Denali Ingredients unveiled its $5.5 million expansion Wednesday at its New Berlin headquarters and plans to invest another $6 million in the facility and add up to 50 more jobs over the next two years.
“We are in the enviable position of having an incredibly talented team of dairy and food industry veterans who are committed to hands-on collaboration and innovation with our customers,” Neal Glaeser, president of Denali Ingredients, said in a statement. “Our vision is to become the go-to ingredients supplier for innovative products and solutions.”
The company manufactures chocolate coatings, fudge sauces and other ingredients for the dairy, ice cream, bakery and food service industries.
Denali moved move to 2400 S. Calhoun Road in 2006. Since that time, staff and sales revenue have tripled at the company. More than 50 new jobs already have been created.
Production has more than doubled in the 10 years since Denali acquired the New Berlin facility, from 21 million pounds of ingredients manufactured annually to nearly 50 million pounds, according to the company.
Denali partnered with Oconomowoc-based Oliver Construction for the first phase of the expansion, which included a complete re-facing of the exterior facade as well as interior renovations. A new Innovation Center and Pilot Lab, where Denali can simulate full-scale manufacturing of new concepts, were also included.
Denali plans to invest another $6 million during phase two of its expansion, which will occur over the next two years and is expected to add another 40 to 50 jobs. The second phase will include additional production lines to expand capacity as well as new manufacturing equipment to expand product offerings, according to a company spokesman.
“We’re investing at a time when many in our industry are moving in the other direction,” Glaeser said. “It’s an opportunity for us to get closer to the consumer and to play a larger role in our customer’s own R&D efforts as true collaborators. Ultimately, the entire industry benefits when these new flavors and concepts become mainstream trends in the grocery aisle.”
