Left to Right: Matt Pulskamp – Vice President of Operations, Steve Bishop – Executive Vice President, Alex Wendling – President, Mike Wendling – CEO
A M King, a leading integrated Design-Build firm with offices in Charlotte, NC, Greenville, SC, and Chicago, IL, has completed design and commenced construction on a complex, multi-phase renovation project for San Clemente, CA-based Custom Flavors. The company’s new East Coast processing facility, when complete, will triple its production capacity, streamline freight shipping, and strengthen product development support.
A M King and Custom Flavors hosted an official groundbreaking event on June 3, 2025. The day’s festivities included a shovel ceremony and site tours.
About Custom Flavors’ Concord, NC Facility
Founded in 2005, Custom Flavors is a family-owned and operated business specializing in the development and manufacturing of liquid and powdered flavor solutions. To date, the company has crafted more than 20,000 organic, natural, and artificial flavors and flavor combinations for bakery, beverage, confectionery, dairy, supplements, and sports nutrition products. Some of those flavors include Raspberry, Watermelon, Dragon Fruit, Spearmint, Ginger, Chocolate, Peanut, Birthday Cake, Tahitian Vanilla, and Margarita.
Custom Flavors’ Concord, NC facility is situated off West Winds Blvd., near Concord-Padgett Regional Airport and Concord Mills Mall. The company’s strategic move to North Carolina will put them in a prime position for serving their East Coast and Midwest customers starting in Q4 of this year. To help Custom Flavors achieve that goal, A M King has put the renovation project on a fast track, with a completion date scheduled in November — just 11 months from award of services to owner occupancy.
Custom Flavors’ Facility in Concord, NC
“We are excited about building a partnership with an innovative West Coast company that holds many of the same values as we do,” explains David Sawicki, A M King Vice President. “Our Design-Build approach, coupled with our food processing expertise, will guarantee a high-quality facility completed within an accelerated timeline.”
“It has been a tremendous experience working with David and the team at A M King, explained Alex Wendling, Custom Flavors President. “Together, we have designed a premier flavor manufacturing and innovation hub here in the greater Charlotte region, and today will kick off the accelerated buildout to meet the demands of our wonderful, fast-growing customers. With each phase of this project and the continued evolution of our existing operations, we look to offer even more to those who count on us.”
What this Means for Custom Flavors’ Customers and the Food + Beverage Industry
The new Concord facility marks a major investment in Custom Flavors’ long-term growth and customer service. With 53,000 square feet of production and lab space, the site will double current capacity and triple product innovation space. This expansion strengthens Custom Flavors’ ability to maintain industry-leading lead times while significantly increasing formulation support through expanded R&D infrastructure.
Located strategically in North Carolina, the facility positions Custom Flavors to better serve Midwest and East Coast customers with reduced freight costs and the ability to reach 85% of the U.S. within two business days. On-site development capabilities will also allow for deeper collaboration with regional partners.
The project will generate 30 new jobs over the next three years, adding roles in food science, production, and quality control.
Scope of Work
The scope of work on Phase 1 of the Design-Build project will include extensive renovation of the 53,000-sf facility, including the processing areas, laboratories, test kitchen, and office spaces.
Subsequent phases will include the development of additional labs:
- Research & Development Flavor Lab
- Pilot Lab (a flexible, small-scale food production space used to simulate manufacturing processes and refine formulations prior to scale-up)
- Expanded Quality Control Lab
- Two Applications Labs (collaborative environments for demonstrating flavor performance in finished products and accelerating product innovation)
Due to the nature of perishable products being stored and processed, there is a high level of hygiene classification requirements for the various areas of the facility. A M King will work with Custom Flavors to ensure the rooms and equipment within can be cleaned in accordance with A M King’s exacting standards for sanitary design. The use of Insulated Metal Panels on interior walls, sloped floors, strategically located floor drains, hand and boot-washing stations, and air curtains will be selected to assist with these efforts.
A M King is working with the process engineer to incorporate P&ID (Piping and Instrumentation Diagram) requirements into the design of the facility. P&ID is a schematic representation of a process system, including piping, instrumentation, and control equipment. In areas where ignitable concentrations of liquids are present, the tailored electrical design ensures they are explosion-proof. A mechanical system has been installed that exhausts Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and dust from the air in the processing spaces before they have time to absorb into finishes. Finally, the PH monitoring system collects all of the process water, monitors the PH, and adds either acid or an alkali, per Cabarrus County regulations.
See What the Industry is Saying
- Perfumer & Flavorist: Custom Flavors Breaks Ground on East Coast Production Facility
- ProFood World: Custom Flavors Breaks Ground on East Coast Production Facility
- Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery: Custom Flavors to Renovate East Coast Production Facility
- Food Dive: Natural Flavor Producer Accelerates Expansion Amid Race to Remove Artificial Dyes
- Food Engineering: A M King Begins Renovation of Custom Flavors’ East Coast Production Facility
- A M King: A M King Begins Renovation Project for Custom Flavors’ Concord, NC Production Facility
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?
At Custom Flavors, we share your passion for excellence and look forward to helping you create your own one-of-a-kind flavors!
Thank you for trusting us to be your partner — we are truly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to your success. Contact us or schedule a meeting with a Custom Flavors representative today!
