Co-Manufacturing: How to Find, Communicate and Audit — 9/9/25 Webinar
Below is a polished, approximately 1,500-word article that organizes the webinar’s key points by topic, uses bullet points for clarity, and includes takeaway quotes drawn directly from the transcript.
Co-Manufacturing: How to Find, Communicate and Audit
Key Insights and Takeaway Quotes from the Naturally Chicago Webinar
Co-manufacturing is one of the most consequential decisions a growth-stage food or beverage brand will make. Yet for early-stage founders and even mid-market brands, the co-packer landscape can feel opaque, slow to respondand difficult to navigate.
In Naturally Chicago webinar, “Co-Manufacturing: How to Find, Communicate and Audit,” panelists from three distinct sectors — frozen foods, clean-label products, and powders/beverages—offered their unfiltered guidance on finding a suitable co-manufacturer, establishing productive communication, and conducting audits.
Participants included:
Will Madden, Co-founder, Whole Brain Consulting (moderator)
Monique Kendall, Blue Chip Group (powders, supplements, RTDs)
Mike Weglarz, The Fresh Factory (clean-label foods and beverages)
Peter Cokinos, Palermo’s Pizza (large-scale frozen food manufacturing)
Greg Keller, Naturally Chicago senior strategist, led the audience q-and-a session that followed the panel discussion.
This article synthesizes practical lessons from their discussion. Click the button at the bottom to view the full webinar video.
How Brands Typically Find Co-Packers
Brands reach co-packers through a combination of industry networking and digital search, but the most effective entry point remains referrals.
Key channels include:
Warm introductions via formulators, consultants and industry peers.
Established brokers who already understand each co-packer’s capabilities.
SEO and LinkedIn presence, which increasingly drive inbound inquiries.
Trade shows where manufacturers and brands interact directly.
Company websites, where most co-packers offer intake forms.
Takeaway Quotes:
“If you can get a warm intro, that generally has the most credibility and goes the furthest.” — Mike Weglarz
“Our company does a number of trade shows… We’re approached at those shows by folks who are looking for co-manufacturing or referrals.” — Peter Cokinos
“A lot of our contacts come through our website or brokers.” — Monique Kendall
Preferred Approaches When Reaching Out
Co-packers appreciate structured, well-prepared inquiries that demonstrate a high likelihood of moving forward.
Most effective approaches:
Clear articulation of product, format and expected volumes.
An introduction from a trusted industry participant.
Completed web intake forms that include accurate technical information.
Detail-rich and professional communication.
What they do NOT want to see:
High-level “idea stage” emails with little substance.
Vague or incomplete product descriptions.
Messages that suggest the founder has not conducted basic research.
Takeaway Quotes:
“It’s the emails that start with, ‘I have this idea... I’ve been kicking this around.’ It’s hard to see the value.” — Mike Weglarz
“When there’s no details and just a vague idea, it’s really hard to spend time trying to vet the opportunity.” — Monique Kendall
“My favorite one is: ‘We have a family recipe that everybody has to have.’” — Peter Cokinos
Why Co-Packers Don’t Always Respond
Each panelist said they receive roughly 750–1,000 inbound inquiries per year, far exceeding their ability to onboard new customers. Common reasons for no response include that most outreach either lacks necessary detail or represents business too small for the co-packer’s scale.
Barriers to response:
Insufficient information to determine feasibility.
Idea-stage inquiries lacking formulas or specs.
Volume too small for the co-packer’s manufacturing scale.
Lack of follow-through from the brand.
Takeaway Quotes:
“In case anybody’s wondering, that’s a lot of people to get a hold of.” — Monique Kendall
“It can be two or three inquiries each business day, on top of the more credible ones coming from consultants or formulators.” — Mike Weglarz
Communication Best Practices Before and After Onboarding
Successful co-manufacturing relationships depend on consistent, structured communication.
Before Onboarding:
Provide formulas, spec sheets, process cards, and packaging details.
Be responsive — delays raise doubts about seriousness.
Honor timelines for sending documents or answers.
After Onboarding:
Weekly project management calls are the norm.
Transparent updates about changes in retail timelines, ingredient delays or R&D adjustments.
Advance warning of disruptions whenever possible.
Takeaway Quotes:
“Our team likes to have a weekly communication call to make sure we’re closing all gaps.” — Monique Kendall
“If something unusual is going to change your timeline, reach out even if it’s not part of the weekly call.” — Peter Cokinos
“What hurts is when there’s radio silence and it drags on for weeks.” — Mike Weglarz
Relationships That Work Best (and Those That Don’t)
Strong relationships share key traits:
Brands know what they want and are committed to a defined formula and format.
Founders have realistic expectations about cost and scale.
Forecasting is accurate and timely.
Brands have done their homework — often with help from outside consultants.
Challenging relationships include:
Brands that change formulas or formats after POs are placed.
Unrealistic assumptions about cost of goods.
Products too small or too large for the facility’s capabilities.
Unclear differentiation or lack of market strategy.
Takeaway Quotes:
“Coming with your formulas, format and timeline locked makes hitting timelines much easier.” — Monique Kendall
“Our biggest challenge is scale… great concepts that just don’t fit our lines.” — Peter Cokinos
“It’s extremely difficult when the product is a moving target.” — Mike Weglarz
Characteristics of an Ideal Brand Partner
Panelists emphasize three core attributes: preparation, communication and forecasting accuracy.
Ideal partners:
Provide clear ramp-up plans and retailer commitments.
Share inventory and production forecasts regularly.
Communicate changes early and often.
Respond promptly to requests or required documentation.
Understand their own cost structure and market position.
Takeaway Quotes:
“As much advance notice as we can get —understanding the ramp-ups and reorder process—is critical.” — Peter Cokinos
“Responsive partners are important. There’s nothing worse than missing a timeline because documents weren’t returned.” — Monique Kendall
“It’s shocking how many times we ask for a forecast and just don’t get it.” — Mike Weglarz
How Co-Packers Choose Which Brands to Work With
Co-packers, like investors, assess brands based on their growth potential, product differentiation and operational readiness.
Selection criteria include:
Product fit with existing equipment and expertise.
Differentiation in the marketplace.
Volume readiness and scaling potential.
Financial stability and backing.
Strength of team or advisors.
Clear commercialization strategy.
Takeaway Quotes:
“We think of our portfolio like a venture portfolio. We count on brands to grow with us.” — Mike Weglarz
“Typically, people who come to us want national distribution… and 98 percent of retailers already know us.” — Peter Cokinos
“We work with emerging and growing brands. We try to stay away from startups unless their trajectory really looks good.” — Monique Kendall
Audits: How Often They Occur and What They Look Like
Audit expectations vary significantly depending on the facility’s scale.
Large-scale manufacturer (Palermo’s)
Weekly audits are common.
Categories include quality audits, retailer audits, financial audits and people-practice audits.
Mid-size manufacturers (Blue Chip Group and The Fresh Factory)
Most brands conduct an onsite audit at project initiation.
Ongoing reliance on SQF, NSF, or similar certifications.
Occasional paper audits or brief facility walks from retailers.
Takeaway Quotes:
“I’m surprised when we don’t have an audit in a particular week.” — Peter Cokinos
“Most customers depend on our SQF and NSF certifications.” — Monique Kendall
“Generally, most folks are concerned with our SQF audit. Some may walk the floor briefly.” — Mike Weglarz
When Does Using Multiple Co-Manufacturers Make Sense?
Brands often ask when they should diversify their supply chain. The panel’s consensus: It depends on scale and product mix.
When multiple co-mans make sense:
High-volume brands wanting redundancy for risk mitigation.
Brands with “hero SKUs” plus small, niche SKUs requiring different line types.
Products with extremely different operational requirements.
When a single co-man is preferable:
Early-stage or small-volume brands.
Products with raw materials logistics that would be inefficient across two sites.
When a co-packer offers multi-line capability under one roof.
Takeaway Quotes:
“We understand the need for a safe supply chain… we often partner with secondary suppliers.” — Peter Cokinos
“We typically recommend emerging brands stick with one co-manufacturer.” — Monique Kendall
“Because of our location and line diversity, many accounts centralize everything with us.” — Mike Weglarz
“Secondary co-mans make sense when hero SKUs go to a high-volume supplier and niche SKUs go to a specialist.” — Will Madden
Conclusion
The co-packing relationship is a complex but mission-critical partnership for any growing food or beverage brand. The experts in this webinar underscored a consistent message: Preparation, clarity and communication are the true levers of success. Brands that know their numbers, understand their formulas, maintain accurate forecasts and approach co-packers with professionalism are far more likely to secure both capacity and long-term collaboration.
The co-manufacturing journey is rarely seamless, but by applying the insights shared by these veteran operators, brands can reduce friction, accelerate commercialization and build resilient supply chains.
In aggregate, this competency model provides a standardized, transparent and development-oriented approach for building high-performing teams. It supports equitable evaluation, drives professional growth and strengthens organizational capability by ensuring that expectations and advancement pathways are clear, measurable and aligned with strategic priorities.