What Berner Food & Beverage does

Berner Food & Beverage is a U.S. private label and contract manufacturer of shelf-stable, dairy-based food and beverage products headquartered in Dakota, Illinois, operating through an approximately 1 million square foot footprint that combines a 290,000 sq ft manufacturing facility (tripled in 2017) with a 700,000 sq ft distribution warehouse in Rockford, IL (opened 2019). Founded in 1943 by Arnold Kneubuehl as a family-owned dairy processor and acquired by Peak Rock Capital in November 2015, the company serves four product categories: shelf-stable dips and sauces (salsa con queso, stadium cheddar, spinach, ranch, french onion, clean label varieties), aerosol cheese (98% of U.S. production, 79+ million cans in the past three years), cheese sauces, and ready-to-drink beverages including iced lattes, cold brew, tea lattes, coffee energy, coffee nutrition, and protein shakes.

The company's underlying technology centers on retort thermal processing (rotary retort and HTST hot-fill) for commercially sterile, shelf-stable products in hermetically sealed containers, combined with a stage-gate new product development process, in-house formulation and sensory testing, clean label and organic production capabilities, and high-speed beverage lines with state-of-the-art automation. A Smart-Force syndicated POS data system integrates third-party and internal data with on-site analyst support for category insights. Quality and regulatory credentials include SQF2000 Level III, HACCP, AIB, Kosher (Orthodox Union), organic, and FSMA compliance.

Revenue is generated primarily through three B2B streams: (1) private label manufacturing for 500+ retailer partners across tiered offerings (entry-level, national brand equivalent, premium, super premium, organic); (2) co-manufacturing/contract manufacturing for Fortune 100 CPG companies and emerging beverage brands covering formulation through commercialization; and (3) supply of snack condiments through a Direct Store Delivery (DSD) system to chipper distributors across all U.S. trade classes and into Canada. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated per contract. Berner reaches customers through dedicated enterprise sales teams, PLMA and NACS trade shows, its company website, and category insight tools. Control brands (Dakota Dips, Party Cheese, Brew Ha!) provide off-the-shelf private label alternatives. Leadership includes CEO Kurt Seagrist (since June 2016), CFO David Dunavant, COO/VP Operations, and additional C-suite and VP-level executives added in 2020–2021 to support post-acquisition expansion.

Name

Berner Food & Beverage

Legal name

Berner Food & Beverage LLC

Website

https://bernerfoodandbeverage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Berner Food & Beverage is a U.S. private label and contract manufacturer of shelf-stable dips, sauces, aerosol cheese, and ready-to-drink beverages, producing 98% of U.S. aerosol cheese and serving 500+ private label retailers, Fortune 100 CPG companies, and chipper distributors across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Label and Contract Food and Beverage Manufacturing

NAICS

Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

RTD Coffee Production (Non-Dairy/Non-Alcoholic) (AFAFABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Alcoholic Beverage Bottling/Canning & Packaging Operations (AFAFABAO), Aseptic Packaging & Bottling (UHT, Sterile Filling) (AFAFAJAD)

Keywords

• Private label manufacturing
• Co-manufacturing services
• Shelf-stable food production
• Ready-to-drink beverages
• Aerosol cheese manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dakota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Label Manufacturing: Berner manufactures store-brand and private label versions of dips, sauces, RTD beverages, and aerosol cheese for retailers. Revenue is generated through production contracts with private label retailers, with tier options ranging from entry-level to premium, super premium, and organic.
2. Co-Manufacturing / Contract Manufacturing: Berner provides full-service contract manufacturing for food and beverage brands, including formulation, process development, trial runs, and commercialization. Brands bring their own formulas and Berner handles production, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
3. Chipper & Distributor Supply: Berner supplies snack condiments directly to chipper distributors across the U.S. through a Direct Store Delivery system, serving all classes of trade from regional XS distributors to major national chains.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Berner Food & Beverage is a B2B manufacturer of shelf-stable dairy-based food and beverage products, producing private label and co-manufactured dips, sauces, ready-to-drink (RTD) coffees and teas, functional beverages, and aerosol cheese. The company uses retort thermal processing and HTST hot-fill capabilities to manufacture commercially sterile, hermetically sealed products for retailers, large CPG companies, and emerging beverage brands. Its service scope spans concept-to-commercialization product development, formulation, packaging, and warehousing from facilities in Dakota and Rockford, Illinois.

Product overview

Berner Food & Beverage is a leading supplier of shelf-stable, dairy-based food and beverage products offering a diverse portfolio of private label and control brand products. The company's product portfolio includes shelf stable dips (Salsa Con Queso, Stadium Style Cheddar, Spinach, Ranch, French Onion, Black Bean, Pinto Bean, Jalapeno Bean, Buffalo Ranch, Bean & Bacon, and Caramelized Onion varieties), cheese sauces (Nacho Cheese), aerosol cheese (Cheddar, American, Sharp Cheddar, Buffalo Cheddar in 8oz cans), and ready-to-drink beverages (Iced Lattes, Cold Brew Coffee, Tea Lattes, Coffee Energy Drinks, Coffee Nutrition Drinks, Protein Energy Shakes). The company also offers private label manufacturing services and co-manufacturing solutions, providing a turnkey product development process from concept to commercialization. Their state-of-the-art facilities span approximately 290,000 square feet with retort processing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Control Brand: Private label control brand offerings including Party Cheese and other existing format products for store brands.
• Dakota Dips
• Brew Ha!
• Party Cheese

Products and services

• Salsa Con Queso Number one SKU in Berner's dip category; a shelf-stable, retort-processed salsa con queso combining spices with the right amount of heat, sold to private label retailers and CPG partners.
• Shelf Stable Dips Retort-processed shelf stable dips offered in multiple flavors including stadium style cheddar, spinach, ranch, french onion, white salsa con queso, black bean, pinto bean, jalapeno bean, jalapeno cheddar, buffalo ranch, bean & bacon, and caramelized onion. Trans-fat free, sodium reduced products with extended shelf life for private label and co-manufacturing customers.
• Clean Label Dips Healthier shelf-stable dip options featuring clean, clear labels with no MSG, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, and gluten free options, offering premium quality and taste for private label and co-manufactured snack applications.
• Cheese Sauces National brand equivalent cheese sauces made with high-quality ingredients like fresh dairy cream and real cheese, used for dips, recipes, vegetables, appetizers, and sandwiches; available in nacho cheese flavor and other variants for private label and co-manufacturing customers.
• Aerosol Cheese Aerosol cheese in 8 oz aluminum cans (cheddar, american, sharp cheddar, buffalo cheddar flavors) for on-the-go and at-home snacking; Berner produces 98% of U.S. aerosol cheese output, supplying private label retailers and co-manufacturing customers.
• Dakota Dips (Control Brand) Private label control brand dip line offering national brand equivalent quality with no developmental costs, manufactured in Berner's state-of-the-art Dakota, IL facility for retailers seeking an existing format store brand.
• Party Cheese (Control Brand) Control brand aerosol cheese offering the same store-brand profit margins with national brand equivalent quality, saving developmental costs for retail partners.
• Iced Lattes Berner's most popular ready-to-drink coffee beverage, made with signature producer milk and full-brewed coffee blended with calcium-rich milk, offered in multiple seasonal flavors for private label and co-manufactured brands.
• Cold Brew Coffee Ready-to-drink cold brew coffee with naturally sweeter taste, lower acidity, and higher caffeine than traditional hot-brewed coffee for private label and CPG customers.
• Tea Lattes Customizable ready-to-drink tea latte line offering green, white, black, or rooibos tea with customizable sweeteners and flavors for private label and co-manufactured programs.
• Brew Ha! (Control Brand) Private label control brand RTD coffee and latte beverages developed in-house at Berner's Dakota, IL facility, offering store-brand profit margins with existing format convenience and national brand equivalent quality.
• Coffee Energy Drinks Supercharged, well-balanced RTD coffee drinks infused with caffeine and other energy-inducing ingredients, available in custom, caramel, vanilla, mocha, and coffee flavors for private label and co-manufacturing customers.
• Coffee Nutrition Drinks Nutritional RTD coffee beverages supplemented with added nutrients and enhanced caffeine, customizable for meal replacement or better-for-you functionality with ingredients like protein, ginseng, riboflavin, and carnitine.
• Protein Energy Shakes High-protein RTD protein shakes available in nonfat and low-fat formulations with 25g of protein per 15 oz can and 18g per 11 oz can, in strawberry and chocolate flavors.
• Private Label Manufacturing Services Full-service private label manufacturing offering tier options including Entry Level, National Brand Equivalent (NBE), Premium, Super Premium, and Organic for retailers and grocery chains; backed by 70+ years of experience, 1,100+ private label SKUs created in last 5 years, and 500+ private label vendor partners.
• Co-Manufacturing Services Full-service contract manufacturing for CPG brands and emerging beverage companies including formulation, process development, trial runs, packaging, project management, portal access to POS syndicated data, and on-site analyst support, executed at Berner's Chicago-area facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20.38% sales increase for a regional snack customer after switching to clear plastic labels that increased product visibility
• +4 more outcomes

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

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Schreiber Foods: Schreiber Foods is a major dairy-based food manufacturer with significant private label and contract manufacturing operations across cheese, yogurt, and beverages. Comparable in dairy heritage, private label focus, and B2B customer mix.
• Bellisio Foods: Bellisio Foods is a contract manufacturer of frozen and refrigerated foods producing private label meals, pasta, and snacks for major retailers. Direct comparable as a co-manufacturer serving retailers and CPG brands across shelf-stable food categories.
• Hearthside Food Solutions: Hearthside is a major contract and private label food manufacturer producing baked goods, snacks, and packaged foods for leading CPG brands and retailers. Direct comparable in business model (co-manufacturing and private label) with similar B2B customer mix.
• TreeHouse Foods: TreeHouse Foods is one of the largest private label food manufacturers in North America, producing store-brand snacks, beverages, and shelf-stable products for major retailers. Direct comparable as a contract/private label food manufacturer serving retailers and CPG companies across similar product categories.
• Bay Valley Foods: Bay Valley Foods is a private label manufacturer of sauces, dressings, and dairy-based products serving major retailers and foodservice. Comparable in private label sauce and dairy manufacturing with similar retail customer base.
• Richelieu Foods: Richelieu Foods is a private label food manufacturer producing sauces, dressings, and refrigerated products for retail and foodservice customers. Direct comparable as a private label and contract manufacturer in adjacent food categories.

Broad incumbents

• Conagra Brands: Conagra Brands is a major North American CPG company with both branded and private label operations across frozen, snacks, and shelf-stable foods. Larger incumbent with overlapping capabilities in private label and co-manufacturing.
• Post Holdings: Post Holdings is a major diversified CPG holding company with significant private label and branded food operations across cereals, refrigerated retail, foodservice, and pet food. Broader incumbent with overlapping private label capabilities.
• Cott Corporation (now Primo Water / Refresco): Refresco is a leading independent bottler and co-manufacturer of beverages (juices, soft drinks, RTD coffee/tea) for retailers and CPG brands globally. Comparable in contract beverage manufacturing and RTD capabilities, though at significantly larger scale.

Others

• Trinity Hunt Partners portfolio / similar PE-backed food co-manufacturers: PE firms specializing in middle-market food and beverage manufacturing roll-ups (e.g., Trinity Hunt, Centre Partners, High Road Capital) frequently hold comparable private label/co-manufacturing platforms, providing both competitive context and likely exit pathway comparables for Berner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bernerfoodandbeverage

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Berner Food & Beverage