Brockton’s Custom Blends Hires Staff, Increases Capacity Thanks to $350,000 MassDevelopment Loan

July 26, 2012

Contacts:
Kelsey Abbruzzese, MassDevelopment, 617-330-2086 & 617-448-9077 (cell)
Ed Byers, Custom Blends, 508-326-1029

MassDevelopment has provided a $350,000 Gateway Cities equipment loan to Custom Blends, Inc., in Brockton, which manufactures Cindy's Kitchen all-natural salad dressings, vinaigrettes, marinades, and dips. The company will use loan proceeds to meet increased demand for its products, building another production line for bottling and packaging salad dressings and dips, and adding 12 jobs.

“This loan will expand the dedicated and diverse Custom Blends staff, creating more opportunities in this champion Gateway City,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Marty Jones. “The Commonwealth's food businesses represent an important part of the manufacturing sector, and we're pleased to continue our support of Custom Blends.”

In 2007, MassDevelopment provided a $750,000 New Markets Tax Credit equipment loan to Custom Blends to help the company relocate to a larger facility in Brockton. Established in 1996, Custom Blends provides its products to wholesalers and retailers such as Whole Foods, Costco, and Roche Bros. throughout North America. The company's products are all-natural and organic, and many are also available in sugar-free, dairy-free, and fat-free varieties. In 2006, the Metro South Chamber of Commerce named Cindy's Kitchen “Small Business of the Year.”

Ed Byers, CEO and Founder of Custom Blends Inc., aka Cindy’s Kitchen, said, “MassDevelopment has been the perfect partner to help us finance our equipment needs as a growing manufacturing company in the Commonwealth.”

MassDevelopment, the state's finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2011, MassDevelopment financed or managed more than 300 projects generating investment of $3.8 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create more than 10,000 jobs (2,547 permanent and 8,129 construction), and build or rehabilitate more than 1,000 residential units.