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Developing and creating innovative energy drinks, whether they are powders, sports drinks or even CBD, may seem like a lot to tackle. After the creation of your big idea you may be wondering the best way to break into the market.
You’re an expert at your craft, but now you have to find the best way to get your great products into the hands of excited consumers. The only problem is you have no experience in how to do this well. It’s time to get packing: You need the services of a private label company.
Deciding on the right a co-packer may seem like a huge decision. Making the right decision for you and avoiding mistakes when choosing the right co-packer takes some consideration and research. PartnerSlate streamlines the process of manufacturing to ensure the highest quality of goods are produced.
What are private label companies for food and beverage?
A private label product is manufactured by a contract or third-party manufacturer and sold under a retailer’s brand name. As the retailer, you specify everything about the product–what goes in it, how it’s packaged, what the label looks like–and pay to have it produced and delivered to your store.
This is in contrast to buying products from other companies with their brand names on them. Using a private label product with a co-packer allows you to get your products to your customers efficiently without needing to invest in your own packaging, warehousing, technology, and staff.
Some of the biggest advantages of private label products include:
- Control over production: Third-party manufacturers work at the retailer’s direction, offering complete control over product ingredients and quality.
- Control over pricing: Thanks to control over the product, retailers can also determine product cost and profitable pricing.
- Adaptability: Smaller retailers have the ability to move quickly to get a private label product in production in response to rising market demand for a new feature, while larger companies might not be interested in a niche product.
- Control over branding: Private label products bear the brand name and packaging design created by the retailer.
- Control over profitability: Thanks to control over production costs and pricing, retailers therefore control the level of profitability its products provide.
The typical brand takes about six months to a year to find a manufacturer that has the capabilities and capacity to take their project on–after reaching out to about 50-100 manufacturers. And even after all that time and effort, it might not even be an ideal fit.
Katlin Smith, Founder & CEO of Simple Mills puts it clearly: “Contract Manufacturers are classically difficult to find…The one you end up working with is typically on the 12th page of Google and you have to call every one of them.”
So how does an entrepreneur find the right contract packager for their product? PartnerSlate is the leading discovery and connection platform in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry connecting brands with manufacturing and packaging partners. We match you to the best food and beverage contract packagers in the business based on capabilities and capacity, so you can spend your time innovating, designing, and selling the best products for your customers.
What does it cost for private labeling an energy drink?
In 2021, energy drinks accounted for 31% of the packaged beverage sales in US convenience stores. While the cost for private labeling will vary greatly depending on the company you use and your product specifications, the average price per unit for an energy drink that is private label ready-to-drink (RTD) in the United States is $2.11.
The gross profit margin for the nonalcoholic beverage industry was 54.87% in 2019. Add to this the fact that global energy drink sales are estimated to reach $53.1 billion by the end of 2022 and the industry is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1% by 2027 to an estimated $86.1 billion.
The energy drinks market has huge potential for entrepreneurs, but the success of your profit margins relies heavily on your packaging costs. Let PartnerSlate ensure that you have the best possible profit margins by connecting you to the best food and beverage contract packagers in the business.
Are there private label energy drink low minimums?
In order for a co-packer to be successful, it’s incredibly important for them to be as efficient as possible. Therefore they want to make sure that they are making the most of their time and labor force as well as using their equipment to the best of its ability.
This is why many times a co-packer’s minimums will be based on the amount of units that can be produced efficiently in one shift – that might be 5,000 units, or 100,000 units. Switching out labeling, packaging or making equipment changes for a new customer takes time and if they are having to do this multiple times throughout the day, it’s not very efficient and might impact their bottom line.
All of these are major factors when it comes to how much a co-packer will charge. Typically once a co-packer reviews your formula, they will price it out and present you with a per unit cost to produce and package the product for you.
That’s why it’s vital to have a quality company like PartnerSlate make sure you get easily connected with the best beverage contract packagers! PartnerSlate’s “Production Run Size” analysis of each contract packager is just one feature that guarantees we will find the right fit for you and your product.
Top 5 Private Label Energy Drink Companies
Country Pure Foods
Country Pure Foods is a top manufacturer of beverages and unique frozen drinks including juices and plant-based beverages. Their company focus is on quality, support, and the satisfaction of their customers, and they have locations across the country that can provide a variety of packaging solutions and resources.
Focusing on food services (such as schools and healthcare), retail and private label, and co-packing, Country Pure Foods supports brands all across the country.
Services:
- Private label manufacturing
- Contract manufacturing
- Contract packaging
- Distribution
- Aseptic juice boxes
- Food service
- Single-serve portions
- Retail
- Chilled cartons, cups, and jugs
- Frozen cartons and cups
- Room temperature cups
Product Types:
- Smooth frozen juice blends from concentrate
- Vegetable juices
- Fruit juices
- Vegetable and fruit juice blends
- Almond milk and oat milks
- Natural spring water
- Iced tea
- Organic juices
- Organic almond milk
- Lemonades
Location: 681 W. Waterloo Rd., Akron, Ohio 44314
Speciality Product Capabilities:
- Organic
Blue Chip Group
Blue Chip Group is a family owned business that grew from humble beginnings to becoming one of the nation’s leading dry foods manufacturers. Under their two brands – Augason Farms and Live Prepared, the Blue Chip Group is committed to providing a diverse and comprehensive list of over 300 different products, including entrees, snacks and beverages.
Guaranteed to use only the highest quality ingredients, including gluten-free alternatives and fresh organic offerings. Blue Chip Group owns their entire supply chain, including formulation, mixing, packaging and fulfillment with a 150,000 sq. ft. production facility.
Services:
- Formulation, packaging, warehousing and fulfillment of canned or bottled beverages
- 350,000 square foot production and warehouse facility
- High Speed Packaging and Labeling
- Bulk or Staged Blending/Mixing
- Quality Assurance and Good Manufacturing Process
- Product Formulation
- Supply Chain and Inventory Control
- Kitting and Fulfillment
- Nutritional and nutraceutical solutions from formulation, blending and testing to packaging, warehousing and fulfillment
- Fruit and vegetable powders
- Dietary supplement powders
- Custom formulation
- Whole plant or juice powder
- Nutrient concentration, quality, and efficacy
- Guaranteed purity and potency
- Bottles, jars, and tubs
- Resealable pouches and stick packs
- Induction seals and neck bands
- Labels and shrink-wrap sleeves
- Display boxes and cartons
- Dy goods and shelf-stable options including packaged goods, food service blends, and private label
- Tolling or Turnkey Solutions
- 23 production machines
- 5 blending rooms
- Form, fill, and seal equipment
- 14 pouch lines
- Industrial ribbon blender (150k lb./day)
- Product formulation and micro blending
- Paddle mixers with choppers
- Bulk repackaging
- Gravity feed metal detector
- End of line packaging and kitting
Product Types:
- Beverage – Non-Carbonated
- Beverage – Carbonated
- Beverage – Dry Mixes
- Bakery – Dry Pasta
- Bakery – Flour Mixes, Dough
- Dairy – Dry, Condensed, Evaporated
- Fruit & Vegetable – Dried, Dehydrated
- Fruit & Vegetable – Specialty
- Grain & Oilseed – Breakfast, Cereal, Granola
- Grain & Oilseed – Flour, Malt
- Snack Food – Nuts & Mixes
- Confectionary – Hard Candies
- Confectionary – Gummies
- Organic soups
- Gluten-free items
- Fruit and vegetable juices/blends
- Energy drinks/shots
Speciality Product Capabilities:
- Kosher
- Gluten-Free
- Organic
Location: 1911 S 3850 W, Salt Lake City, UT, 84104
Blue Marble Productions
Blue Marble Productions, Inc. is one of the best-known names in the beverage co-packing and drink manufacturing business. They specialize in alcoholic and non-alcoholic canning, and accommodate sustainable and responsible co-packing and manufacturing methods.
Blue Marble Productions provides private labeling and co-packing services in their dairy and allergen-free facility. In addition to storage and warehouse services, their massive 425,000 square foot factory offers bulk spirit storage, tunnel pasteurization, a water plant, in-house laboratory testing, and much more.
Not only does Blue Marble have a large and impressive manufacturing facility, but the fact that they’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, makes them one of the more reliable manufacturers in the nation.
Services:
- Beverage formulation and canning
- Pasteurization and batching
- Can sleeving and laser encoding
- Carbonation and nitrogen dosing
- Shrink sleeving
- Private label services
- TTB services
- Supply chain management
- Formulation within their laboratories
Product Types:
- Variety packs of alcoholic or non-alcoholic canned beverages
- 4 packs to 24 packs of alcoholic or non-alcoholic canned beverages
- Spirits
- Vitners
- Sugar brew
- Malt beverages
Specialty product capabilities:
- Dairy-free
- Allergen-free
- Organic certified
Location: 7520 Georgetown Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268
Fortress Nutrition
Fortress Nutrition is a full-service food and nutritional contract manufacturing partner. From research and development to manufacturing and packaging, they partner with small to large clients to provide them with all their contract manufacturing and logistics needs. Providing unrivaled expertise in formulation development, blending, packaging, quality control and fulfillment services.
Services:
- Manufacturing and packaging for products going to tubs, canisters, horizontal form fill packaging, bulk bags, super sacks, any sized multi-wall bags, preformed pouches, retail-size pouches and stick packs, vacuum-sealed, negative-pressure packaging
- Sourcing and Product Research and Development
- Blending, Packaging, and Fulfillment
- Logistics solutions for clients selling to Retail, Wholesale, and Direct to Consumer
Product Types:
- Beverage – Beer, Cider
- Beverage – Dry Mixes
- Bakery – Flour Mixes, Dough
- Vitamin, mineral and herbal powder blends
- Meal replacements and drink powders
- Dairy – Dry, Condensed, Evaporated
- Grain & Oilseed – Breakfast, Cereal, Granola
- Grain & Oilseed – Flour, Malt
- Dry Seasonings – Spices & Extracts
- Confectionary – Hard Candies
Speciality Product Capabilities:
- Kosher
- Gluten-Free
- Organic
Location: 16595 West Stratton Drive, New Berlin, WI, 53151
LDB Beverage Company
LDB Beverage Company is a co-pack facility and production partner with an SQF II Certification, working to move beyond traditional “co-packing” relationships filled with too little information, a lack of collaboration, and a fair bit of adversity.
LDB Beverage Company strives for collaboration, transparency, and the spirit of win-win business. The company offers a variety of engagement packages, which allow partners to be involved in the back-office portion of their production business to the extent they feel is the most appropriate, adding value to both organizations.
Services:
- Access to solid freight lanes allows superior Central to West Coast distribution
- Inventory analysis and logistics
- Aluminum Canning and Packaging with Cold Fill, Tunnel Pasteurization and Liquid Blending processing capabilities
- (8oz, 10oz, 12oz Sleek can, 12oz, 16oz, 19.2oz LOE can, 202mm (B64) LOE can ends, 4-pack and 6-pack, 24pk case or 12pk case pack out and other)
- Carbonation up to 3.5 volumes (2.5 volumes with pasteurization)
- Stabilization through heat, chemical, or filtration with cold chain control
- Tunnel Shrink Wrapping (two-seam bundler, using clear film at .002MIL)
- Kegging (American or European Sankey couplers only, Various sizes, stainless, and plastic formats, Coding via collars on each keg)
- Cold fill
- Tunnel Pasteurization
- Liquid Bending
Product Types:
- Beverage – Still Water
- Beverage – Non-Carbonated
- Beverage – Carbonated
Speciality Product/Processing Capabilities: None listed.
Location: 30 SE, SW Cascade Ave, Stevenson, WA 98648
New Caney Beverage
New Caney Beverage is a versatile and turnkey contract packaging solutions provider conveniently located in the heart of Texas, with the ability to formulate, label, brand and manufacture a wide variety of products.
With a four-acre plant facility conveniently located in the northern part of the Houston suburban area, New Caney Beverage has easy access to highways communicating with the major cities in Texas. Their facility is fully monitored featuring secured buildings with stringent quality standards.
Services:
- Contract Packaging Solutions, Sourcing, and Label Design
- Canning Line with Sizes: 16 oz, 12 oz, 12 oz sleek, Speeds up to 220 cans per minute and Pasteurization tunnel available.
- Powders in Canisters with Speeds up to 45 jars per minute with option of induction cap sealing.
- Gels and Thicker Liquids with Sizes from 1 oz to 16 oz with speeds up to 75 bottles per minute.
- Bottling Line with Sizes from 2 oz to 1 gallon, Speeds up to 440 bottles per minute with flash pasteurization.
- Stick Pack Line with Speeds up to 250 stick packs per min.
- Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labeling
- Product Development with Custom Formulation
- Research and Development
- Tunnel Pasteurization
- Flash Pasteurization
- Cold fill
Product Types:
- Beverage – Still Water
- Beverage – Non-Carbonated
- Beverage – Dry Mixes
- Dairy – Dry, Condensed, Evaporated
- Vitamins, Supplements – Liquid
- Vitamins, Supplements – Powder
Speciality Product Capabilities:
- Kosher
- Organic
Location: 18913 Phillip Way, New Caney, TX 77357
How do I start my own energy drink company?
- Investigate and research your target consumer, characterize your brand and develop your beverage, and safeguard your intellectual property.
- Acquire the proper licensing and credentials to sell your product, set up the legal framework of your company, focus on your product and marketing ideas, and seek out the best workforce you can find.
- Get support to find the best private label company for your brand through research and tine. You’ll want to make sure you are working with a company that ensures the highest quality of care when manufacturing. PartnerSlate offers a streamlined process that not only matches you with the right partner but also offers exceptional onboarding that ultimately leads to products hitting the market faster.
Conclusion: What is the best private label energy drink company?
Remember that these Top 5 Private Label Companies for Energy Drinks are just a small sample of great options available for your brand! You have to find the best fit for your company’s vision and clientele, but no matter what you choose, PartnerSlate is the best option out there to help you reach your goals.
So if you are a food or beverage entrepreneur, let PartnerSlate be your learning center!
