nellson news
June 2016
Nellson Expands Nutrition Bar Co-Manufacturing Capabilities in Canadian Facilities Under the Leadership of Jean Filion
Nellson, the leading full-service nutrition bar and powder provider in North America, continues its forward movement in the world of nutrition, with the addition of a new high-speed production line in its Lachine, Quebec nutritional bar manufacturing facility and the unification of the Canadian operations in Lachine and Anjou, Quebec under the leadership of Jean Filion, former CEO of MultiBar and current President Nellson Canada. This investment enables the nutrition bar co-manufacturer to meet and exceed the needs of North American bar manufacturers’ brands.
Jean Filion said, “It was important to us that we bring our Canadian operations together under one management, as it combines two great teams to share best practices, accelerates decision-making, and, together with the capital investment, strengthens our value creation potential.” Filion added, “I am extremely excited by the potential of the Canadian team with its wealth of knowledge and commitment to innovation. Like our entire Nellson team, our Canadian bar team relentlessly seeks improvement to surpass our clients’ expectations in terms of service, quality and cost.”
Jamie Better, Nellson LLC’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “The unification of our Canadian operations under Jean’s leadership is another step in Nellson’s transformation over the past 18 months. This leadership change and the capital investment demonstrates our commitment to knowledge sharing and continuous improvement in all areas of the company. Our Canadian operations are a critical component of our bi-coastal platform which enables us to provide best-in-class product development and manufacturing capabilities, exceptional speed of execution, and outstanding customer service to our clients. The acquisition of MultiBar and NBTY’s Anaheim CA powder manufacturing facility and nutritional bar operating assets positions Nellson as the unequivocal leader in nutritional bar and powder co-manufacturing in North America.”
Nellson co-manufacturing advantages include:
• Capabilities, bar none
Nellson’s newly commissioned state-of-the-art Sollich line, Peerless and conical mixers, and automated line processes throughout provide the flexibility and capability to create any type of nutrition bar. From the simplest uncoated bars to the most complex—specialty coated, sandwich layered versions—Nellson can provide exactly what bar brands need at an excellent value. Nellson has the unique capability to process real chocolate, as it possesses both the specialized equipment and expertise required for real chocolate production. Nellson also offers the efficiency of a one-stop shop, with special assemblies for display-ready pallet services, so clients don’t need to move their product to third party assemblers. In a market that demands complexity, Nellson offers the capabilities to meet those demands with state-of-the-art equipment and process expertise.
• Capacity to support growth
Nellson has the production capacity to support the growth of customer brands and the flexibility to meet their surge demands. Our investment in new technology for case packing and a new centralized palletization area accommodate the speed necessary to support production lines.
• Consistent quality
Nellson’s stringent Quality Assurance processes ensure delivery of the quality customers expect—with efficient, consistent results. This gives Nellson’s customers confidence that their consumers will experience the same bar quality, taste and appearance, day-in and day-out.
• In-house Research & Development
Nellson’s in-house R&D department provides a benefit unique to nutritional bar and powder co-manufacturing. Our dedicated team of over 40 R&D food science developers and technicians give Nellson’s customers a distinct edge. The R&D team has unrivaled knowledge of all aspects of bar and powder development and manufacturing to facilitate success. The Nellson R&D team understands that there is a difference between developing a bar or powder and actually manufacturing it. With a solid understanding of profiles and flavors, manufacturing processes and equipment, the R&D team at Nellson enables clients to get new and innovative products to market at record speed.
April 2016
Nellson Nutraceutical, LLC Appoints Jamie Better as Chief Executive Officer
Nellson Nutraceutical, the leading full-service nutrition bar and powder provider in North America, announced today that Jamie Better has been named the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Better, who has been Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2014, brings to Nellson an extensive track record of senior leadership experience across industries, and is an Operating Partner of Kohlberg & Company, Nellson’s majority shareholder. Better stated, “I look forward to leading Nellson through its continued evolution while supporting its customers through new product and market expansion efforts.”
Better assumes this role from Scott Greenwood, Nellson’s current Chief Executive Officer, who will remain in an advisory capacity to the Company. Under Greenwood’s leadership, Nellson completed two transformative acquisitions and achieved significant growth, positioning the Company as North America’s leading third-party manufacturer and full service provider of high quality nutrition bars, nutritional-powders and healthy snacks. Having substantially completed his objective to transform Nellson, Scott is now pursuing other opportunities. Greenwood commented, “I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together at Nellson under Kohlberg’s ownership. Jamie’s distinguished track record, together with his strong professional and personal values, make him an outstanding successor to lead Nellson into the future. I wish Jamie and the people of Nellson much continued success in the years to come.”
Seth H. Hollander, Partner of Kohlberg, commented, “On behalf of the Board of Directors of Nellson, I wish to sincerely thank Scott for his distinguished service to the company. Scott was instrumental in building a foundation for sustained growth at Nellson.” Hollander continued, “As Chairman, Jamie has been the architect of several of Nellson’s recent transformational initiatives. As a result of his leadership, Nellson has strengthened its core capabilities and is well-positioned for continued excellence in customer service as well as growth execution.”
March 2016
Nellson Nutraceutical Moves into a New Era—and New Headquarters
Nellson Nutraceutical, the leading full-service nutrition bar and powder provider in North America, announced a reorganization of its facilities including the relocation of corporate headquarters from Irwindale, CA to Anaheim, CA and the transfer of Salt Lake City, UT powder operations to the Anaheim, CA manufacturing facility. Scott Greenwood, CEO of Nellson said, “Having successfully executed two major acquisitions over the last fourteen months, we have undergone a detailed analysis and determined it was necessary to realign our operational capabilities to better serve customer demand. We do not take these actions lightly and are in the process of reviewing personnel needs for potential relocation. We will continue to invest in our employees to ensure the future growth of our company with this multi-phased plan.”
The new headquarters, attached to the Anaheim powder facility, represents one of many new innovations Nellson is currently undertaking in a re-stage of their business brand. Greenwood added, “The plan includes an investment in our new corporate headquarters as well as a substantial investment in the manufacturing plant in Anaheim. These changes will strengthen our capabilities and enable Nellson and our employees to provide an improved level of service to our customers.”
The investment in the facility, which is approximately 300,000 square feet, reflects significant infrastructure and process improvements, including 14 upgraded blending rooms, enhanced allergen weigh-out rooms, high-speed packaging equipment, and additional functional capabilities for new products. The new headquarters will also house a Research and Development Center of Excellence, creating a centralized corporate R&D function for powder innovation and applied development. The newly redesigned facility is planning to add approximately 225 jobs. Upon completion of the final phase of the project, the Anaheim location will be a state-of-the-art facility exceeding industry standards for food safety and technology.
About Nellson
Nellson, the leading full-service nutrition bar & powder nutrition provider in North America, is based in Anaheim, California, with production locations in California, Utah, and Quebec. Founded in 1962, Nellson has over 50 years of diversified expertise in nutrition platforms for bars and powders, serving the wellness, sports nutrition, weight management, snack/breakfast, and functional market segments. Nellson offers technical capabilities, quality assurance and operations, flexible production, research and development, and sales and marketing support.
January 2015
Nellson Nutraceutical, LLC Acquires Le Groupe Multibar Inc.
It is with great excitement that I can confirm the sale of Multibar is complete. On behalf of all our personnel, I welcome the Multibar employees to Nellson Nutraceutical. Similar to Multibar, Nellson has a proud history of developing and manufacturing market leading products for our customers. The combination creates a platform for growth with remarkable capabilities in new product development and manufacturing that will benefit our current and prospective customers.
We at Nellson have the highest regard for all the employees of Multibar. You have built a terrific company and have a well-earned reputation for attracting great customers who excel in their marketplace. We admire how you serve your customers and we are thrilled to have you as part of the Nellson team. Our plan is to capitalize on the fine Multibar organization and infrastructure and operate your company as a division within Nellson.
Again, my congratulations to both our company's respective employees for this successful merger. Looking forward to working with the new Nellson/Multibar team in driving our business to new heights.
Best Regards,
Scott Greenwood
CEO