Dairy Processing - January/February 2022 - 36

OPERATIONS
with suppliers regarding
longer-term visibility of
requirements so they can in
turn plan and anticipate. "
Tilley said another
benefit of co-manufacturing
is these partners' abilities
to oversee workforce
staffing at the plants
and manufacturing
facilities, which is a
significant benefit to
brands in the current
workforce environment.
When looking for a partner,
Tilley said brands should
seek out dairy co-manufacturers
with expertise in manufacturing and
to keep production going at its La Crosse facility, Fabian said,
there have been times when it has been unable to operate at
ideal efficiency and has been running with a skeleton crew.
Similarly, Tilley said there have been times when Dairy
Farmers of America plants have been forced to shut down
production for several hours while waiting on packaging and
ingredients. Due to the decreased availability of these supplies,
the company has been forced to explore other options and has
conducted extensive product and packaging development testing
in order to identify and approve alternate sources, he said.
" This has been an ongoing challenge that we're continuously
addressing in order to find solutions and keep customers
supplied with products while also controlling costs, " Tilley said.
THE BENEFITS
Given the supply chain and labor situation, perhaps the most
beneficial asset a co-manufacturer can provide its partners in the
current environment is its expertise in navigating these issues.
" Brand owners might not like to hear of the challenges
facing the industry, but by being transparent they can react
and plan as best as possible, " Fabian said.
Fabian said Agropur's customers depend on the company's
industry insight and formulation skills to assure it is bringing
products to market that have value, and its forecasting and
demand planning tools help in this effort.
" Our brand partners benefit from our large volume and
footprint, our extensive strategic procurement knowledge
and our solid network of market contracts, " said Bart Child,
chief commercial officer for Nellson, Anaheim, Calif. " Being
proactive is key as we anticipate the next hurdle and find
creative solutions to counter it before it happens. We are
working closer than ever and communicating frequently
36 JAN-FEB 2022 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
technology and have a reputation as a reliable, quality supplier
with a commitment to integrity and customer service.
Overall, a successful co-manufacturing relationship is built
on mutual agreement.
" Having this agreement in place ensures that both
the contract manufacturer and the customer are aligned
on key deliverables, " Tilley said. " Additionally, regular
communication and ongoing business reviews are important
to maintain a good contract manufacturing partnership. "
Fabian said Agropur is looking to partner with companies
that have great integrity, a quality especially essential today
as everyone in the industry is faced with the same challenging
environment and temptation to cut corners when faced with
difficulties. The company provides its partners with research and
development assistance as well as services in organic, cheese,
dry blending, and aseptic and retort fluid manufacturing.
" Our future depends on maintaining and building robust
relationships with vendors and customers and ensuring the
products we manufacture exceed quality standards each and
every day, " Fabian said. " The only way we can do that is with
partnering with vendors who also have the same allegiance. "
Looking ahead, Fabian said Agropur is committed to
enhancing its processes in ultrafiltration and ion exchange.
Additionally, as it is building a new facility for cheese
production, the company is considering future equipment and
technology needs in order to ensure the facility will be wellsuited
for the future.
" As brands scramble to find new resources in a volatile
market, they are seeking out co-manufacturers and fullservice
providers such as Nellson, " Child said. " Our strong
supply chain foundation helps our brand partners find
solutions to overcome these formidable challenges. "
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