Global flavored syrup giant Monin opens new Reno-Sparks plant after COVID-19 delays
By Jason Hidalgo
In 2017, international food flavoring giant Monin bought land just north of Reno as it looked to expand its footprint in the West Coast.
Three years and a global pandemic later, production is finally underway at the new 115,000-square-foot Monin West manufacturing and distribution facility after COVID-19 ravaged the restaurants, cafes and food establishments that served as the company’s primary clients.
For a company that had a minimal consumer presence and relied heavily on direct sales to commercial operators, the coronavirus was a significant challenge. At the same time, it also proved to be a rare opportunity for the company to challenge itself and reinvent parts of its business.
In addition to shoring up its main flavored syrup business with new cocktail mixes as well as nutritional boosters, Monin’s U.S. division temporarily switched one of its existing production lines at its Clearwater, Florida plant to make a completely different item: hand sanitizers.
It’s an interesting chapter in a saga that started more than 100 years ago when Monin was founded in France. Since then, Monin has grown into a massive global entity with operations in countries spread across multiple continents.
In the United States, continued growth pushed the company to build a second manufacturing plant. Monin specifically wanted the facility to be located in the western U.S., which would speed up delivery times and also reduce costs as well as the environmental impact when it shipped products to markets such as California. After an expansive search that included the Golden State, Oregon, Utah and the Las Vegas area, Monin settled on a location that has been getting a lot of attention for its logistics, manufacturing and budding technology sector: Reno-Sparks.
Read the entire article in the RGJ: https://www.rgj.com/story/news/money/business/2020/12/07/syrup-giant-monin-adapts-covid-19-new-cocktails-sanitizer-sparks-reno-plant/3833328001/