WESTERN Innovations, Inc (WII)

WESTERN INNOVATIONS Inc (WII) is today widely recognized as one of the most diverse contract packaging companies providing food packaging and production services. The company was started in 1978 by a tenacious team as a fledgling assembly shop in a 1500 sq ft office warehouse to manufacture and market new products and innovations.

The business just coasted until it procured a contract with BonaKemi Wood Floor Products to mix and bottle their wood floor treatments and assemble a package of their cleaning kits for National Distribution. This business marriage lasted for 18 years until the manufacturing was moved to the East coast. “BonaKemi was a wonder Business Partner; they gave two-year notice of the move,” says Jerry Jernigan, the CEO of WESTERN Innovations, Inc (WII).

This advance notice provided WII with the time to pivot into food packaging. The first Customer was EAS which was one of the first food supplement and vitamin companies in Convenience stores. The project continued until Abbott Company acquired EAS. By this time, the die was cast. WII had started adding numerous packaging machines and capabilities that served the food and supplement industry in Colorado and surrounding states.

About this time, the Contract Packaging Association launched its RFQ program online. This opened markets to WII that were out of reach for a start-up company.

WII’s #1 market is still new Companies with new products. The 2nd markets where existing Co-packer cannot meet the required scaling or packaging configurations. The 3rd market originates from Customers needing more comprehensive food safety standards and Certifications required by Big Boxes and major Distributors.

The typical new product developer is seldom interested in the mechanics of packaging and prefers the excitement of marketing and sales.

“We sell freedom from the mundane management of food safety documentation, production mechanics and personnel, and much of FDA’s rigorous regulations. The result is that the Customers have more time and energy for the real profit centers of product development, marketing and sales,” says Jernigan.

WII provides its customers with peace of mind and confidence by using notable food safety organizations. WII contracts with International Food Safety Inc, Oregon Tilth, MSC (Marine Chain of Custody), as well as state, local, and county inspectors. WII is FDA, GMP, and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) compliant and Organic certified.

Further, WII customers appreciate onestop shopping. To this end, WII invested significant capital in attaining a wide and extensive variety of packaging capabilities. Check the Capabilities on the Side Panel. It is extraordinary to find this amount of diversity under one roof.

The capabilities are targeted to provide quick turn-around of “raw product” to “shelf ready” food products. In-house blending and mixing of powders, liquids and granular raw materials shortens the supply line and turn times. Secondary packaging and POP procurement and assembly further shortens the time to market.

WII considers purchasing new equipment as needed to meet their customers’ needs. No Customer has yet to outrun WII’s packaging capabilities.