Kerry Ingredients & Flavors recently inaugurated its new innovation and technical center in Beloit, Wis. The new 250,000-sq.-ft. facility, completed at a cost of $50 million, will provide industry access to all Kerry ingredient and flavor technologies through dedicated customer application suites, culinary theatres, sensory services and customer application pilot production facilities.

Speaking at the official opening of the Kerry Center, Kerry Group Chief Executive Stan McCarthy said, “Our new customer-focused center of excellence builds on the Group's ‘go-to-market’ strategy — leveraging Kerry's unrivaled range of technology-based ingredients, flavors and integrated solutions in food and beverage growth markets.”

The Kerry Center brings together Kerry's business management and shared services teams with research, development and applications teams, improving efficiencies and providing consistent support to all customers. The new center centralizes Kerry's technologies in a collaborative environment focused on delivering integrated ingredient and flavor solutions.

The Kerry Center was recognized as “Designed to Earn the Energy Star,” by the EPA and the Department of Energy. Kerry received the award in recognition of its efforts to help save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices. In addition, the new facility was awarded a “Wisconsin Focus on Energy” grant and is pursuing LEED certification.