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Concord, NC — A M King, a leading integrated Design-Build firm with offices in Charlotte, NC, Greenville, SC, and Chicago, IL, has completed design and commenced construction on a complex, multi-phase renovation project in Concord, NC for Custom Flavors, a San Clemente, CA-based company expanding its operations with a new East Coast processing facility. Located in Concord, the facility will double the company’s production capacity, streamline freight shipping, and strengthen product development support.
A M King and Custom Flavors hosted an official groundbreaking event on June 3, 2025, which included a shovel ceremony and site tours.
Founded in 2005, Custom Flavors is a family-owned and operated business specializing in the development and manufacturing of liquid and powdered flavor solutions. To date, the company has crafted more than 20,000 organic, natural and artificial flavors and flavor combinations for bakery, beverage, confectionery, dairy, supplements and sports nutrition products. Flavors include Raspberry, Watermelon, Dragonfruit, Spearmint, Ginger, Chocolate, Peanut, Birthday Cake, Tahitian Vanilla, and Margarita.
Custom Flavors’ Concord, NC facility is situated off West Winds Blvd., near Concord-Padgett Regional Airport and Concord Mills Mall. From this prime location, they will be able to reach 85 percent of the U.S. within two business days, starting in Q4 of this year. To help Custom Flavors achieve that goal, A M King is fast-tracking the renovation project with completion scheduled for November 2025 — just 11 months from award of services to owner occupancy.
“We are excited about building a partnership with an innovative West Coast company that holds many of the same values as we do,” explains David Sawicki, A M King Vice President. “Our Design-Build approach, coupled with our food processing expertise, will ensure a high-quality facility completed within an accelerated timeline.”
“It has been a tremendous experience working with David and the team at A M King, explained Alex Wendling, Custom Flavors President. “Together, we have designed a premier flavor manufacturing and innovation hub here in the greater Charlotte region, specifically Concord, NC, and today kicks off the accelerated buildout to meet the demands of our wonderful, fast-growing customers. With each phase of this project and the continued evolution of our existing operations, we look to offer even more to those who count on us.”
The new Custom Flavors Concord, NC facility marks a major investment in the company’s long-term growth and customer service. With 53,000 sf of production and lab space, the site will double current capacity and triple product innovation space. This expansion strengthens Custom Flavors’ ability to maintain superior lead times while significantly increasing formulation support through expanded R&D infrastructure.
Located strategically in North Carolina, the facility positions Custom Flavors to better serve Midwest and East Coast customers with reduced freight costs. Onsite development capabilities will also allow for deeper collaboration with regional partners.
The Custom Flavors project will generate 30 new jobs over the next three years, adding roles in food science, production, and quality control.
The scope of work on Phase 1 of the Design-Build project will include extensive renovation of the 53,000-sf facility, including the processing areas, laboratories, test kitchen, and office spaces.
Subsequent phases of Custom Flavors’ Concord, NC facility renovation will include development of additional labs:
Due to the nature of perishable products being stored and processed there are a high level of hygiene classification requirements for the various areas of the facility. A M King will work with Custom Flavors to ensure the rooms and equipment within can be cleaned in accordance with A M King’s exacting standards for sanitary design. The use of Insulated Metal Panels on interior walls, sloped floors, strategically located floor drains, hand and boot-washing stations and air curtains will be selected to assist with these efforts.
A M King is working with the process engineer to incorporate P&ID (Piping and Instrumentation Diagram) requirements into the design of the facility. P&ID is a schematic representation of a process system, including piping, instrumentation, and control equipment. In areas where ignitable concentrations of liquids are present, our electrical design ensures they are explosion proof.
We also installed a mechanical system that exhausts Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and dust from the air in the processing spaces before they have time to absorb into finishes. Finally, the PH monitoring system collects all of the process water, monitors the PH, and adds in either acid or an alkali, per Cabarrus County regulations.
