St. Francis-based Wixon Inc., a national food ingredient company, recently opened the Wixon Innovation Center for Culinary & Protein, which features a new state-of-the art commercial kitchen and testing facility, a meat pilot plant and a demonstration and conference room.
“The new components of the center really allow us to expand our services through teaching sessions and demonstrations for our customers,” Peter Gottsacker, president of Wixon said. “It allows us to combine the culinary aspect with our science and technology, and I think it will really add to Wixon’s credibility within the market.”
The new $2 million, 4,200-square-foot facility will provide an improved environment for research and development and will allow for classes to be held and products to be better showcased, Gottsacker said.
1: INNOVATION According to president Peter Gottsacker, Wixon Inc.’s new Innovation Center for Culinary & Protein will enhance the company’s credibility in the market.
2: FEELING THE HEAT Wixon’s corporate chef Judson McLester demonstrates some of his skills for Wixon president, Peter Gottsacker (left), in the company’s new commercial kitchen.
3: HIGH-TECH Wixon’s new conference room and presentation facility features state-of-the-art audio visual equipment that can show the chef demonstrations from different angles.
4: R&D The new meat pilot plant enables Wixon customers to develop trial products without halting production on their own plant floors.
The commercial kitchen is equipped with Viking appliances, griddles, charbroilers, Sub-Zero refrigeration units and plug-and-pull spaces for appliances, he added.
Wixon corporate chef Judson McLester will utilize the space to conduct demonstrations for customers on how to prepare Wixon products, Gottsacker said.
“The kitchen, as well as the adjoining conference room, is equipped with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, so the demonstrations can be seen from two angles, and the space behind the kitchen can be opened up to allow for a larger crowd,” he said.
The addition of the meat pilot plant will enable Wixon customers to keep up production in their facilities and still be able to test pilot new ingredients and spices at Wixon.
“In the pilot plant, we are able to produce prototypes of trial products for our customers,” Gottsacker said. “This means that our customers don’t have to stop production to produce a trial product, we can do that all for them right here in our plant. We are able to see samples faster and shorten up the R&D process for our customers.”
Wixon has already scheduled some demonstrations for next year, including a Starbucks demonstration in January; a grand opening early next year for the community as well as the trade industry is also scheduled.
According to Gottsacker, Wixon hired 10 more employees in 2008 and is looking to match that number for 2009. Revenue for the company is up around 18 percent for the year, he added.
“The traditional thinking is that certain industries are unaffected by the economy. In many regards that is true, but especially for the food industry, there is always opportunity to flourish,” Gottsacker said.
Wixon is one of the nation’s leading producers of food ingredients, including custom-ground spices, blended seasonings, sweet and savory flavors, and a variety of finished food products. The diversity of Wixon’s market enables the company to adjust and focus on other areas of the market that are doing well, Gottsacker said.
“We are so diversified that we are able to ride out these tough times, and we are not just getting by, we are thriving,” he said.
