Anaheim, Calif.-based Nellson Nutraceutical, LLC, a leading North American formulator and manufacturer of branded and private-label nutritional bar and functional powder products, officially debuted its new $70-million nutrition bar manufacturing plant in Ontario, Calif. today.
The state-of-the-art 300,000-sq.-ft. facility offers the latest bar processing technology and capabilities available. It features five totally segregated production rooms, four of which have traditional bar manufacturing lines, with the fifth earmarked for future innovative technologies.
“Today we are thrilled to officially open our new Ontario, Calif. facility,” said Nellson CEO Jamie Better. “This project began in 2016 when we decided it was better to build from scratch rather than retrofitting our aging facility in Irwindale, Calif. Our goal was to construct a world-class nutrition bar facility that would provide our brand customers unmatched R&D expertise and the latest process and manufacturing innovations for nutrition bars as well as a first-rate working environment for our employees.
"This is the first new facility of its kind in North America in at least the last 16 years, and is an important strategic investment for Nellson, as we gear up to meet customers’ rapidly evolving demands in a dynamic nutrition market across multiple segments, including sports performance, wellness, weight management, functional and medical nutrition.”
Nellson’s new Ontario facility features the following:
- Streamlined layout with five segregated lines — providing brand confidentiality, allergen control, food safety, efficient sanitation, as well as flexible production capabilities
- In-line process capabilities enabling new formats, such as slabbed and extruded bites, triple-layer bars and unique custom shapes
- In-line dual mixing capabilities to optimally blend a range of ingredients, from fragile cereal or crisp-based layers to dense, high-protein doughs
- New high-speed packaging capabilities to support on-trend consumer demands as well as multiple pack-outs on a single line for optimal efficiency and increased flexibility
- State-of-the-art R&D Collaboration Center supports customer formulation, commercial scale-up and consumer testing
- Smart technology and energy-efficient systems to conserve energy, water and other resources, with programs to maximize recycling and reduce waste
- Expansion space to support future growth
“The Nellson team is extremely excited to share new capabilities and technologies with our brand partners as we work together to create some of the industry’s latest on-trend nutrition bar formats,” said Jean Filion, Nellson’s coo and president of Nellson Canada. “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.”
The selection of Ontario as the site of the new plant dovetailed with the company’s desire to retain its experienced workforce.
“We’re delighted that over 80 percent of our Irwindale employees agreed to transfer to Ontario,” Better said. “This facility sets a new standard in nutrition bar manufacturing. Our investments of about $70 million in the Ontario facility, along with our recent acquisition of Genysis Brand Solutions, are the latest steps in Nellson’s aggressive transformation under the ownership of Kohlberg & Company and reflect our determination to be the co-manufacturing partner of choice for the leading brands in the nutritional bar and functional powder marketplace.”
