Custom Flavors' new Concord, North Carolina, facility is a strategic investment in speed, scale and operational excellence in service of food, beverage and nutrition manufacturers across the United States. Designed to mirror the company's California manufacturing capabilities with upgraded, modular production equipment, the new site significantly increases capacity to support nationwide retail launches while enabling delivery to 85% of the U.S. market within two business days. Behind the scenes, a 1.5-year effort to automate regulatory documentation and compliance, combined with the relocation of experienced personnel, reportedly ensured the new operation delivers the same quality, consistency and customer service from day one.
"We knew we just wanted to be able to have all the best-in-class possibilities that we offer in California to all of our customers on the East Coast," says Alex Wendling, CEO at Custom Flavors (at left). "So by knowing the product mix that we were going to be making out of that facility from day one really helps steer our engineering and process improvements."Custom Flavors
"We knew we just wanted to be able to have all the best-in-class possibilities that we offer in California to all of our customers on the East Coast," says Alex Wendling, CEO at Custom Flavors. "So by knowing the product mix that we were going to be making out of that facility from day one really helps steer our engineering and process improvements."
He adds, "This extra capacity allows us to to manage surges in demand because we don't know which brand is going to launch into Costco or Walmart or Sam's Club next, but we have to be ready for them. And so this allows us to be ready for them. It gives us redundancy across both facilities."
The new site is capable of producing approximately 47,000 gallons (400,000 pounds) of liquid flavors per day, supported by multiple mixing technologies including propeller, dispersion and high-shear systems.Custom Flavors
The purpose-built facility, which officially opened on December 15, was unveiled by Custom Flavors during a recent grand opening event, during which customers, partners and community stakeholders toured the facility.
The site was completed on an accelerated timeline from groundbreaking to production. Demonstrating the speed of the project, the site's first commercial production run was completed and shipped on November 21, 2025, weeks ahead of the planned operational launch.
The new facility dramatically expands the company's geographic footprint, allowing more than 85% of the U.S. population to be reached within two business days.
It has been designed as a modern manufacturing and distribution hub capable of supporting high-efficiency liquid flavor compounding and powder blending. Developed in partnership with integrated design-build firm A M King, the site is intended to improve production flow, increase manufacturing capacity and maintain stringent food safety and quality standards.
"We like to collaborate on site with our customers, and not everyone can get down to Southern California on a recurring basis," says Wendling. "But with the Charlotte airport being one of the major hubs for American Airlines, you can get there direct from nearly every major regional airport. So everyone on the entire Eastern seaboard and Midwest can now come on site and collaborate with us."Custom Flavors
The new site is capable of producing approximately 47,000 gallons (400,000 pounds) of liquid flavors per day, supported by multiple mixing technologies including propeller, dispersion and high-shear systems.
Liquid flavor production equipment ranges from four-gallon development vessels to 2,200-gallon manufacturing tanks and supports liquid compounding, botanical extracts and reaction flavors. Clean-in-place sanitation systems have also been incorporated to improve consistency and operational efficiency.
"The the equipment we have has such a modular approach to it," says Wendling. "So we don't just have a bulk tank farm that gets used once a month. We have adaptability with our equipment. A good example: our 1,500-gallon tank can produce down to 20% full based on the way it was engineered with propellers further down than most tanks have. So, by doing a custom built tank, we make sure that is being utilized uh on a more frequent basis."
For powdered flavors, the facility includes dedicated dry blending rooms with dust-control technology, critical control point screening and production capacity reaching 22,000 pounds per day upon full project completion.
![Wendling (third from left) concludes, 'You can have a lot of emails going back and forth or prototypes going back and forth; getting on site and tasting together [is critical] because taste and flavor is so subjective ... You have to collaborate on site together, and that's the main focus of our build-out.'](https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/mindful/allured/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/event-4.Yxis3XNXA5.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=max&q=70&w=700)
Wendling (third from left) concludes, "You can have a lot of emails going back and forth or prototypes going back and forth; getting on site and tasting together [is critical] because taste and flavor is so subjective ... You have to collaborate on site together, and that's the main focus of our build-out."Custom Flavors
Supporting infrastructure includes organoleptic evaluation, specific gravity, flash point and pH testing, third-party microbiological and heavy metals analysis, allergen controls for peanut and dairy ingredients, finished goods warehousing and expanded shipping operations.
Collectively, these capabilities are expected to enable faster prototype development, larger commercial production runs and improved responsiveness for customers across beverage, confectionery, snacks, dairy, nutritional products and other food applications requiring customized flavor systems.
The investment represents phase 1 of a broader multi-stage expansion designed to increase production capacity, shorten lead times and strengthen customer support for manufacturers seeking flexible, U.S.-based flavor partners. Phase 2, planned for October 2026, will add expanded research and development laboratories, additional production suites and new processing technologies intended to accelerate flavor innovation and support continued business growth.
"We like to collaborate on site with our customers, and not everyone can get down to Southern California on a recurring basis," says Wendling. "But with the Charlotte airport being one of the major hubs for American Airlines, you can get there direct from nearly every major regional airport. So everyone on the entire Eastern seaboard and Midwest can now come on site and collaborate with us."
He adds, "You can have a lot of emails going back and forth or prototypes going back and forth; getting on site and tasting together [is critical] because taste and flavor is so subjective ... You have to collaborate on site together, and that's the main focus of our build-out."
