#205: Tom Reilly - VMI Sports, PEZ Collab, and Two Mystery Canned Beverages

Tom Reilly, president of VMI Sports, brings a perspective from all over the industry, and he’s got a lot of educational things to say. Two decades spent at GNC, then in natural food distribution at UNFI, and eventually as a purchasing director and director at Lone Star Distribution gave him an unusually complete map of how supplements actually move through the market. VMI grew out of that experience, launched as a house brand for Lone Star in 2012 before Tom took it full time in late 2015, and has been grinding ever since — bootstrapped, profitable, and growing every single year.

In Episode #205 of the PricePlow Podcast, Mike and Ben sit down with Tom to cover the full arc: how VMI got started, what distribution taught him that brand founders usually learn the hard way, the evolution from specialty sports nutrition into grocery chains, the K-XR pre-workout legacy, the PEZ collaboration strategy, and some genuinely exciting teases for what’s coming in 2026, including two canned beverages that are neither energy drinks nor protein sodas.

This is a good one, and Tom’s willingness to mentor others shines through, as we learned a lot in this one – and we guarantee you will too.

Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for VMI Sports news alerts before diving in — you won’t want to miss those can reveals when they drop.

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/tom-reilly-vmi-sports-205

Video: Tom Reilly of VMI Sports on Distribution, Grocery, PEZ, and What’s Next

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIkHJOngDPk

Detailed Show Notes: Tom Reilly and VMI Sports

(0:00) – Introductions
(0:30) – Tom’s Background: GNC, UNFI, and Lone Star
(3:00) – Building VMI from Within Lone Star
(7:45) – Going Full Time: The 2015 Pivot
(10:30) – Business Wisdom from Distribution
(13:00) – Consumer Education and Supply Chain Reality
(18:00) – Vision Meets Innovation: The VMI Name
(23:15) – K-XR: Origins and the Miami Vice Flavor
(25:00) – K-XR: Three Caffeines, Grocery, and the High-Stim Formula That Works
(30:15) – Winning on the Grocery Shelf
(33:30) – Packaging Evolution and the PEZ Aesthetic
(36:00) – More on the PEZ Collaboration
(41:15) – Pump & Flow: The Sleeper Hit with Hydronox
(44:00) – Protolyte: Ahead of the Hydration Curve
(47:30) – Acquisition, Retention, and Brand Philosophy
(52:00) – Staying Independent: VMI’s Long Game
(54:30) – Two Canned Beverages Coming in 2026
(57:30) – K-XR RTD and the Beverage Category Landscape
(1:01:30) – Distribution Realities of Canned Beverage
(1:05:00) – Wrap-Up and What’s Next

Where to Follow and Learn More

Connect with Tom Reilly and VMI Sports

LinkedIn: Thomas Reilly
LinkedIn: VMI Sports
Instagram: @tom_vmisports (Tom Reilly)
Instagram: @vmisports (VMI Sports)
VMI Sports Website
VMI Sports on PricePlo…

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