Located in Lleida, Spain, MANUFRI is a joint venture between MANE and NUFRI, two family-owned companies with a shared vision, to provide integrated solutions combining fruit juices and flavour know-how for the beverage industry.
MANUFRI was born from the vision of two entrepreneurs, Francisco Argiles, CEO of NUFRI and Jean Mane, MANE Group President, who believed that the beverage industry needed a way to blend a mix of ingredients to make them soluble and stable in their drinks. The result is high quality flavoured compounds, combining NUFRI’s know-how in horticulture and fruit production and MANE’s expertise in flavour design.
What is a compound?
Mainly used by beverage manufacturers, compounds are all-in-one solutions that simplify the production process, making it more efficient and cost effective. Compounds can be simple or complex, they combine a mix of ingredients, including fruit juices, concentrates and flavours, into a single product. In each case, the formulations are tailored by MANUFRI technologists to meet the specific requirements of each customer according to relevant market trends and consumer profiles.
Compounds are used for all kinds of beverages:
- fruit juice-based drinks
- still and carbonated soft drinks
- syrups
- flavoured tea and coffee drinks
- energy, sport and nutritional drinks
- flavoured and functional waters
- alcoholic beverages such as beers and ciders.
Located at the heart of the Spanish apple and pear orchards
MANUFRI is located at the headquarters of NUFRI in the centre of one of the largest juice producing regions of Spain. A growing business, MANUFRI has developed a special technology for creating and producing compounds, providing technical assistance and expertise from design through prototyping, pilot testing and production. The site includes:
- 1 dedicated laboratory
- 3 pasteurisers
- blending facilities
- storage and warehousing.
HR and logistics are carried out by NUFRI, while flavourings, marketing and sales are managed by MANE. The technical and commercial directors, as well as staff in the plant, laboratory, quality, and product development people work directly for MANUFRI. Each company contributes their core competencies to the venture.
“It’s great to work in a company that is growing because you see that everything you do helps the company to develop,” explains Patricia Martinez Muñoz, Commercial Director for MANUFRI Compounds. “It’s challenging and we all have lots to do, but the atmosphere is fantastic. We are very motivated because we see the company growing thanks to our efforts and everyone appreciates that. We take pride in our successes.”
MANUFRI supplies clients across the beverage industry, including the major players and brands, as well as retailers and local brands in countries around the world. Patricia Martinez Muñoz supports MANE’s commercial teams and application labs throughout the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) with three direct reports managing sales in Spain, Dubai, and Poland. “We listen carefully to our customers’ requirements and design compounds to meet their specific needs. When we visit our customers, we're able to provide them with compound samples thanks to our on-site prototyping facilities.”
From the crop to the beverage
Traceability is extremely important for today’s clients and consumers, and this is where MANUFRI stands out from the competition. “We offer complete traceability from the juice to the final drink, and I think this is unique in the market,” explains Patricia Martinez Muñoz. “We are not the only company in the world to produce compounds, but we are the only company to produce the juice and the compound and offer such a wide variety of flavours. The link that we have with the land and our knowledge of the fruit gives us opportunities for growth. We are always innovating to offer new solutions, new flavours, and combinations, and this is helping us to grow,” she added.
A shared vision
MANE and NUFRI share the same respect for the environment and commitment to sustainability. NUFRI has installed over 50 MW of renewable power: hydro, solar and biomass to produce its own electricity. Nothing is thrown away; every part of the fruit is used. Whatever is not transformed into juice or concentrates – the remaining calorific value of fruit cores such as peach or apricot stones – is used to produce green energy. MANE's proprietary assessment tool, GREEN MOTION™, which calculates the environmental footprint of ingredients or compounds, demonstrates MANUFRI’s leadership in this field. 100% natural, traceable, and sustainable, this is the success of MANUFRI compounds.
This year MANUFRI will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary, clearly demonstrating that the vision of its two founding entrepreneurs, to develop all-in-one solutions which capture the best fruit flavours, is certainly bearing fruit!