WINSLOW, MAINE — Gluten-free snack manufacturer Maine Crisp opened a new facility in Winslow to expand production and retail capacity. Alongside the facility opening, the company also debuted a packaging update across its portfolio.

The company was launched in 2014 by founder and president Karen Getz, initially offering a cranberry almond buckwheat crisp. Now, Maine Crisp offers four buckwheat cracker flavors in its product line including savory fig and thyme, wild blueberry walnut and cinnamon maple.

Following national distribution growth in 2021, Maine Crisp zeroed in on expansion and “workflow enhancements.” The new 17,000-square-foot facility is certified gluten-free and can provide co-packing services to gluten-free food startups, according to the company. Equipment updates enable the company to quadruple production capacity and provide the opportunity to create new product lines. A gluten-free retail space in the new facility is expected to open in 2023.

Photo: Maine Crisp

“We are beyond excited to have a new state-of-the-art facility to continue to offer our retailers and consumers our delicious crisps while preparing for our aggressive innovation plans to bring the healthfulness of buckwheat to new snacking and baking categories,” said Lewis Goldstein, chief executive officer of Maine Crisp. “Moreover, this facility supports our mission to support Maine and its rural communities by providing good jobs that offer fair pay and benefits.”

The company’s packaging redesign added a transparent window to the product boxes and softened the overall color palette.

“My mission is to create better products for people, and our new package design really highlights the sense of naturalness that I strive for,” Ms. Getz said. “We’ve pared down busier elements and focused on the story of buckwheat so consumers can be confident that they understand what we’re all about.”