Northbrook Business of the Year: Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.

A global corporation with 11 manufacturing plants worldwide, Bell Flavors & Fragrances is also a family business with deep roots in Northbrook. In 2024 Bell strengthened those community bonds with the opening of its new Consumer Science Sensory Center, expanding its corporate campus in Sky Harbor.

 

Bell Flavors & Fragrances develops and supplies unique flavors, fragrances, botanical extracts, and ingredients to manufacturers in the food-and-beverage, pet care, personal care, fine fragrance, and household care sectors. Founded in 1912 as the William M. Bell Company, Edward N. Heinz purchased the business in 1968 and moved its headquarters to Northbrook in 1981. Bell flavors & Fragrances has grown over the decades to encompass 1200 employees worldwide and selling in over 100 different countries.

 

Now led by the second and third generations of the Heinz family, Bell continues to innovate with its Northbrook campus at the heart of its initiatives. In addition to its corporate headquarters, Bell produces a host of flavor products in its Sky Harbor manufacturing center, employing around 350 people. The Heinz family has continued to invest in contiguous properties, enabling it to augment its operations while staying in Northbrook. 

 

The most recent expansion, the 6500 square foot Consumer Science Sensory Center (CSSC), gives Northbrook-area residents a unique role in shaping flavors and fragrances that will come to market in nationwide products. The state-of-the-art facility includes a focus group room with a viewing area to gather real-time consumer feedback, individual testing booths, a fully equipped kitchen, a reception area, and workspaces for staff. 

 

The CSSC leverages community members to participate in taste/smell consumer panels, where they use descriptive language to share their sensory experiences. As described by Karen Graves, VP Shared Technical Services, the CSSC “gives us the voice of the consumer in the development process.” In the center, Bell’s consumer and sensory science team members work in close collaboration with the flavor and fragrance R&D teams because feedback from these consumer panels is a critical aspect of creating unique flavor and fragrances that delight consumers.  

Bell’s story in Northbrook is one of planning, investment, and innovation. The Heinz family’s commitment to growing in place, strengthening the community through employment and reinventing local commercial spaces, merits Bell’s recognition as Northbrook Business of the Year.