For Immediate Release:

Nielsen–Massey nearly doubles space and adds test kitchen

WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS (June 14, 2012) – Specialty food company Nielsen–Massey Vanillas recently expanded its Waukegan, IL–based headquarters to nearly double its manufacturing and office space and added a state–of–the–art test kitchen. The company completed construction in January 2012 and will host an open house event on July 20.

The family owned and operated company has been making vanilla and pure flavor products at the Waukegan location for nearly 20 years, and recognized the need for the additional space.

"When our parents moved the company into a 15,000 square foot plant in Lake Forest in 1982, they never thought they would outgrow that facility. Since then, we've moved to Waukegan and have grown from 33,500 square feet to 62,300 square feet," said Craig Nielsen, chief executive officer. "I think we can safely say we filled it, and then some."

The expansion project consisted of an additional 24,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space and an additional 4,800 square feet of office space. Included is a 1,100 square foot test and demonstration kitchen, which allows Nielsen-Massey to develop recipes and products directly in the plant. The test and demonstration kitchen also offers the:

• Opportunity for future product application research
• Ability to bring various professionals into the kitchen for promotional and educational videos
• Chance to teach future food professionals in the uses of vanillas and flavors

In addition, the expansion provides:

• Warehouse storage, increasing storage capacity by approximately 200 percent
• Enough room to add an additional filling line to the existing filling room
• Additional space for the quality control laboratory where employees can continue to update testing methods and equipment to ensure product safety
• Larger locker rooms for anticipated future hires

Nielsen-Massey has been in operation since 1907 and this is the fourth expansion or plant move. The company began in Sterling, Illinois, and has moved to Webster Avenue in Chicago to Ballard Drive in Lake Forest, Illinois and finally to the current Waukegan location.

About Nielsen-Massey Vanillas
Throughout its more than 100 year history, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has earned its reputation as a manufacturer of the finest extracts in the world. The full line of Nielsen-Massey's Pure Vanilla products include: Vanilla Beans and Extracts from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico; sugar and alcohol-free Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar and Certified Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Beans.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas recently introduced a line of Pure Flavors: Pure Chocolate Extract, Pure Almond Extract, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract, Pure Coffee Extract, Pure Peppermint Extract, Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water. All Nielsen-Massey products are Allergen-Free and certified Kosher and Gluten-Free. The company is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, with production facilities in Waukegan and Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

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For more information about Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, contact:
Gardi Wilks, gwilks@savoragency.com
Savor – the food agency, 847.556.7511