The Fresh Factory

What The Fresh Factory does

The Fresh Factory is a vertically integrated contract food manufacturer and co-packer specializing in clean-label, better-for-you products. It operates from facilities in Carol Stream and Downers Grove, Illinois — including a new 154,000 sq ft Carol Stream facility targeted to come online in Q1 2026 and an existing 56,000 sq ft Downers Grove site — supported by more than 200,000 sq ft of multi-temperature warehousing that enables 2-3 day ground delivery across most of the continental U.S.

The company's core capabilities span a broad set of processing technologies, including High Pressure Processing (HPP), hot fill, cold fill, slab forming, and extrusion, applied to categories such as cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, snack bars, sauces, dips, soups, smoothies, and frozen desserts. It carries a dense certification stack — SQF Level III with a 98/100 score maintained for roughly a decade, USDA Organic, GFCO gluten-free, OU-Kosher, Non-GMO Project, and Clean Label Project — which functions as a market access credential for premium retail channels. Production is supported by automated packaging lines and lean manufacturing practices.

The Fresh Factory generates revenue through three channels: contract manufacturing/co-packing for emerging CPG brands (41+ brands and 314+ SKUs reported in 2024), private-label production including its owned Field + Farmer brand distributed through Costco, Whole Foods, and H-E-B, and ancillary services such as R&D, pilot runs, warehousing, and brand financing/equity support. It is publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol FRSH, with FY2025 billed revenue of $45.1M USD (37% YoY growth), 67% unit growth, and 225% EBITDA growth, and a headcount above 220.

Name

The Fresh Factory

Legal name

The Fresh Factory PBC

Website

https://thefreshfactory.co

Company type

Public

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fresh Factory is a vertically integrated contract food manufacturer and co-packer producing clean-label juices, wellness shots, snack bars, sauces, dips, and frozen desserts for emerging CPG brands, QSR, foodservice, and its own Field + Farmer label, operating from Chicago-area facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Carol Stream

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing & Co-Packing: Primary revenue stream from providing turnkey manufacturing, co-packing, and co-manufacturing services to better-for-you food and beverage brands. Services include ingredient procurement, R&D, product manufacturing, packaging, inventory management, and fulfillment. Revenue is driven by production volume (units manufactured), with pricing based on ingredients, packaging, labor, processing method, run size, and operational complexity.
2. Private Label & White Label Manufacturing: Private label manufacturing for retail and foodservice brands, producing clean-label products under the customer's brand. Supports scalable, food-safe production with validated processes and regulatory compliance for national retail distribution.
3. Owned Brands (Field + Farmer): The company develops and sells products under its own brand (Field + Farmer), generating revenue through retail distribution. Field + Farmer products include plant-based dips, snacks, and condiments sold at Whole Foods and Costco.
4. Financing & Equity Partnerships: Provides financing support to emerging brands through capital partnerships, deal structures (extended payment terms, deferred payments, profit-sharing), and equity arrangements. Evaluates 2-3 companies annually for equity partnerships in exchange for services, equipment, or resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Fresh Factory is a vertically integrated food and beverage contract manufacturer providing turnkey co-manufacturing, co-packing, and private label services for fresh, clean-label, better-for-you CPG brands. Services span product development, ingredient sourcing, multi-method processing (HPP, hot fill, cold fill, slab forming, extrusion), packaging, multi-temperature warehousing, and retail-ready fulfillment. The company also sells products under its owned brand FIELD + FARMER and runs the Fresh Start accelerator for emerging food startups.

Product overview

The Fresh Factory is a vertically integrated food and beverage manufacturing platform that operates as a contract manufacturer, co-packer, and private label provider for clean-label, better-for-you brands. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services including innovation and product development, manufacturing, supply chain and logistics, fulfillment and distribution, certifications support, and financing assistance. Their manufacturing capabilities span better-for-you snacks (protein bars, energy bites), functional beverages (cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, smoothies), sauces and soups, dips and spreads, and clean-label condiments. The company also owns the FIELD + FARMER brand and operates the Fresh Start accelerator program for emerging food startups. With facilities in the Chicago area including a new 154,000 SF manufacturing facility, the company serves retail, foodservice, direct-to-consumer, and bulk industrial channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FIELD + FARMER: Plant-based food brand producing dips, sauces, and snacks including buffalo dip, queso, ranch dressing, and more, made with fresh ingredients from farmer partners. Products are refrigerated and sold through produce or deli sections at retailers including Whole Foods and Costco.

Products and services

• Contract Manufacturing & Co-Manufacturing Full-service contract food manufacturing with flexible production capabilities for clean-label, better-for-you food and beverage brands. Includes ingredient procurement, R&D, product manufacturing, packaging, inventory management, and fulfillment for emerging and established CPG brands.
• Co-Packing Services Co-packing services producing existing recipes exactly as specified, with flexible MOQs and turnkey manufacturing for emerging and established food brands across categories including condiments, sauces, beverages, snacks, dips, and spreads.
• Private Label Manufacturing Private label and retail program manufacturing with scalable, food-safe, clean-label production for retail and private label partners, with validated processes and regulatory compliance for national retail distribution.
• Innovation & Product Development Food product development services including commercialization, bench-top formulation, line trials, and scale-up support for brands to move from concept to commercial production with single-partner speed to market.
• Supply Chain & Logistics End-to-end food logistics solutions including local food sourcing, ingredient procurement, storage, warehousing, and distribution for better-for-you brands across the supply chain.
• Fulfillment & Distribution Warehousing, assembly, case packing, pick-pack-ship services, and distribution with 200,000 sq. ft. of cold, frozen, and dry storage for food and beverage products, including Costco-compliant pallet builds.
• Certifications & Regulatory Support Support for FDA-approved nutritional content claims including vegan, vegetarian, non-bioengineered, halal certifiable, and other label claims, backed by SQF Level III, USDA Organic, GFCO, OU-Kosher, and Non-GMO Project certifications.
• Financing Support Financial support including capital partnerships, deal structures with extended payment terms, deferred payments, profit-sharing, equity arrangements, and investor readiness support for emerging food brands; evaluates 2-3 companies annually for equity partnerships.
• Fresh Start Accelerator A 12-week food startup accelerator program helping launch fresh, clean-label, and plant-based products through requirements gathering, product development, go-to-market strategy, branding, testing, trials, and scaling support; invests services and a small SAFE in exchange for 7% equity for brands under $1M TTM sales, with services for equity for brands over $1M TTM sales.
• FIELD + FARMER (Owned Brand Products) The Fresh Factory's owned brand featuring plant-based products including buffalo dip, queso, ranch dressing, and caramelized onion dip, made with fresh ingredients from known farmers. Refrigerated products sold through produce or deli sections at retailers including Whole Foods and Costco.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37% YoY revenue growth in fiscal 2025 ($45.1M vs $32.9M in 2024)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Planet FWDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2025The Fresh Factory partnered with Planet FWD to advance carbon management and sustainability initiatives. Planet FWD is a sustainability and carbon management firm that supports food brands in measuring, reducing, and offsetting their environmental footprint. The partnership aims to strengthen The Fresh Factory's ESG reporting, carbon accounting, and sustainability roadmap, supporting the company's goal of becoming a market leader in sustainability.
• Chicago Indoor GardenminorOthersOne of approximately 350 suppliers to The Fresh Factory. Chicago Indoor Garden has been growing freshly sprouted beans, greens, and grasses since 1987, supplying fresh produce ingredients for cold-pressed juice and other fresh products.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hearthside Food Solutions: Hearthside Food Solutions is a large contract manufacturer and co-packer serving branded and private-label food customers. It is directly comparable to TFF's turnkey manufacturing, packaging, and multi-category co-manufacturing model.
• TreeHouse Foods: TreeHouse Foods manufactures private-label food and beverage products for retail and foodservice customers. It is a scaled direct peer because both companies provide outsourced manufacturing, packaging, and retail-ready execution.
• J.M. Swank: J.M. Swank is a contract food and beverage manufacturer specializing in bars, snacks, and other packaged foods. It is directly comparable on outsourced production and co-packing for emerging and established CPG brands.
• PacMoore: PacMoore provides contract food manufacturing, blending, and packaging, including powders, beverages, and snack ingredients. It is a direct peer in outsourced formulation-to-pack production, although its capabilities are more oriented toward dry and ingredient-based products.
• Parker Products: Parker Products is a contract manufacturer and packager of dry food and beverage products. It is comparable to TFF's outsourced manufacturing, flexible production, and packaging services for CPG customers.
• Preferred Meals: Preferred Meals provides custom food manufacturing and co-packing for foodservice, retail, and convenience channels. It is directly comparable to TFF's flexible run sizes, product development, and retail and foodservice production.
• S&D Coffee & Tea: S&D Coffee & Tea is a private-label and custom beverage manufacturer and roaster. It is a direct peer for TFF's functional beverage, cold-fill, and co-manufacturing offering, although its coffee focus is narrower.
• Kettle Cuisine: Kettle Cuisine manufactures fresh prepared foods, soups, sauces, and meals, with custom manufacturing and co-packing capabilities. It is a direct peer in fresh, refrigerated, and better-for-you food production for retail and foodservice customers.

Emerging players

• Universal Pure: Universal Pure provides high-pressure processing and cold-chain tolling for food and beverage manufacturers. It is an emerging peer where TFF's HPP, cold-pressed juice, dips, and wellness-shot capabilities overlap.

Broad incumbents

• The Hain Celestial Group: The Hain Celestial Group owns and manufactures natural and organic food brands across snacks, dips, and other CPG categories. It is a broad incumbent with overlap in better-for-you, plant-based, and clean-label products, but is more brand-led than TFF's contract-manufacturing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/freshfactoryco
• YouTubevimeo.com/282782045
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thefreshfactory
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefreshfactoryco

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Fresh Factory