One way to reduce risk in the scale-up phase is to solicit the expertise of a flavor or blending house, such as Chicago-based Imbibe Inc. “Sooner is better than later,” according to Laura Klibanow, a company director. “I’ve encountered projects where our R&D team is brought in late in the game, and the brand owner has already spent a lot of time and resources going down a path of trying to develop a product that is not viable, and our team is asked to come in and re-direct.”

Klibanow notes that it’s “very common” for brands to hire a product development agency that “has limited-to-no experience in commercial scale-up and manufacturing, so what they create is a product that you might love, but is not commercially viable.” She admonishes, “This happens all the time.”

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