CoreFX Ingredients, a U.S.-based food ingredient company specializing in the manufacture of custom dry dairy, cheese and lipid ingredient solutions, opened its 5,000-square-foot innovation center located on the north side of Chicago. Designed to be an open space for customer collaboration and interaction, the center includes a research and development laboratory and a customer-focused creativity center/test kitchen.

CoreFX was founded in June 2016 in partnership with Ornua, Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, thus becoming the company’s first specialty dry ingredients production facility in the United States. CoreFX uses spray-drying and dry-blending technologies to produce a range of dairy, cheese and lipid powder ingredient solutions for food manufacturing and food service customers. It serves markets including bakery, beverage, confectionery, dairy, desserts, frozen desserts, health and wellness, seasonings and spices, snack foods, sports nutrition, soups, sauces and dressings, and infant and toddler nutrition. Central to the business is the ability to design ingredients specific to customer requirements across a range of properties, including taste, melt point, texture, mouth feel, cost and shelf stability, according to the company.

Denis Neville, chief executive officer, spearheaded the growth of CoreFX in all areas, including operations, personnel and capabilities. Between June 2016 and August 2017, personnel more than quadrupled from a staff of 12 employees to 50. The company’s manufacturing facility in Orangeville, Ill., has enjoyed its own share of growth and innovation, with the installation of new pilot dryers and blenders to increase production capabilities and meet larger demand. A 10,000-square-foot warehouse expansion is under way.