Looking for a Pilot Plant or a Food Innovation Center?
What is a Pilot Plant?
A Pilot Plant is a small-scale facility where food products are developed, tested, and scaled up before mass production. It allows food manufacturers to experiment with new recipes, optimize processes, and ensure quality control before launching products into the market. Some also do pilot runs for a local launch.
Recruiting Pilot Plants
The Contract Manufacturing Alliance is recruiting Pilot Plants to join the Contract Packaging Association. The Contract Packaging Association has expanded its membership base to now include Pilot Plants who help brands of all-sizes with product development, test runs and small-scale regional launches.
What is the Difference Between a Pilot Plant and a Food Innovation Center?
Pilot Plants Together as One Voice
The Contract Manufacturing Alliance is creating an extension program to align all Pilot Plants together. We created a Food Innovation Center and Pilot Plant search tool for future clients to find a location for their needs.
- Food Innovation
- Industry Experts
- Food Safety / QA
- Technical Expertise
- Ingredient Testing
- Pilot Plants
- Ingredient Sourcing
- Packaging
- Regulatory Compliance
- Commercialization Support
- Research and Development
- Commercial Kitchens
- Product Development
- Shelf-Life Testing
- Sensory Analysis
- Contract Manufacturing
- On-Site Events
- Industry Networking
- Market Research
- Feasibility Analysis
With our commercial kitchen programming (also culinary kitchens, shared kitchens, kitchen incubators, food innovation centers) with tools that help their clients (such as incubation programs). We will be availing our matchmaking platforms to our commercial kitchen partners that have needs for kitchen equipment, ingredients, packaging, recipe tools and much more. Other benefits to partners include offers and discounts with companies in these related areas:
- Commercial Kitchen Equipment
- Paper Products
- Kitchen Supplies
- Janitorial and Cleaning Supplies
- Ingredient Sales
- Commercial Kitchen Software
- Refrigeration Companies
- Flooring Products
- Shelf-Life Testing Companies
- Retail Packaging Companies
- Food Service Packaging Companies
- Packaging Designers
- Small-wares
- Catering Supplies
- HR Software
- HVAC Companies
- Commercial Kitchen Designs
- Contractors
- Equipment Repair Companies
- Uniform Supply
- Energy Solutions
- Insurance
- Certifications
- Water Solutions
- Food Containers
- Baking Supplies
- Food Prep Supplies
- Furniture
- China and Glassware
- Food Service Distribution
- Retail Food Distribution
- Consumer Product Brokers
Pilot Plants:
Needing Customers?
The Contract Manufacturing Alliance’s founders have over 30-years in the consumer products space and are available to help create new brand group (start-up, emerging and established) customer sales plans. Recruiting New Pilot Plants: The Contract Packaging Association’s membership includes contract manufacturers of all-types. We are recruiting current commercial kitchens and contract manufacturers to offer pilot runs and / or to create pilot plants within their own locations. We also are working with colleges and universities with current programs.
Brand Groups:
Needing Pilot Plants?
The Contract Manufacturing Alliance’s founders have over 30-years in the CPG/contract manufacturing space and are available to help brand groups (start-up, emerging and established) in a-number of ways:
2.) Manage the Process: Our team is available to be project managers to manage to whole process (managing co-packers).
3.). Be Involved With Product Developmentn: We have a full roster of product developers (food scientists, nutritionists) for pilot plant runs and projects.
The Contract Manufacturing Alliance
The Eight Arms of Manufacturing:
The Contract Packaging Association and the Co-Packing Network established the Contract Manufacturing Alliance as a prime resource for all aspects of consumer product manufacturing, catering to startups, emerging, and established brands.
Explore more at www.ContractMFG.org
Our Search By County Tool: Commercial Kitchens
We created the 'Search By County' Tool to help food industry start-ups find the ideal commercial kitchen (also known as a commissary kitchen, kitchen incubator) in their area. We list the commercial kitchens by county and by zip code.
Look for our other programs relating to help with working with farmer's markets; our commercial kitchen incubation programs for clients of commercial kitchens and our own efforts helping create new kitchens.
Pioneering Industry Standards in Contract Packaging & Manufacturing
Established in 1992, the Contract Packaging Association (CPA) is the national, non-profit trade organization dedicated to promoting the growth and welfare of firms in the Contract Packaging / Manufacturing industry and related businesses. We offer exposure and programs designed to foster growth within our member firms.
A Century of Expertise in Consumer Product Manufacturing
The Co-Packing Network is a comprehensive national Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) advisory group deeply rooted in the diverse US and Canadian consumer product manufacturing industries. Celebrating our 100-year anniversary, our expansive history spans supermarkets, wholesaling, manufacturing, owning brands, and beyond.
PILOT PLANTS AND FOOD INNOVATION CENTERS
The Contract Manufacturing Alliance’s founders have over 30-years in the consumer products space and are available to help brand groups with their manufacturing and launch needs (start-up, emerging and established). Helping Pilot Plants and Food Innovation Centers: The Contract Manufacturing Alliance is helping Pilot Plants and Food Innovation Centers find new customers starting with its launch of the Search Tool (helping food start-ups and entrepreneurs find a pilot plant and / or food innovation center in their area).
* The Contract Packaging Association itself has expanded its membership to now include Pilot Plants and Food Innovation Centers (www.ContractPackaging.org for more details).
The Contract Manufacturing Alliance’s founders have created an incubation program specific to the clients of Pilot Plants and Food Innovation Centers nationwide.
Incubation Programming: We have created white label incubation models ideal for Pilot Plants and Food Innovation Centers that help their clients with subjects relating to the business. These include subjects such as retailers, calendar reviews, distributors, brokers, funding, PO financing, logistics, recipe and formulation help, packaging, ingredients, food service, exporting product and more.
The Contract Manufacturing Alliance
Creating products for the following:
Local and Regional Farmers Markets
Our incubation program connects consumer product entrepreneurs with kitchens, co-packers, and pilot plants nationwide, perfect for farmer's market operators and vendors.
Local, Regional, National Retailers
Together with our own internal and external sales partners, we help place products (retailers, e-commerce) that consumer product entrepreneurs make with their manufacturing partners. Our own www.RetailFormats.com showcases all of the retail and food service formats that are ideal for placements.
Local, Regional, National Food Service
We help entrepreneurs place their products with manufacturers in retail and food service locations via our sales partners. Check out the ideal formats at www.RetailFormats.com.
Local, Regional, National E-Commerce (Internal / External)
We create e-commerce platforms and Amazon relationships for client brands using our internal and external sales partners, with customers like Thrive Market, Abe’s Market and Wayfair.
Our family has been involved within the consumer product industry (US based manufacturing, retailing, distribution) since the early 1920’s. From the first generation to the latest, our best practices have been handed down over time leading to a long legacy of successes in the business (manufacturing, retailing, distribution and more).
Our New Community Tool: Squawkee
Our Own Media:
Contract Packaging (CP) is the official magazine for the Contract Packaging Association, published three times each year by PMMI Media Group (owners of Packaging World magazine). Dedicated exclusively to contract packaging issues and news, each issue is overseen by Editor-in-Chief, Anne Marie Mohan.
20,000 qualified packaging professionals receive each edition of CP. These professionals are individuals who have indicated that they have purchase involvement in contract packaging and related services and products. Magazine recipients are also contract packagers, who are CPA members.
www.ContractPackaging.org
