The right ingredients for a new headquarters
By Michael J. Steur, P.E.
For nearly 150 years, internationally based Mane Inc. has been perfecting the art of lavor and fragrance R&D and manufacturing, employing 3,000 people at nearly 40
innovation centers throughout the world. Mane
bases its North American operations in southwestern Ohio, creating a mix of innovative
technologies and state-of-the-art techniques for
its customers in the U.S. and Canada.
In recent years, however, Mane’s existing
North American Flavors Div. headquarters,
located just outside of Cincinnati in Milford,
Ohio, was unable to keep pace with the growth
experienced by the company. While Mane
squeezed every possibility from that location,
which housed both R&D operations and a
flavor manufacturing center, the facility failed
to meet the growing demand and was unable
to foster the collaboration that was required
for future success. Mane turned to Hixson
Architecture, Engineering, Interiors to review
their needs and determine their options.
“We found that the Milford facility was fac-
ing several issues,” says Hixson Project Manager
Chris Jarc, PE, PMP, LEED AP, who oversaw the
project. “Chief among these was the fact that
the facility was landlocked, bordered by a river,
roads and neighboring structures, and had lim-
ited growth potential.”
This was a concern because the Mane facility
was already overcrowded and needed to expand
to meet growth projections. The office area had
poor circulation patterns and an inefficient
workflow. Conference rooms had become cubi-
cle farms. Work in one area encroached upon
work in another.
In addition, there was a general lack of nat-
ural light and poor ventilation throughout the
facility. “Odor control is as critical in the flavor
and fragrances business as cleanrooms are in
the computer chip industry,” says Jarc. “All of
these issues created problems with customers,
as well as Mane’s ability to attract and retain
high-caliber flavorists.”
Working with Hixson, Mane eventually
determined the need to re-locate to a compa-
ny-owned site in nearby Lebanon, Ohio, and
build a 85,000-sf, $32 million facility.
UNDERSTANDING THE GOALS, OVERCOMING
CHALLENGES
While the project began as an approximate-
ly 40,000- to 50,000-sf, $15 million building,
Jarc. “Sometimes, this means helping our clients
scale back and sometimes it requires pushing
them forward.”
Such guidance goes both ways. Throughout
the design process, end-user involvement was
integral to help create a location where people
want to come and work and in developing
a facility where the work is conducted more
efficiently and effectively. To that end, Mane fla-
vorists were integrated from the very beginning.
At the outset, members of Hixson’s design and
engineering groups conducted “walk-a-mile”
tours of the existing facility with lab personnel
to fully understand and appreciate their needs
and how the work is conducted. Client reviews
were improved through the creation of full-
size, 3-D Revit printouts of each lab. Mock-ups
were also an important part of the process. “We
installed a mock-up of an exhaust snorkel in
the existing facility to verify that its location
and placement would be appropriate, and to
familiarize the client with its use,” says Jarc.
Mane Inc., Cincinnati Development Center.
Image: Hixson
Using 3-D modeling software, the design team envisioned every detail of the finished areas. Shown here is a dry
flavor lab with natural light. Image: Hixson
