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Punching up Licorice: with the addition of ALC Resources and a new production facility, American Licorice Co. remains a top contender.

Article Excerpt
Original Red--it's not cherry or strawberry or a mix of the two. This actual flavor, not color, of licorice has developed into one of American Licorice Co.'s, best--kept recipe secrets and one of Americans' favorite candies.

The actual recipe for Original Red is kept in a vault. It was mentioned by a source from the company (that shall remain nameless) that the flavoring included some citric acid. Could Original Red actually be orange?

But as American Licorice, headquartered in Bend, Ore., approaches its centennial, protecting the company's founding products aren't the only factors that keep the company growing. New product developments for the company and for the company's contract manufacturing partners has spurred the addition of ALC Resources. A refurbished 26,000-sq.-ft, development facility just outside of Chicago in Burr Ridge, Ill., is allowing American Licorice to offer a research lab, a newly equipped workplace and a team of talented food industry professionals to help businesses create innovative products for the marketplace.

"All too often, companies face challenges or delays in experimenting and testing new products or processes because they lack the facilities in which to conduct them," says Tim Walsh, chief creative officer of ALC Resources. "ALC Resources is the missing link, aiding companies in their innovation and creative process."

The idea for the ALC Resources came about from American Licorice trying to develop products in a production environment. "As we got busier and busier it got harder and harder to take up valuable production time to test products and to develop our ideas on the lines," Walsh explains.

Space was constrained at its production facility in nearby Alsip, Ill., where the company's Sour Punch branded products are produced and where its contract manufacturing occurs. American Licorice knew that going offsite with the innovation center would be an expensive proposition. The company concluded it could share the expense of the product development center by making the center available to others in the confectionery and food industry, and equipment manufacturers and ingredient suppliers could help share in the costs. American Licorice felt that other companies existed out there who were looking to develop products, but didn't necessarily have the contacts in the industry or the time to interrupt their production, Walsh says.

The company first approached England-based BCH, because American Licorice already...

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