Houston Founder Unveils Company Portfolio

Digitally Connected Elevates the Company's Portfolio And Puts Velourit on Hiatus

The company that began as Velour Imports Limited Liability Company in 2015 has evolved into a multifaceted corporation, a tapestry woven with threads of growth, expansion, and a brief but purposeful hiatus for one of its iconic brands – Velourit- and unveils the parent-holding company of three different supply chain focused subsidiaries.  

"Creating Freedmen Farms wasn't just a business move; it was a power move," said Founder Brooke S.  Sinclair.  The visionary leader spoke passionately about the company's distribution of agriculture from black farm-to-table. 

Velour Imports Inc ("Velour Inc.") first revealed Freedmen Farms to investors and partners in early February.  The public announcement about the brand's availability for retail sales came on February 15, 2024.  Targeting a paradigm shift in retail sales,  the Freedmen Farms venture marks the founder's return to her distribution roots at Feeding America.  

"We see Velour Inc. as more than just a company," said Sinclair. "Each business in the portfolio plays a unique role in the grand symphony of our growth and the story of our purpose."  Sinclair started an import/export company based on the advice of a food pantry volunteer she befriended while working as the Retail Donation Manager for the Houston Food Bank.  Feeding America is the nation's largest hunger relief non-profit in the states and Houston Food Bank is the nation's largest food bank in its network. 

Are you opening a neighborhood market in the Summer of 2024?  Searching for a new fresh food supplier?  Create an online account today to purchase farm-fresh produce from Freedmen Farms through our Shopify platform at www.freedmenfarms.org.  Browse our showcase of options from our custom network of black farmers. Or, contact us directly at sales@freedmenfarms.org. 

As the parent company of Freedmen Farms and Velourit, the umbrella corporation Velour Inc. becomes a full circle in seven years when the farmers growing Freedmen Farms products - nationally distributed in retail stores across the nation and in Digitally Connected grocery stores - say they are ready for international sales with Velourit.  Now import/export brand, Velourit, is on a temporary hiatus.  The slogan that once defined the company, "Don't just import it, Velourit!" still echoes in the memories of loyal customers as the corporation shifts its focus to domestic sales for a short time. 

"We are on a mission to uplift and empower over the next decade and the only way to do that is to forge a new path toward.  Our parent company operates with a vision that goes beyond profit margins.  Each company is aimed at making a significant impact on the lives of those it touches."  In addition to being part of the company's commitment to promote "American-made" first.  The website www.velourimports.com became a portal for those eager to learn more about the company's initiatives.

Digitally Connected

Amidst these transformations, Velour Inc. diversified its portfolio by converting its groundbreaking sustainability project, Digitally Connected, into a thriving business model.  The project to connect disadvantaged farmers to retailers through a digital app was refocused on building grocery stores in food deserts after a Texas city requested help eliminating a food desert.  Building a supply chain from scratch is a long and orchestrated process that requires precision and flexibility over time.  Time because the average commercial real estate deal can take  12-24 months before opening to the public.  Grocery stores are the last stop in the supply chain.  The decision to build grocery stores was a win-win.  For guidance on commercial real estate development, the professionals at Avison Young were entrusted with the authority to represent the company as its commercial broker. 

"I am most excited about our relationships with minority-owned trucking companies. Using minority-owned trucking companies resonates with our company's values."  Velourit's pause was not a step back but a strategic move to help America's black farmers scale up after a conversation with Feeding America's Agri Sourcing Partnerships in 2021. 

Although farmers play a critical role in the Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, the organization could not find any evidence of a relationship with black farmers before 2020.  In 2022 alone, the Feeding America network kept 3.6 billion pounds of good food from landfills including nearly 860 million pounds from growers.  Sinclair introduced Feeding America to two impactful black farmers in Kentucky and that same year the organization announced The Food Security Equity Impact Fund.

Farmers and a healthy farming community are critical "must haves" to growing and sustaining a neighborhood's economic health.    Easy access to healthy food can restore the luster of a broken neighborhood and add years of sustainable profits.

Customers interested in learning more about sustainable communities are encouraged to subscribe to the Velour Inc. blog for stories about the journey to expand companies in its portfolio. A journey that goes beyond commerce.  A journey that embodies the principles of traditional economics, genuine empowerment, and continued sustainability. We want Freedmen Farms and Velour Inc. to become beacons of positivity and a testament to our commitment to challenging the status quo. 

Let our business be your force for good in the world.