Insider Tips for Working With Co-Packers From Sandro Gerbini

Real Food Brands Strategy Podcast: Tips to Help Food Entrepreneurs Build a Strong Brand That Stands Out

Working with co-packers, co-manufacturers, and everything else required to get your brand onto shelves that matter can be a daunting task for the sharpest entrepreneur. Making sure that you’re consistently delivering at the quality level you expect while staying within your budget is the secret to long-term growth. This week on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host Katie Mleziva sits down with Sandro Gerbini, founder of Gatherer’s Granola and Empire Co-Packing, to get into the nitty-gritty of how you take a product that works at small scale and make the logistical decisions you need to see wider distribution.

In This Episode:

• How Sandro started a granola company, and why quality concerns drove him to start his own co-manufacturing business.
• Why consistent quality means everything in contract manufacturing.
• How finding the right contract manufacturer frees you up to focus on marketing your brand.
• What the difference is between contract manufacturers, co-packers, and private brand manufacturers is, and where there is overlap.
• Why geographic proximity to a contract manufacturer matters.
• How integrated ingredient sourcing, production, and packaging makes a difference to your bottom line.
• How you can make sure your contract with a co-manufacturer is rock-solid.
• What fees most contract manufacturers add to invoices and what they mean.
• What mistakes most brand owners make when they’re trying to scale, and how to avoid them.

Resources:

• Gatherer’s Granola
• Empire Co-Packing
• FMI Emerge
• How FMI Emerge Helps Brands Find More Shelf Space Podcast Episode
• Real Food Brands Marketing Roundtable Facebook Group
• Real Food Brands