Co-Manufacturers—Finding One, Being One

Using third-party services—referred to as co-manufacturing or co-packing—for some or all parts of the food supply chain has been a significant element of food companies’ strategy for many years. One example is renting warehouse space on a long- or short-term basis. Another is contracting for special packaging, such as promotional bundling (e.g., six-packs of soup) or addition of stickers. Many marketing-oriented firms had some or all of their products made by other companies.

In recent years, as…