Selection Is the Starting Line: KLĒNR Is Now in Kroger
KLĒNR products are now available at Kroger in College Station, Texas. It's our first grocery retail placement — veteran-owned, all-natural bar soap and men's grooming made in the USA, now on the shelf next to the biggest brands in the category. If you're local or passing through Aggieland, come find us. If you know someone in the area, send them this.
Some may see a moment like this as a podium-type moment. I see it as just the starting line. Here's what I mean by that.
The Goal Was Selection
When I was a young soldier, I had a goal of getting to Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) and passing. I was laser focused. I had no quit in my mind; I got myself into great shape, and I did everything I could to prepare. Just before SFAS, I had the luxury of thinking about it, focusing on what I needed to do, and preparing mentally and physically for this goal every single day for more than three months. I can't underscore how much of every waking moment was dedicated to preparing.
When the time came, I was challenged — but I thrived while some others merely survived, and I was selected. This is, and was, a huge accomplishment.
Over the years since, I've met and talked with a number of individuals who had a similar goal. To this day, I only know of one who has passed selection. Maybe I'm bad luck, ha! Or maybe it's just really hard to get to selection and be selected. It's an incredible accomplishment.
Selection Is Just an Invitation
Leaving Camp Mackall and returning to Fort Bragg is where I realized that selection is just an invitation to start training to become a Green Beret. I was selected in May of 2003, and I wouldn't complete the Special Forces Qualification Course (Q-Course) until September of 2004. No interruptions in training, no recycles, no long breaks between phases. I went straight through, and all the while, I would be "continually assessed."
After selection, I had a mountain of training and work to do. I would come to realize that just because you got selected doesn't mean you'll complete the rest of training and become a Green Beret.
In fact, the very next phase for me in the Q-Course was Small Unit Tactics (SUT). When our group arrived at Camp Mackall to start SUT, there was a layout, just outside the compound, to inspect and ensure everyone had the required items on the packing list. Needless to say, that turned into a smoke session (lots of exercises) — and I'd guess at least 20 Q-Course students would never start SUT and would be NTR'd (Never To Return). That means you can never come back to the Q-Course, you can never do selection again, and the Special Forces Regiment never wants to see you again. Throughout SUT, more guys would get med-dropped, kicked out, or — like my best friend on my SUT team — quit.
Selection was just the starting line.
Kroger Is Our Starting Line
I see KLĒNR landing at Kroger the same way. Getting on the shelf is the invitation. How our products sell will be "continually assessed," and we have to keep earning our spot in College Station, and everywhere we go next.
Just like earning my Green Beret, we can do this too. And having you with us is part of what makes it possible.
If you want to help us pass this next assessment: stop by the Kroger in College Station, grab a bar if it's on your list, and let us know you found us on the shelf. Every bar that moves is us earning our place.
Spare No Arrows,
-CT
Chris Thompson
Founder, KLĒNR
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FAQ
Where can I buy KLĒNR in stores? KLĒNR natural soap and men's grooming products are available at Kroger in College Station, Texas, at select independent retailers, and online at klenr.com with shipping across the USA.
Is KLĒNR veteran-owned? Yes. KLĒNR is founded and owned by Chris Thompson, a former US Army Special Forces Green Beret with multiple combat deployments. The brand was created in response to elevated chemical exposure and cancer risks in the Special Operations community.
What makes KLĒNR soap different? KLĒNR products are made in the USA with natural and organic ingredients, with no synthetic fragrances, dyes, or aluminum. Scents come from pure essential oils.
Will KLĒNR be in more stores? That's the mission. Retail expansion is ongoing. The best way to see KLĒNR in more stores is to buy it where it's stocked and tell your local retailers you want it.