Fuchs North America, a leading supplier of food seasonings, flavor systems and taste solutions, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new headquarters facilities on Tuesday, June 23rd in Hampstead, Md.

The mid-morning ceremony included more than 150 people, including Fuchs North America employees, representatives from state and local economic development agencies, elected officials and other dignitaries.

In addition to the ceremonial first turning of the earth by the company’s senior management team, official remarks were made by Dan Cooper, CEO of Fuchs North America, Nils Meyer-Pries, global CEO of Fuchs Group (based in Germany) and R. Michael Gill, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development.

Dan Cooper says plans for a new headquarters facility have been in the works for several years.

“Our strong growth and increased demand for our products made it possible to envision a true state-of-the-art facility that enables us to develop, manufacture and deliver customized seasonings and flavor solutions faster and better than ever,” he notes.

For more than half a century, Fuchs North America has operated out of its headquarters offices in Owings Mills, Md. Despite several major expansions in the 1970s and again in the 1990s, the company has outgrown the facility, with little ability to expand on the remaining grounds.

The new headquarters in Hampstead will be situated on a 21-acre campus, and will double the company’s manufacturing capacity.

Equally important, the new headquarters will include a number of enhanced product development functions and capabilities, starting with expanded R&D test lab facilities encompassing a microbiology lab, a quality assurance lab, plus an entirely new sensory lab along with a spacious new state-of-the-art presentation kitchen.

“We pay very close attention to evolving consumer taste preferences,” says Patrick Laughlin, director of marketing. “We want to help our food manufacturing and foodservice customers lead the way when it comes to new taste sensations and menu offerings.”

Laughlin adds, “We work with each customer to customize and refine the flavor to attain just the right taste characteristics they’re seeking. That’s a huge benefit when customers are under tight product development timeframes. With the expanded R&D, test lab and kitchen facilities we’re planning at our new headquarters, it will make the process more efficient and easier than ever.”

On the manufacturing side, new or expanded capabilities will include mix manufacturing, spice milling and sterilization, plus packaging and warehousing featuring the latest stock picking and inventory management technologies.

Construction of Fuchs North America’s new headquarters facility is expected to be completed in late 2016.

About Fuchs North America

Fuchs North America is a leading producer and supplier of value-added seasonings, spices and flavor systems to the food manufacturing and foodservice industries. With a heritage that extends back to 1939 as Baltimore Spice Company, the firm specializes in the development of full flavor systems, custom flavor profiles and seasoning products – including supporting some of the world’s largest and best-recognized food brands.

Fuchs North America’s seasoning specialists are experts in anticipating and identifying consumer trends, and converting them into successful flavor profiles. They work closely with food technologists and product development personnel at client companies to design distinctive, differentiated flavor systems. Fuchs products are made in a precision processing environment that ensures consistent, repeatable quality, order to order.

Since 1990, Fuchs North America has been part of the worldwide Fuchs Group, the largest privately-held spice and seasoning company in the industry. The Fuchs Group serves food manufacturing, foodservice and retail segments, backed by secure, quality sourcing plus state-of-the-art production facilities on four continents.

For more information about Fuchs North America, contact Patrick Laughlin, director of marketing, at 443-544-1228 or plaughlin@fuchsnorthamerica.com. Readers also may visit www.fuchsna.com.