“PartnerSlate was a huge help when we found ourselves searching for a new partner for upcoming retail distribution.”
– Kristina Mallon, VP Operations at DEUX
Challenge
Finding a co-manufacturer for an urgent PO was a near impossible task for the DEUX team.
With a PO from Sprouts in hand, Kristina, VP of Operations, and her team were running into the problem that most scaling brands face: finding a co-manufacturer is time consuming and costly. Their Better-For-You donut line was taking off and they needed a new production partner to fill the order ASAP or face losing the deal. A process that typically takes between 6-12 months had to be cut to weeks.
Luckily, Kristina found PartnerSlate and after a quick conversation with co-founder, Matt Suggs, saw the potential it held for her brand.
“The platform streamlines the process of early conversations (NDA, product information etc.) and saved us a huge amount of time by avoiding repetition and matching us with partners that already had the capabilities we were looking for. Not to mention the quality level and expertise of the co-manufacturers is incredible.“
Solution
PartnerSlate’s Marketplace expedited the search process and delivered high quality and interested partners in days.
After a call with the PartnerSlate team, DEUX’s needs were carefully converted into a project listing and reviewed by Antonella, our lead Brand Matching Advisor, for anonymity and accuracy.
1. Matching-AI alerted the top 20 co-manufacturers within seconds
Rather than relying on directories or web searches, the project listing was cross-compared with thousands of co-man profiles in our up-to-date database. The best co-mans for the job were notified of the new project within seconds of it being published anonymously, putting the ball in their court.
2. Within a week, 4 co-mans had reached out
With such a thorough listing, the co-mans knew exactly what the brand needed and could confidently request to connect knowing they were top candidates. Kristina got to view their profiles of capabilities and services before accepting their connection requests, giving her the final say about when to release her brand’s identity. Rather than spending weeks or months searching or hiring brokers, interested manufacturers were delivered right to her.
3. Within one month, DEUX had a new production partner confirmed
PartnerSlate’s strength doesn’t just lie in our AI-driven matching system, but our deep relationships in the industry. The DEUX project listing was thorough and accurate to their needs, and their timeline was clear. Knowing this going into the very first conversation, the potential manufacturing partners knew how to structure the conversation for the best results for them both. The PartnerSlate team was there to smooth along the process, ensure transparency on both sides, and follow up to make sure no miscommunications sidetracked their progress.
Results
DEUX reached production in 3 months to fill their Sprouts order and launch a new partnership.
The high-quality and fast results from the Marketplace allowed DEUX to meet their Sprouts order and ship to more than 400 new retail locations. DEUX continues to grow with that producer today, scaling their volumes to dominate their niche with consistently delicious treats.
“We are very happy with the co-manufacturers we have connected with through this (PartnerSlate’s) platform and cannot recommend it enough!“
Explore how PartnerSlate can help your team at partnerslate.com.
