Nellson Opens The Launch Pad Innovation Center
Customer collaboration facility designed to inspire innovation and accelerate rapid commercialization of next-generation nutrition powders
Nellson, LLC (Nellson), a North American formulator and manufacturer of branded and private label nutritional bar and functional powder solutions, announced the opening of their Launch Pad Innovation Center. The facility, located in Salt Lake City, Utah is designed to inspire innovation and support the development and rapid commercialization of new functional powder products and nutrition systems.
“Our blueprint for Launch Pad was inspired by our vision to be the leading contract manufacturer and strategic partner of choice within the fast-growing nutritional bar and functional powders sectors,” said Bart Child, Senior Vice President Commercial Development of Nellson. “Launch Pad allows customer partners to work side-by-side with our R&D experts in a state-of-the-art customer collaboration workspace that includes all of the capabilities and technologies needed to replicate the manufacturing process. By increasing throughput of lab work, we are able to streamline scale up, improve the commercialization process, and accelerate speed to market. We even provide tasting booths for consumer panels that help ensure we have met product goals, which is critical in a category where 40% of products introduced each year are new concepts.”
“Our new lab space is designed to efficiently facilitate the development process from initiation through commercialization,” said Steve Curtis, R&D Manager for Nellson’s powder division. “Launch Pad allows us to fully support our customers through every step of the development process, from customized benchtop samples, to finished product spec development and manufacturing scale up. This innovation center expands our capabilities and is a tremendous resource for both our scientists and our customers, allowing us to collaborate together as we create an optimal formulation that can be quickly taken to market.”
Highlights of Nellson’s Launch Pad Innovation Center include:
• Customer collaboration workspace
• Consumer tasting booths
• In-lab consumer test/scale-up line
• Real-time mobile R&D – mobile co-development platform for speed-to-market optimization
• Custom FM system – a custom formulation system to ensure product quality and efficacy from development through shelf life
• Staffed with over 40 food scientists, technicians and support staff, who provide formulation and development expertise, from choosing proteins – traditional dairy, plant and emerging proteins – to functional ingredients, they help ensure product success
Nellson made additional investments in new process technology at Salt Lake City’s manufacturing facility to maximize throughput, reduce cost, and provide customers differentiation with a wide range of packaging options that include:
• High-speed jar-line
• Automated bag line – ensures quality through the manufacturing process with popular packaging format for convenience, differentiated design as compared to traditional jar packaging, gaining popularity with e-commerce distribution channel
• High-speed sachet line – wider range of convenient, portable, single-serve packaging options
Child added, “Nellson has evolved over fifty years, with early roots as a candy company to a leading contract manufacturer of branded and private-label functional powders and nutrition bars today. Since Kohlberg’s ownership of Nellson began at the end of 2013, we have aggressively transformed, nearly tripling in size through acquisition and organic growth. Our acquisition of Genysis Brand Solutions Inc. in late 2017 strengthened our powder production capabilities, expanded product lines and channels, and helped to diversify our customer mix. Now Launch Pad further supports Nellson’s co-development partnerships, allowing us to work together at an accelerated pace, with access to all of the functional and packaging capabilities needed to differentiate a customer’s brand and ensure winning products.”
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