuggets this year! Some were old friends coming back for playtime (come on over, Cactus!), and others were brand new to the crew (welcome, Willow!). And still two other very special Special Editions joined the Nugget lineup: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Nugget and the Elmo Nugget. We said goodbye and farewell to nine colors, and we finally got a pop of pink – for all those fans who requested pink approximately… 80,000 times.
1,578: The number of times our 455K-strong IG community asked “is that a clue?” this year. We’re always up for a treasure hunt, as evidenced by some of our favorite clues about future color releases: the infamous butterfly, hints of Starfish during the Sandcastle release, and even an Eric Carle call out. If you missed them this time around, look on the brightside – there’s always next year!
85: The number of super-awesome families who received gifts from the Nug Fairy this year. Have you always wondered about our elusive friend? Read more about them here, and follow along with our Instagram community for more magic.
$279,150: The amazing amount that Nuggeteers raised for our non-profit partners through Cover Club! We nearly doubled our impact this year, raising thousands of dollars for three non-profit partners: Equity Before Birth, TABLE, and El Futuro. Read more about our impact here.
4,010: The number of visitors within week one of imagiFAB’s grand opening. This exhibit at Raleigh-based children’s museum, Marbles, opened in September 2021 with more than $100,000 in financial support from Nugget, and now serves the community through STEAM-based play opportunities. Fun fact: imagiFAB is also home to the world’s first Nugget Chandelier.
1969: This number is a milestone year for the two iconic brands we teamed up with for our first-ever licensed product collaborations! In 1969, the first episode of Sesame Street aired, and Eric Carle published his classic children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Working alongside these brands this year, we had the amazing opportunity to expand our unique blend of furniture and play with two of the most beloved names in history. Given the response to these licensed products… we might just have to do it again some time!
All of our growth would not be possible without the support from Nuggeteers like you, from spreading the news about Nugget to their friends, family, and communities, to cheering us on when we announce moments big and small. We can’t wait to see what the new year brings – the only limit is our imagination!
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