An Exceptional Partnership Comes Full Circle

CuliNEX brings product innovation, product development, and commercialization to food industry brands. Our Secret S.A.U.C.E. sets us apart: We’re Solution-oriented, Agile, United, Curious, and we strive to be Exceptional. Those ingredients are “secret” because we let our clients shine and value their confidentiality. In this blog series, we focus on each ingredient in the CuliNEX Secret S.A.U.C.E.

An Exceptional Product Development Relationship

CuliNEX brings product innovation, product development, and commercialization to food industry brands. Our Secret S.A.U.C.E. sets us apart: we’re Solution-oriented, Agile, United, Curious, and we strive to be Exceptional. Those ingredients are “secret” because we let our clients shine and value confidentiality. In this blog series, we focus on each ingredient in the CuliNEX Secret S.A.U.C.E.

Exceptional

At CuliNEX, we strive for excellence in everything we do, aiming to deliver client delight. We hold ourselves accountable. We communicate internally and externally. We work to ensure our clients receive an exceptional partnership experience.

An Exceptional Partnership Comes Full Circle

What’s more exceptional than rising from attendee to exhibitor at the industry's most prestigious natural food event—in a single year? The team at CuliNEX recently worked with a client who did just that. “We met at Expo West 2023,” said Jacqui Sarmiento, Manager, Partner Development “and in 2024 they had the opportunity to showcase their new products there.”

This client’s story is a year-long journey of partnership and innovation, culminating in an exciting CPG product launch. Everything about this transformation reflects the commitment to exceptionalism that lies at the heart of CuliNEX. “We strive to deliver client delight,” said Sarmiento.

Insights into Worldwide Trends

The story begins at Natural Products Expo West (NPEW), the premier trade show for the natural, organic, and health products industry. Every year, we visit this expo, offering demonstrations of our work and showcasing some of the successful products we’ve helped our clients create.

After the expo, we synthesize our insights of the industry trends into a Trendscape Report and Webinar for our clients. This analysis helps our clients understand the industry and its influences. It also inspires clients to develop their own successful, innovative products.

This year we’re seeing trends in eco-friendly ingredients, plant-based proteins, authentic worldwide flavors, and ingredient heroes that serve specific nutritional purposes and practical applications like improving shelf-life. If you’re interested in learning more about these trends, please reach out and ask for our Trendscape resources.

Exceptional Connections

Last year, in 2023, an entrepreneur with a passion for food and innovation wandered the show floor at Expo West. They explored booths seeking production partners. Stopping at the CuliNEX booth, they began a conversation with our staff members. “They were interested in using our services and creating a product with us,” said Sarmiento.

This introduction led to several business development meetings and thoughtful discussions about their goals and aspirations. Together the entrepreneur and the CuliNEX business development team discussed expectations for cost and quality. These conversations helped build a strong rapport that continued throughout the partnership.

“Everyone is well aligned,” Sarmiento said. “We created a plan that our team could achieve and that met the client’s goals.” At CuliNEX, initial product planning brings together a range of specialties including business development, R&D, and operations.

This particular plan encompassed product development through co-manufacturing. “We worked through the entire process with them, from start to finish,” said Sarmiento, “concept, product development, commercialization.”

Exceptional Product Cycle Progress

The product development process was highly collaborative. “Our client came in, toured our facility, and did a collaborative in-person tasting with our team,” said Sarmiento. One of the clients even brought in her mother and sister for the tastings to ensure quality and authenticity. “It was like a family affair,” said Sarmiento.

These tastings were key to the efficiency of the product cycle. “Our team was able to show the client different iterations from the beginning,” said Sarmiento. “We got immediate feedback. We got to understand what they liked, so we could see what to focus on in round two.” This approach not only ensured swift adaptations, but also led to innovative, flavorful solutions.

Exceptional People

“The expertise of the people on our teams and our commitment to delighting our clients allowed us to meet client expectations at every step,” said Sarmiento. Those steps included the initial project plan, a collaborative development process, and establishing a co-manufacturing relationship. This project was marked by transparency, open communication, and high expectations—in short, partnership excellence.

“The cherry on top was Expo West 2024,” said Sarmiento, “They were able to showcase the product we created for them. They got a lot of feedback and great contacts and networking. It was truly a full circle moment.”