For makers and farms

Co-packers, shared kitchens and food business help in Montana

Q: Shared kitchen or co-packer: which do I need?

If you still make the product yourself, rent time in a licensed shared or commissary kitchen. When orders outgrow your own hands, a co-packer takes over production.

23 businesses and programs in Montana that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 2 co-packers, 5 shared kitchens, 13 programs and official lists, and 3 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

2Co-packers
5Shared kitchens
13Programs and lists
23Listings in all

Get listed Shops that carry small makers in Montana

Programs and official lists in Montana

13 listed. Start here. State and university programs that help food businesses with recipes, safety plans and licensing, and the public lists they keep.

Find My Local Food and Ag Development Center (Montana Department of Agriculture)
MT · agr.mt.gov
Locator for ten regional food and ag development centers
Montana Commercial Kitchens and Co-Packers (Montana Department of Agriculture)
MT · agr.mt.gov
State list of commercial kitchens and co-packers
Montana Meat Processors Associationmeat
MT · mtmmpa.com
Trade association with member list of Montana meat processors
MSU Food Product Development Lab
Bozeman, MT · montana.edu · source
Product development, recipe work, extrusion and market testing
Prospera Business Network
Bozeman, MT · prosperamt.org · source
Hosts a state Food and Ag Development Center, free business help
Headwaters RC&D
Butte, MT · headwatersrcd.org · source
Hosts a state Food and Ag Development Center, free business help
Great Falls Development Alliance
Great Falls, MT · growgreatfalls.org · source
Hosts a state Food and Ag Development Center, free business help
Ravalli County Economic Development Authority
Hamilton, MT · rceda.org · source
Hosts a state Food and Ag Development Center, free business help
Bear Paw Development Corporation
Havre, MT · bearpaw.org · source
Hosts a state Food and Ag Development Center, free business help
Beartooth RC&D
Joliet, MT · beartooth.org · source
Hosts a state Food and Ag Development Center, free business help
Montana West Economic Development
Kalispell, MT · dobusinessinmontana.com · source
Hosts a state Food and Ag Development Center, free business help
Snowy Mountain Development Corporation
Lewistown, MT · snowymountaindevelopment.com · source
Hosts a state Food and Ag Development Center, free business help
Great Northern Development Corporation
Wolf Point, MT · gndc.org · source
Hosts a state Food and Ag Development Center, free business help

Co-packers in Montana

2 listed. Contract manufacturers that make and pack your recipe in a licensed plant.

Cream of the Westdry mixes spicescoffee tea
Harlowton, MT · creamofthewest.com · source
Co-packs dry mixes, flour, grains and tea
King's Cupboard (West Fork Creations)confections chocolatesauces
Red Lodge, MT · kingscupboard.com · source
Chocolate sauce maker listed as a co-packer

Shared and commissary kitchens in Montana

5 listed. Licensed kitchens you rent by the hour or month, often with storage and business help. Shared and commissary kitchens in Montana has its own page.

Summit Cookhaus
Kalispell, MT · summitcookhaus.wixsite.com · source
Rentable commercial kitchen space
Hi-Line Kitchen Processingsmall batch
Malta, MT · source
Certified kitchen for small processors, farm-to-plate processing
Moonlight Kitchens
Missoula, MT · source
Incubator with two commercial kitchens, work room and storage
Plant Perks Commissary Kitchen
Missoula, MT · source
Commissary kitchen with online scheduling and business consulting
Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Centerproducesmall batch
Ronan, MT · missionwestcdp.org · source
Shared-use processing facility, also co-packs fruit and vegetables

Cold storage and fulfillment in Montana

1 listed. Refrigerated and frozen warehousing, and companies that pick, pack and ship orders for food brands. Ask about minimums, since some mostly serve larger brands.

Diversified Transfer & Storagefrozen
Billings, MT · dtsb.com · source
Frozen, refrigerated and dry warehousing with regional delivery

Distributors and food hubs in Montana

2 listed. Specialty, natural and local food distributors, and food hubs that aggregate from small producers.

Yellowstone Valley Food Hubproducemeat
Billings, MT · yvfoodhub.com · source
Grower cooperative and online market for local producers
Quality Foods Distributingorganic certified
Bozeman, MT · qfdistributing.com
Natural, organic and local products distributor

Suppliers that ship to Montana

Packaging, fulfillment and distribution are mostly national. See insulated boxes, gel packs and dry ice, jars, labels and boxes, cold storage and fulfillment and specialty food distributors. For the how-to, read how to start cold shipping and shipping supplies for food makers.

Get listed, or fix a listing

Co-packer, shared kitchen, packaging supplier, cold storage or distributor that works with small food makers and farms? Send the details and we will add you. Listings are free. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.

Software and setup for makers

Madeline's sets up the back office for small food makers and farms: inventory and lot tracking, shipping and cold chain, wholesale ordering, recipe costing and labels and more. See Artisanal Solutions, or sell on the Madeline's marketplace.

Questions

What is a co-packer?

A co-packer (contract packer) is a licensed food plant that makes and packs your product to your recipe. You own the brand and the recipe. They own the equipment, the inspections and the labor. Most ask for a minimum run, so call several and compare minimums, price per unit and what they will source for you.

Shared kitchen or co-packer: which do I need?

If you are still making it yourself, rent time in a shared or commissary kitchen. It is licensed, so you can sell beyond cottage food limits. When orders outgrow your own hands, a co-packer takes over production. Many makers use a kitchen for a year or two first.

Where does this list come from?

From public lists kept by state agriculture departments, university extension and food innovation centers, and from each business's own site. Listings that came from a public list link to that source. A listing is not an endorsement, so check licensing, insurance and minimums yourself.

How do I get listed or fix a listing?

Use the form on this page. Listings are free.

Sources: public lists from state agriculture departments, university extension and food innovation centers, and each business's own site. Listings are independent businesses and are not affiliated with Madeline's. A listing is not an endorsement.