The proliferation of Quebec ready-to-drink is not about to wane. Two companies, Cintech agroalimentaire and Station Agro-Biotech, announced on Wednesday a partnership aimed at supporting the emergence of new individual drinks.
The duty recently reported the enthusiasm of many Quebec entrepreneurs for the creation of original drinks in cans, from iced tea to cocktail imitations, including flavored sparkling waters.
But many start-ups are discouraged by the difficulty of moving from innovation to production and distribution, says Jonathan Robin, founding president of Station Agro-Biotech. They often do not have the means to invest in assembly line manufacturing machines. Some of them outsource this step to larger companies, sometimes turning to Ontario, but the volumes requested are often high.
According to Jean Lacroix, president and CEO of Cintech, entrepreneurs are thus forced to produce too quickly in too large quantities. The risks of failure are very present: “Up to 8 products out of 10 do not remain on the shelves for more than a year,” underlines Mr. Lacroix, citing several international and Canadian analyses, including one from the firm Nielsen.
However, those who so wish will in future be able to benefit from a research and development service with Cintech, then use the facilities of the Agro-Biotech Station to manufacture and test a small quantity of products on the market. The company behind brands like the Noroi distillery, Atypique soft drinks and Le Bilboquet microbrewery has invested in a new plant to produce larger volumes and compete with the big players in the industry. It will therefore make its old auction line available to Cintech customers.
“If there are truly innovative companies, we could even distribute and market them, thus giving them a helping hand in the tablet battle,” commented Mr. Robin.
Larger companies will also be able to use this process to ensure that their new products meet consumer tastes before launching them on a large scale, says Lacroix.
According to him, in an era where profit margins are thin, the future of the agri-food industry depends on such pooling. “It is interesting for several companies to get together to invest in modern, robotized technologies, which they will share”, especially since they can also share the costs of specialized labour.
Today, companies must offer new flavors to consumers, who are particularly looking for more natural, more local and more eco-responsible ingredients, notes the CEO of Cintech.
