Startup will make the can, fill it & ship it, all from one SLC facility
A new Utah company intends to reinvent the beverage canning industry when it opens the doors to its huge facility in Salt Lake City later this year. Vobev is being touted as the first all-in-one aluminum canning facility in North America. When up and running, the company said its new plant on the city’s west side will manufacture cans, fill them, label them and ship them, all in the same facility.
In a prepared statement, Eric Cudnohoske, Vobev’s general manager, said the Vobev business model of combining everything under one roof will significantly shrink production lead times by weeks or months, reduce costs and decrease the product carbon footprint. Cudnohoske said the new plant will employ at least 400 people when under production.
“From our headquarters in Salt Lake City, our business model is efficient and production will be environmentally friendly,” said Cudnohoske. “Every can produced in our facility is made from aluminum, one of the most recycled products in the U.S. In addition to utilizing a truly sustainable and recyclable raw material, Vobev will practice eco-friendly methods like water reclamation to minimize our overall carbon footprint. No plastics. No glass. Just aluminum.”
Cudnohoske pointed out that the current canned beverage industry is one in which making, filling and shipping cans typically happens in separate processes and sometimes runs through facilities that are widely dispersed. “The can and beverage industry has a problem,” he said. “A can could be manufactured on the East Coast, the empty can is shipped across the country to the West Coast to get filled and then somewhere else to get packed. It may then go someplace else to be shipped to the end consumer. Vobev is going to be the market disruptor, putting everything under one roof.”
“Our facility’s purpose is speed and flexibility. The state-of-the-art Vobev facility will be a development hub for the aluminum can and beverage industry,” said Cudnohoske. “We will help customers capitalize on innovation and scale without risk and provide the possibility to introduce new high-quality products each month. Vobev can help new and established brands with everything from recipe creation and packaging design to storage of product and shipping.”
Cudnohoske said his company is looking to partner with local suppliers and individuals who desire to work for a “people-first” organization that uses a collaborative culture to drive innovation. He said that in addition to locally sourcing employees, Vobev will stimulate Utah’s economy through the development of business relationships, taxes and local employment opportunities.
“Our leadership team is extremely proud of the collaborative culture we are creating,” said Cudnohoske. “We are most excited to build an organization and brand that delivers best-in-class products, and we can’t do that without amazing people. Vobev is structured to empower individuals to have a voice and we can’t wait to see the future we build together.”
Cudnohoske said his company sees its market primarily as small to midsize beverage companies but could also work for bigger companies looking to move a portion of their production closer to customers and retailers in the West.