Marketing a food brand in today’s economy is difficult enough without the added demands of trying to find the right co-packer/supplier and then concerning yourself with their business and quality control.
Trying to navigate the manufacturing of a food product is normally a fairly complicated undertaking, especially when you’re also trying to grow your brand and negotiate with distributors, retailers and raw material suppliers.
As a brand owner, you are also responsible for food safety, legal negotiations, promoting and possibly defending claims on your packaging, and interacting with several government agencies like the FDA, CFIA, USDA, etc.
SKIE group can provide comprehensive support in the following areas:
Co-Packer Search & Validation
- Selecting the correct co-packer is both a function of that co-packer’s capabilities / qualifications / capacity as well as their philosophy / personality / reputation. SKIE Group’s extensive experience in this industry can help you navigate this decision.
Negotiation of Manufacturing Agreement
- SKIE Group can assist in negotiating favourable terms for your Manufacturing Agreement to ensure alignment with your objectives and requirements.
Regulatory
- We can assist with the review of your packaging in order to ensure that it complies with either or both US and Canadian regulations.
- Prop 65 strategizing.
- Claim support and defence.
Co-Packer Auditing
- Regular auditing of co-packer facilities either independently or with SKIE Group’s assistance.
- Facilitation of third-party audits, if necessary, to ensure compliance and quality standards are met consistently.
Internal Quality Control Program
- Creation of a Quality Control Program tailored to your specific needs.
- Development or refinement of the Finished Product Specification Sheet to ensure not only clarity and accuracy but also that it encompasses all of your needs.
- Implementation of an internal finished product monitoring, testing, release, and retain control program so that you don’t have to solely rely on your co-packer to do so.
- Ensure that you always possess the most up-to-date formulas for your products.
WE WANT YOU TO FOCUS ON MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS AND GROWING BRAND EQUITY
SKIE Group can bring to bear its 20 years of experience sourcing suppliers, negotiating contracts and validating production processes. SKIE Group can also assist you with ensuring that your internal QC program verifies that of your manufacturer’s.
Eric Kimmel has spent the last twenty five years in the food industry. He was one of the founders and co-owners of Noble Foods Nutrition, a leading energy bar manufacturer in North America.
Primarily focused on Business and Research & Development, he has spent more than the last two decades growing the bar industry in North America and has been at the forefront of most of the nutritional, functional, and fortification trends throughout that time.
Eric has helped hundreds of major brands design and market their bars. In 2018, Eric and his partners sold a majority share of Noble Foods Nutrition to Novacap, a private equity firm. Together, they then purchased a competitor on the western coast of the United States and grew Noble Foods Nutrition into the largest “medium sized” bar manufacturer in North America. In 2022, Eric and his partners (including Novacap) sold the entire company to EMPWR Nutrition.
(514) 928-8205