5 Ways to Prepare with Your Co-Man for the New Year

A new year brings fresh opportunities, new distribution wins, updated retail expectations, and — most importantly — a clean slate to build stronger systems with your contract manufacturing partner. Whether you’re scaling your gluten-free baked goods, launching allergen-friendly snacks, or expanding your better-for-you brand, preparing early with your co-man sets the tone for a smoother, more strategic year ahead.

If you’re gearing up for a strong start, here are five smart ways to prepare with your co-man for the new year.

1. Revisit Your Forecasting and Growth Goals

Before diving into formulation tweaks or packaging updates, step one is always visibility. Clear forecasting is the foundation of every successful year and it directly impacts capacity planning, ingredient sourcing, labor allocation, and scheduling.

Brands often come into a new year with changing distribution, updated retail programs, or evolving product velocities. Even a small shift in volume can affect a complex supply chain. This is where a true partner steps in.

Your contract food manufacturer needs to understand your full picture, especially within specialized categories like gluten-free, allergen-friendly, or plant-based. Sharing your annual forecasts helps your co-man flag risks, secure raw materials, optimize production windows, and strengthen the systems behind your success.

Want to scale your gluten-free cookies? Introduce a new allergen-friendly snack? Explore better-for-you frozen entrees? Your co-man can help you build a plan that ensures the capacity is ready when you are.

2. Align on Ingredient and Packaging Requirements Early

A new year is the perfect time to audit your ingredient deck, packaging options, and long-term sourcing strategy — especially if your brand relies on specific claims like gluten-free, non-GMO, plant-based, or Big 9 allergen-free.

Some ingredients have long lead times. Certain packaging formats require weeks (sometimes months) to secure. And any shift in your specs — like moving from vertical form fill and seal pillow packs to stand-up pouches — needs operational alignment.

Working closely with your co-manufacturer now ensures:

• Ingredients are secured early

• Forecasted packaging volumes are realistic

• New materials are tested before you need them

• Claims and certifications remain compliant

At ZoRoCo, brands rely on our wide range of packaging capabilities — such as vertical form fill and seal bags, stand-up pouches, bag-in-a-box, peel + go, or heat and eat cups and bowls — to scale their product lines intentionally. 

3. Review Your Claims, Certifications, and Compliance Strategy

Claims are powerful differentiators, but only when backed by airtight documentation. If your brand is preparing for a refresh, expansion, or new product launch, the new year is an ideal time to confirm which certifications matter most.

This is especially critical for better-for-you categories such as:

• Gluten-free certified manufacturing

• Big 9 allergen-free production

• School-safe snacks

• Plant-based and vegan products

• Non-GMO and organic claims

• Kosher-certified items

Every claim, audit, and certification influences packaging, ingredient selection, supplier approvals, and production protocols. Reviewing your strategy early ensures everything aligns before new orders go out the door.

With ZoRoCo’s dedicated gluten-free and Big 9 allergen-free facilities — plus deep expertise in managing claims — we help brands navigate the compliance side confidently. That means fewer surprises, more accuracy, and a smoother path to market.

4. Evaluate Your SKU Lineup and Innovation Opportunities

A fresh year invites fresh thinking. What products are thriving? Which ones need improvement? Where do you have room to innovate?

For emerging brands and established CPGs alike, the new year is prime time for assessing your portfolio and refining your strategy.

Ask questions like:

• Which SKUs deserve more capacity?

• Are there seasonal extensions worth exploring?

• Does a winning formula need a new packaging format?

• Is now the moment to launch an allergen-free or gluten-free version of a bestseller?

• Is consumer demand shifting toward plant-based, RTE, or better-for-you options?

ZoRoCo’s three plants — Gluten-Free Plant, Free-From Plant, and Frozen Plant — support a wide spectrum of possibilities. Whether you want to develop baking mixes, oatmeal blends, granola, snack packs, RTE items, frozen meal bowls, or plant-based butters and spreads, we can help you map out a practical timeline for testing, scaling, and execution.

Because ZoRoCo doesn’t own any in-house brands, your innovation pipeline always comes first. We’re entrepreneurial, flexible, and ready to adapt with you.

5. Strengthen Communication and Processes with Your Co-Man

No successful partnership thrives on guesswork. Your communication rhythms with your co-manufacturer directly influence quality, timelines, forecasting accuracy, and overall production success.

A new year is an ideal moment to revisit:

• Weekly production and supply chain touchpoints

• Forecasting updates

• KPI expectations

• Escalation procedures

• Approval workflows

• Documentation processes

• Long-term scheduling

At ZoRoCo, transparency isn’t a buzzword. It’s the core of our partnership model. Clients receive:

• Weekly production and inventory calls

• Monthly leadership strategy meetings

• Quarterly waste and inventory cycle counts

• Live access to production and supply chain data through our ERP portal

These workflows keep teams aligned and eliminate the “black box” experience common with many other co-manufacturers.

Start the Year with a Contract Food Manufacturing Partner Who’s Invested in Your Growth

We see preparing with your co-man for the new year as more than operational housekeeping — it’s a strategic advantage. When your manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and product roadmaps align, you protect your business from avoidable risks and set yourself up for a confident year ahead.

At ZoRoCo, we don’t show up as simply a vendor. We’re part of your strategy as your co-manufacturer partner, operational teammate, and growth collaborator who’s invested in your long-term success. And because we only grow when our clients grow, helping you plan the right way is always the priority.

If you’re ready to build smarter, grow faster, and unlock new opportunities next year, ZoRoCo is here to help you do it. Reach out to our team to learn more.