According to Jamie Better, CEO of Nellson, the 300,000 sq. ft. facility will strengthen the company’s position as a leading in nutritional bar co-manufacturing.
He claimed the facility is the first of its kind in North America in almost two decades, and is a strategic investment for Nellson to capitalize on the dynamic nutrition market.
“Our goal was to construct a world-class nutrition bar facility that would provide our brand customers with unmatched R&D expertise and the latest process and manufacturing innovations for nutrition bars,” he added.
Optimizing efficiencies
The company manufactures branded and private label nutrition bars across multiple segments, including sports performance, wellness, weight management, functional and medical nutrition. It has production facilities in California, Utah and Quebec.
“Our new R&D Collaboration Center enhances our ability to work with brand partners on the next generation of bars, providing custom formulation, benchtop replication, and consumer samples and testing,” added Jean Filion, COE and president of Nellson Canada.
The modern facility has been designed with a focus on providing brand confidentiality, allergen control, food safety, efficient sanitation, as well as flexible production capabilities.
It’s in-line process capabilities enable new formats, such as slabbed and extruded bites, triple layer bars and unique custom shapes, while in-line dual mixing capabilities means a seamless blend of a range of ingredients, from very fragile cereal or crisp-based layers to very dense high protein doughs.
Additionally, smart technology and energy efficient systems have been installed to conserve energy, water and other resources, with programs to maximize recycling and reduce waste.
The facility also has expansion space to support future growth.
Transformation plan
Better said the $70m investment in the Ontario facility, along with its recent acquisition of Genysis Brand Solutions, were part of Nellson’s aggressive transformation plan under the ownership of private equity firm Kohlberg & Company.
Kohlberg has completed 72 platform investments and more than 160 add-on acquisitions, with an aggregate transaction value of over $15bn, since its inception in 1987.