Ingredient supplier Ohly, a specialist in yeast-based ingredients and powders, has announced the opening of its Customer Innovation Center located just outside of Chicago.

The facility is designed to foster close collaboration with customers and partners across the food and nutrition space to create concepts and solutions on-site.

The new facility is fully equipped with a sampling lab and test kitchen, stocked with the company’s entire range of ingredients to facilitate rapid testing and development. The facility has equipment to mimic industry processes including combi convection cooking, frying, meat processing, snack coating, and blast chilling.

It provides a space where customers can work with Ohly’s application team on refining recipes and developing new ideas in line with food trends. An analytical lab on site can test for key parameters of ingredients and formulations, and a suite of meeting spaces allow for collaboration, training, and trend presentations.

“We are committed to working closely with our partners and customers,” said Aaron Rasmussen, head of global applications, who led the project. “The new Customer Innovation Center is a purpose-built space that delivers an exceptional customer experience. We have assembled everything we need to quickly find the right product so that our partners and customers can bring new and exciting products to the market more efficiently.”

The application team is now finalizing preparations to welcome customers and distributors in early 2025.

“We are grateful to Aaron and his dedicated application team for making this possible,” said Nancy Zacca, taste and texture platform director. “We look forward to welcoming our valued partners and customers to demonstrate the quality, versatility, and impact of our taste improvement and flavor delivery ingredients. We are excited to see the innovative solutions that will emerge from this space.”