Imperial Sugar Takes R&D to Customers

Imperial Sugar's Test Kitchen in Sugarland, Texas.

Developing new products and services that make for strong connections with customers is key to any company’s growth. That especially holds true for those doing business in a commodity-based category, such as sugar.

Coming off the successful launch of three new products last year, Imperial Sugar Company is making product development a sweet spot in its growth strategy.

Consumers saw two new products from Imperial hit grocery shelves in the second half of 2009.

Redi-Measure™, for example, contains twelve pre-measured pouches of firmly packed light brown sugar that are perfectly suited for most recipes. The other was Baker’s Supreme, an all-natural, premium frosting mix that comes in three flavors and can be whipped up in five minutes – rivaling the best frostings made from scratch.

For its foodservice customers, Imperial developed a premeasured liquid sweetener that is used to sweeten three- and five-gallon urns of iced tea and other beverages.

Roxanne Resch, Senior Director of Business Development

Not to be confused with liquid sugar, the new liquid sweetener is formulated with natural preservatives and has a shelf life of one year. As a liquid, it mixes and sweetens faster and is less messy than granulated sweeteners, helping employees who handle it get their jobs done more efficiently. More importantly, Imperial manufactures this product to exacting standards to ensure consistent taste and a positive consumer experience.

In each case, Imperial was guided by the goal to develop “higher-quality, finished products that offer relevant solutions to consumers and business customers alike,” according to Roxanne Resch, Imperial’s Senior Director of Business Development.

“Our sales team works together with the R&D team – and directly with end-users – to make products better, help streamline customer operations and develop a unique point of difference against competitors.”

This intense collaboration to develop solutions that best meet customer needs will continue to drive Imperial’s product development thrust in 2010.

Talking about Imperial’s industrial channel, Manager of New Product Development Darrell Gerdes said there is increased up-front customer involvement.

Darrell Gerdes, Manager of New Product Development

“We’re in the customer’s plant with its R&D team mixing up and testing products, choosing the best equipment to use and trying to better understand expectations. We believe the customer is the expert on what they want and need. And until we get into their plants or bakeries, we won’t know what that is.”

Getting up close and personal with customers contrasts with what typically takes place in the sugar industry. Usually, a customer requests samples for a new product idea. The vendor might provide up to 10 different versions. At some point, the customer provides feedback – and sometimes not.

“Our approach is not to develop random samples and hope one happens to resonate with the customer, but to go in and develop the right solution with the customer from the beginning,” said Gerdes.

According to Gerdes, initial response to Imperial’s new approach has been “phenomenal.” He explained customers increasingly expect this level of service given the current economic situation and resulting cuts to their R&D and quality staffs.

Impressed with Imperial’s solution-oriented focus, Gerdes said it isn’t unusual for a customer to ask for help in several other areas before finishing the original project.

Full-service R&D requires more of an investment, but the payoff is evidently worth it, keeping Imperial top-of-mind with customers and consumers for new products that improve business and enhance life.