Denali Ingredients, an ingredients supplier to the food manufacturing industry, has unwrapped a sweet new facility featuring a brand new look, expanded space and new capabilities.
The building, located at 2400 S Calhoun Rd. in New Berlin, has served as the primary manufacturing facility for the company's growing ice cream and food ingredients business since its purchase of the 40-year old facility in 2006. The $5.5 million buildout revealed today includes a complete re-facing of the exterior facade as well as interior renovations intended to support Denali's growth and emerging position as a top independent ingredients supplier in the U.S.
Denali partnered with Oconomowoc, Wisc.-based Oliver Construction Co. for what is the first phase of a larger $12 million investment intended to support an unprecedented period of growth, highlighted by:
Ingredients production that has more than doubled in the past decade
Sales revenues that have more than tripled since Denali took over
Staff that has tripled since Denali first acquired the facility in 2006
More than 50 new jobs developed to meet growing demand
"We are in the enviable position of having an incredibly talented team of dairy and food industry veterans who are committed to hands-on collaboration and innovation with our customers," said Neal Glaeser, President of Denali Ingredients. "Our vision is to become the go-to ingredients supplier for innovative products and solutions."
Phase one interior renovations include a new Innovation Center to foster research, development and creative flavor collaboration with industry partners, as well as a state-of-the-art Pilot Lab where Denali can simulate full-scale manufacturing of new concepts. Additionally, new production lines and capabilities have been added and administrative office space has been expanded.
Denali plans to invest another $6 million in its second phase of expansion over the next 24 months, a move that will add new production capabilities and seed another 40-50 new jobs.
"We're investing at a time when many in our industry are moving in the other direction," said Glaeser. "It's an opportunity for us to get closer to the consumer and to play a larger role in our customer's own R&D efforts as true collaborators. Ultimately, the entire industry benefits when these new flavors and concepts become mainstream trends in the grocery aisle."
