Private label supplements maker Reliance moves into new site
Reliance, which previously handled supplement manufacturing in one site, and packaging, fulfillment and its corporate HQ from another site 20 miles away, has now moved both operations into a refurbished brick building half-way between the two.
‘Consumers are clearly embracing private label products’
Marketing manager Ken Choat told NutraIngredients-USA strong growth in the private label market had given bosses at the family-run contract manufacturer the confidence to invest.
He said: “The private label market is growing strongly, in fact the most recent data shows it is growing significantly, six times faster than national brands. Consumers are clearly embracing private label products and we see opportunities in all distribution channels.”
He added: “Reliance is financially healthy and growing. Our confidence in the future springs from our long-term growth trend, our new capabilities, consumer trends, and the real opportunities we see in marketplace. We look around and get very excited!”
‘A perfect environment to produce sensitive products’
The 90,000sq ft facility includes new powder filling lines, tableting and encapsulation equipment, said Choat. “We also significantly upgraded the facility environment with class 10,000 clean rooms and best-in-class dust control and moisture control.”
The facility – which can produce tablets, capsules, powders, probiotics and effervescents – also boasts new dust collection and climate control systems that maintain humidity levels below 45%, regardless of external conditions, he said.
“This provides a perfect environment to produce sensitive products and maximize stability for products like probiotics, with no interruptions in production during periods of high humidity.”
Bosses had also invested in Kodak NexPress digital color printing technology to produce labels, sales and marketing materials that ensured labels did not look ‘home made’ and gave retailers “a store brand that visually competes with national brands” , said the firm.
Meanwhile, in-house testing capabilities “now include FTNIR (near infrared), HPLC, Atomic Absorption, Titration, moisture, water activity, and microbiological, with gas chromatography and ICP-MS to be installed in the next few months”.
Eco-friendly
The facility’s new climate control system was “up to 40% more energy efficient than standard HVAC systems”, claimed Reliance, while large amounts of glass and plastic in the building allowed natural light into the warehouse and manufacturing area to keep electricity bills down.
“It features an energy recovery system, has MERV air filtration, is LEEDS compliant and does not use hydrochloroflurocarbons, so does not deplete the ozone layer.”
