Food Co-Packer
Scaling Smarter – How Prep Partners Helped a Food Co-Packer Double Output & Optimize Labor
Background
A well-established food co-packer specializing in private-label sauces and salad dressings for major retailers and national supermarket chains was reaching capacity. Their internal team was stretched thin, spending too much time on tasks outside of their core production work such as prepping bottles for machines and kitting post-production orders according to complex retail routing guides. To stay efficient, they needed expert support in food and beverage logistics to streamline fulfillment and focus on what they do best: manufacturing quality products.
In short: packaging and logistics were eating into their profitability and slowing them down.
They needed a partner to help them regain production space, redeploy labor efficiently, and streamline routing for complex retailer requirements. That partner was Prep Partners Group.
Challenges
Space limitations due to on-site staging of empty bottles and finished goods awaiting retail kitting
Labor inefficiency – skilled workers were pulled from machine lines to assist with packaging and pallet organization
Time-consuming bottle alignment for feeding machines, creating bottlenecks before production even started
Complex EDI and routing compliance for post-production fulfillment to multiple retail destinations
Limited ability to scale due to non-revenue-generating tasks taking up space and attention
The Prep Partners Solution
Prep Partners implemented a comprehensive kitting and fulfillment support system:
Pre-Kitting: Bottle Prep for Seamless Production
PPG now receives and arranges bottle pallets in production-ready orientation, removing the burden of manual alignment. Pallets are delivered just-in-time to feed the co-packer's high-speed filling lines, reducing start-up lag.Post-Kitting: Retail Routing Guide Compliance
After production, finished goods are sent back to PPG for retail-specific packaging and labeling based on routing guides. This ensures compliance with big-box and grocery chain requirements, including EDI-connected shipping confirmations and ASN management.Labor Reallocation for Maximum Output
By offloading all non-production tasks to PPG, the co-packer restructured its labor model—adding operators to the production line, increasing throughput without hiring additional staff.Space Reclaimed for Production Expansion
With storage and packaging handled offsite, the company freed up thousands of square feet, allowing installation of additional equipment for increased capacity.
Key Benefits
➡️ Doubled Production Capacity
With labor focused on where it matters most—on the line—the co-packer dramatically increased weekly production without expanding their core team.
➡️ Retail Compliance, Outsourced
Prep Partners took over all routing guide kitting, EDI compliance, labeling, and shipping, reducing costly errors and missed retail windows.
➡️ JIT Bottle Alignment
Machine line operators no longer waste time staging bottles—PPG delivers prepped pallets ready to go, increasing line uptime.
➡️ Space Optimization
Cleared internal storage space made room for two new production lines, boosting output and enabling faster customer turnaround.
Looking Ahead
The food co-packer plans to expand their partnership with Prep Partners by introducing seasonal SKUs and exploring multi-SKU bundling for club stores—something now possible thanks to the flexible post-kitting support PPG provides.
They’re also aiming to increase their weekly output by another 30% in the next 12 months, confident in their ability to handle new volume without added operational strain.
Summary
Prep Partners helped this food co-packer do more with what they already had. By offloading bottle staging, post-production packaging, and retail routing logistics, the manufacturer doubled output, boosted labor ROI, and eliminated costly bottlenecks. With Prep Partners as a logistics ally, the co-packer is positioned to grow faster and more profitably.
"Before Prep Partners, we were constantly choosing between production and packaging. Now, we don’t have to choose—we get both, done right."
— Plant Manager, Food Co-Packer
