Blendex Co., one of the area's fastest-growing companies over the past two years, is expanding again to meet additional demand for its mixing services.

Ronald Pottinger, CEO of the company, said the company soon will begin work on a 10,000-square-foot addition to a building at its dry-mix blending operations in the Bluegrass Research and Industrial Park in Jeffersontown.

 The additional space, which will double the size of the smallest building at the location, will be used primarily for storage, he said.

The project will cost about $250,000 and is expected to be completed in March.

Pottinger said the new space is needed to accommodate the company's growth.  Revenue has risen about 10 percent to 15 percent annually during the past eight years.  For fiscal 2003, the company had about $16 million in sales, he said.

Pottinger said the company does not plan to add to its staff of 100 at this time.

Blendex was one of the fastest growing privately held Louisville businesses according to Business First's Fast 50 ranking, published November 14.  According to the Fast 50, which was ranked by revenue growth, blendex posted revenue growth of 50 to 75 percent from 2000 to 2002.

Blendex was founded as a division of a company that supplied frying equipment to Kentucky Fried Chicken Co., which now is KFC Corp., a division of Yum Brands Inc.

Blendex was formed to mix and sell seasoned flour products to the company's fryer customers, he said.

Blendex has expanded its offerings in recent years to include powdered drinks and low-carbohydrate doughs.

The company's customers include Texas Roadhouse, Papa John's International Inc., and Kellogg Co.

Business First - December 5, 2003