Geoff Wilson, president, Innovate
Food Inc., a marketing and sales consultant who has introduced several organic products to mainstream
supermarkets and club stores.
In addition, Wilson said, the most
important considerations contributing to the success of any co-pack relationship are: 1) adequate
infrastructure and staff to complete
the project, 2) the plant capacity to
keep up with the growth of a new
item, 3) the ability to install and operate the proper equipment and 4)
most importantly, a company that understands project-based communication and assigns someone at a high
level to resolve any problems that may
occur.
Ongoing Relationship
Even after a co-packer is chosen,
the work is still not done. Like any
successful relationship, the partner-
ship needs constant communication and attention from both sides to
assure success in the marketplace. Even in categories that have few
differentiated products, consumer needs are constantly changing
and the competitive environment may force constant rethinking of
the business plan.
You will also be far ahead if you choose a partner that appreciates
the growth and change in the organic marketplace and wants to be
an active participant. Those that view organic as difficult, time-consuming and a niche market will not be as supportive during challenging times and may not remain in the organic industry for the long haul.
Mary C. Mulry, Ph.D. is president of Food Wise, Inc., a natural,
organic and specialty foods technical consultancy. Dr. Mulry
has more than 25 years’ experience in product development,
nutrition, product innovation and strategy, and quality systems. Her unique background has encompassed the entire
food supply chain from ingredients to retailing, and she has
worked on projects involving conventional food, natural and organic foods,
functional foods and dietary supplements for companies ranging in size from
start-ups to large multi-national consumer packaged goods’ companies. Over
her career, she has held management positions at Kellogg, Kraft Foods,
Celestial Seasonings, Wild Oats Markets and H-E-B. She can be reached at
foodwise@aol.com.
