Ep. 6: Co-Mans and Co-Packers 101 - Don't Skip the Small Stuff with Matt Suggs of PartnerSlate
Matt Suggs, founder of PartnerSlate, explains that co-packers are outsourced manufacturing partners for food and beverage brands, offering cost savings and supply chain relationships without the overhead of owning a facility. He advises startups to validate demand through initial sales and commercial kitchen production before approaching a co-packer, as manufacturers view these relationships as long-term investments similar to venture capital. Suggs highlights that brands must be prepared with volume projections, formulas, and packaging details, noting that the current market offers increased capacity due to shifts in food service demand.