BevSource Insider Interview: How To Find The Right Supply & Co-Manufacturing Partners

Speaker 1 [00:05] Hey folks, it's Ray with Taste Radio, and right now I'm speaking with Dan Mackre, who is the executive vice president for sales and marketing for BevsSource. Dan, how are you?

Speaker 2 [00:14] Good. How are you? Great to see you.

Speaker 1 [00:16] Great to see you as well. So I know a bit about BevSource. Uh, for folks who are not familiar with the company, what do you guys do?

Speaker 2 [00:23] Uh, top line, we make beverage dreams a reality. We've been in this business to be the problem solvers, uh, of the industry. Uh, many brands of all shapes and sizes, whether an early-stage startup or they're, uh, scaling and growing a little bit, you know, maybe too rapid for their, uh, for the pace that they're comfortable with, we're able to step in and help do problem solving from all directions. So, raw material supply, uh, manufacturing plans, uh, contingency planning, you name it, we're there from, from start to finish for the brands.

Speaker 1 [00:51] So, you know, uh, there are a lot of early stage and mid-stage and emerging companies watching this right now and listening to this right now, and they are trying to create products for modern consumers. So, you listed a bunch of things that BevSource does, you know, what are some of the things that they're currently facing, brands are currently facing. Um, and issues that they're facing in terms of delivering these products to the market and to the end consumer.

Speaker 2 [01:18] It's a scary environment, especially for launching a brand and, you know, distributor markets are different and, and how you're getting the retailers is much different. So, uh, let alone getting product manufactured and consistent, consistently delivered, uh, being one hurdle, but also how do you innovate through that time. And on the backside, we launched our lab, which is a little over 1 year and a half years in existence right now, where we have this piloting facility. This is a facility to help take it to the next level to validate those products. So we can do, you know, small-scale production, you know, a couple, you know, a case or two, up to a few 100 cases, we can validate an ingredient, we can validate an alcohol level, nutritional panels, all those things to make sure that the beverages that they're going to be bringing to, you know, the retailer, the distributor, whatever that may be. are consumable, ready to go, meet the, you know, are meeting what they're claiming on those, you know, uh, their labels, things of that nature. So we're really helping that brand put their best foot forward, um, and then utilizing the operational skill set of Bev source in the background to support them from as early as feasibility into commercialization and scaling.

Speaker 1 [02:23] Now you, you touched on manufacturing and oftentimes in the podcast, we're talking about how difficult it is to find a contract manufacturer for your product, for your brand, um, particularly in today's environment. Uh, what are some effective ways that Bevsource can help navigate that, uh, challenge for companies and brands?

Speaker 2 [02:44] So, we, uh, we have dedicated resources when it comes to the contract manufacturing environment and I, I think, this is a great, uh, talking point to the, the tribal knowledge that exists within Bevsource. Uh, we've, we've watched a lot of contract manufacturers grow. We've helped a lot of contract manufacturers grow. Um, we are very big on nurturing those relationships and building those networks, um, to be able to provide those solutions. So, Uh, right now, you know, we have the wherewithal to help them. I said you used a great word navigate, which is, is, you know, one of our, our primary focuses. We have the ability to get them to the right co-packer quickly.

Speaker 1 [03:21] Now, uh, another challenge that some companies are facing is in terms of supply assurance. Uh, how are you supporting companies on that front?

Speaker 2 [03:31] Yeah, so we have a, we have a full procurement department within Bevsource. Um, what we've, what we've designed over the course of years is, is this evolution of what is the ecosystem of Bevsource right now. Uh, so we have dedicated staff that are out there that are, you know, our buyers, um, our procurement managers that are out there. Who are the great ingredient providers? Uh, how is their quality? How is their price and, how do they stack up against some of the competition? Do we have, uh, uh, a diverse, uh, network of vendors for certain materials, whether it be cans or functional premixes or juices and concentrates things in that line. Um, we've again accumulated knowledge, quality testing, rigorous processes within our company to make sure that We can look to a consumer that says, if vendor A is unable to deliver for whatever unforeseen reason, you know, within their control or not, do we have a backup contingency plan? So, when we're working with these brands, we want to understand like, here's primary, here's secondary, you know, if we need to go on to a 3rd level, tertiary level, we can do that as well. Um, but for the most part, we'd like to understand what's the co-packer, what's our backup situation like? Where are these, you know, the, the vessel, the can, the bottle, who's that coming from? What's our backup opportunity or options there? Um, so, so again, knowing the network and knowing who can step in, which products will, uh, very easily plug and play within a cold pack environment, you know, it's not as simple as this package is out and this one's in, and it's just to turn, you know, a, a flip of a switch per se. Um, so we're able to adapt there as well and be able to bring in an alternate solution.

Speaker 1 [04:59] Well, it sounds like you have solutions uh from a 360 degree standpoint. Um, and I'm sure folks listening and watching would want to know how do I get in touch with BevSource, um, you know, what's the best way for me to connect with the company? Uh, what is it?

Speaker 2 [05:12] Yeah, so obviously on the website, we have great, you know, Bevsource.com. They can go in, there's, uh, you know, landing pages right there to be able to connect with our company. The phone numbers are on there. Um, you can email sales at bevsource.com, info at Bevsource.com, uh, to, to connect with us.

Speaker 1 [05:27] Dan, it was so great speaking with you today. Thank you so much for taking the time and thanks so much for sharing all the information about BevSource.

Speaker 2 [05:33] Absolutely, our pleasure. Great to see everybody.