Remember Zotz Fizzy Cherry candies? Or root beer barrels? How about watermelon gum? Classics like these have a way of transporting us back in time. We were all kids once. Tastes may change, but memories don't.
Callisons understands the profound impact of taste. Founded in 1903 and headquartered in Lacey, Washington, this industry leader crafts unforgettable flavors for confections, beverages, and more.
To support their Cincinnati team of skilled "flavorists," Callisons relies on innovative laboratory storage solutions to ensure the ingredients, tools, and equipment needed for flavor development are always within reach. These solutions play a critical role in helping their team create the distinct tastes that make candies, gums, drinks, and other products truly memorable.
“I’d worked with some flavor companies before, so I had a pretty good understanding of what those facilities would require to be successful,” said Rich Schemenaur, the Patterson Pope sales representative on the project. “Their flavorists are creative people, and they needed to have ready access to a variety of ingredients to fuel that creativity."
Callisons' Chief Business Development Officer, Bob Motta, knew from the outset that the new labs would have very specific requirements.
"We utilize a lot of different materials, and we need rugged work surfaces that can stand up to heavy use," explained Motta. "Each lab has a unique purpose: one is for mixing ingredients to create new flavors, another for beverage development, and a third for confectionery work. While they all have slightly different purposes, they all need flexibility in the work surfaces and overall design. Plus, it's got to be comfortable for the workers. Ergonomics was a big part of the consideration."
To meet these needs, the building underwent a complete transformation. Callisons tore it down to its bones until only the original conference room remained intact. During renovations, that room served as the temporary hub for the team, with additional trailers brought in to provide workspace as construction continued.
“I’m big on photos,” said Schemenaur. "For this project, I took more than 300 throughout the process. I have photos from the day I first met with the Callisons team to the day the installation was complete. It’s a great way to document our work and show the process in action."
Schemenaur’s experience doing installations at similar labs helped him prepare for Callisons’ approach. That expertise, combined with valuable insights from key company players made crafting the custom solution a pleasurable experience.
Schemenaur's extensive experience with laboratory storage solutions gave him a strong foundation for tackling Callisons' unique needs. His expertise, paired with valuable input from key Callisons team members, made crafting the custom solution a rewarding experience.
"The three most critical aspects of this project were the large, flat work surfaces, incorporating enough drawers with framework shelving above them, and doing some things we had never done before," Schemenaur explained. "In the beverage lab, for example, we created chases — framed, enclosed channels — along three of the four perimeter walls. These made it much easier to run water and electricity. To accommodate the chases, we kept the counters at the standard 30-inch depth but designed the cabinets underneath to be front-aligned and just 24 inches deep. It all came together beautifully."
"It was a pretty cool project," said Motta. "I was happy to have the right kind of help from professionals who knew what they were doing. I certainly count Patterson Pope in that mix. They took a holistic approach, coordinating their efforts with other subcontractors. It was a well-managed project — pretty seamless. Patterson Pope delivered."
Callisons' three labs each play a distinct role in their flavor innovation process. The flavor lab, staffed by four specialists, focuses on ingredients like citrus oils, vanilla extracts, and mint essential oils. The confectionery and beverage labs, staffed by smaller teams, integrate those flavors into generic products, letting clients experience firsthand how a finished product might taste. At times, the labs accommodate up to ten people for tastings, making flexibility and efficiency essential.
“We’ve got a lot of equipment in there,” said Motta. “Our labs store different things, so the storage had to be significant. Our samples are usually in bottles ranging from one to three ounces, but we also store large five-gallon containers for ingredients like sugar and other bulk materials.”
To address these varied needs, Patterson Pope implemented laboratory storage solutions that combined flexibility with functionality. From modular casework to shelving systems, every detail was designed to support Callisons' creativity and efficiency.
“This was such a great project to work on from start to finish,” added Schemenaur. “Building strong relationships and maintaining open communication really made a difference. Our involvement lasted about ten months, and we enjoyed every minute."
“Rich even came back at one point with a marker talking about how we could fix any scratches,” recalled Motta. “What stood out was their care, attention to detail, and commitment to doing things right. They were involved. They cared."
Motta added that he and his team purposely designed their labs with adequate space in mind.
"We created a lot of room to work — plenty of bench space," he said. "Patterson Pope took what we described verbally and made it a reality. Their ability to make that conversion, if you will, was spectacular. If you need lab help, they're great. I've worked in a lot of flavor-oriented companies before, and I don't ever remember the labs ever being a point of note. These are."
Even after more than a century, Callisons is growing, with new flavors being created all the time. As their needs evolve, high-density compact shelving might someday be added to the mix — a fantastic solution for organizing those small containers of burgeoning "favorite flavors." And when that time comes, Patterson Pope will be ready to help.
We’ve got good taste.
To find out more about this project, check out the Case Study.