Texas added four beverage manufacturing plants totaling 180 million cases between 2024 and 2025.
That number matters because it signals a structural shift: the state went from a regional bottling hub to one of the primary co-manufacturing destinations in North America, attracting capital investment from both global independents and emerging regional players.

The reasons are straightforward: Texas sits at the geographic center of the continental US, which cuts freight time and cost to both coasts. The Port of Houston provides direct access to global ingredient supply chains. And the state's tax structure and regulatory environment have consistently pulled manufacturing investment away from higher-cost markets like California, which faces strict water-use permits and recycled-content laws that raise operational costs for beverage facilities.

The result is a co-manufacturing ecosystem that covers virtually every beverage format — from high-speed canned energy drinks and aseptic PET juices to functional shots, RTD cocktails, and hydration powders — with multiple qualified options in each category.

What to look for in a Texas beverage co-manufacturer

Three variables determine fit before you start visiting facilities.
1. packaging format: can lines, hot-fill bottle lines, aseptic systems, and pouch/sachet equipment rarely coexist at the same plant, so the right shortlist depends entirely on what format your product requires.
2. certifications: most national retail buyers require SQF, BRC, or FSSC 22000 as a baseline, and category-specific claims (Organic, Kosher, Gluten-Free) need to be verified at the facility level before any conversation about capacity.
3. minimum order quantities relative to your current volume — the gap between a startup-friendly facility like Son Beverage (50-gallon minimum) and an industrial-scale operation like Refresco is significant, and choosing the wrong tier creates either cost inefficiency or supply risk.

1. Refresco — Waco, TX

Best for: Large-scale CSDs, juices, energy drinks, aseptic PET, clean-label formulations

Refresco is the largest independent beverage solutions provider in the world, operating over 75 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America, and Australia and producing more than 30 million liters of beverages per day.
The Waco facility — acquired from Coca-Cola in 2021 — functions as a multi-user production platform, meaning Refresco doesn't compete with its own clients' brands. That structural separation matters for CPG brands that want a manufacturing partner without channel conflict.

The technical centerpiece of the Waco operation is Aseptic PET (A-PET) technology. This process sterilizes the product and the packaging separately before filling in a sterile environment, which eliminates the need for preservatives or additives. For brands building around "clean label" positioning, this is one of the few processes that delivers shelf stability without compromising that claim. The facility handles carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices, iced teas, energy drinks, and specialty waters across packaging formats that include PET, aseptic PET, cartons, cans, and glass.
Refresco's "From Idea to Aisle" model covers category insights, material planning, procurement, and logistics as a single integrated service.

All North American Refresco sites operate under SQF Level III or FSSC 22000 — the highest tier of food safety certification in both frameworks. The Waco location at 8400 Imperial Drive sits centrally between Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, which reduces transportation time to every major Texas market.

2. Niagara Bottling — Dallas, Houston, and Temple, TX

Best for: Bottled water, protein shakes, juices, nitro hot fill, sparkling — private label at scale

Niagara Bottling is the largest private label bottled water company in the United States, and its Texas operations across Dallas, Houston, and Temple represent some of the most technically sophisticated beverage manufacturing in the country. What sets Niagara apart at the process level is vertical integration: the company injection-molds and blow-molds its own bottles and closures on-site, which eliminates the carbon and cost footprint of shipping empty containers and enables continuous quality control of the packaging throughout production.

The Dallas facility runs laser-guided vehicles and automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), enabling high-throughput precision that high-speed grocery private label programs require. Processing capabilities span four distinct formats. Aseptic uses a unique PET bottle format for protein shakes and juices that require sterilization without heat degradation.
Nitro Hot Fill uses nitrogen to provide structural integrity to lightweight bottles, removing the heavy vacuum panels typical of traditional hot-fill containers. Real Brew produces authentic tea flavor by brewing actual tea leaves rather than using concentrates. Sparkling covers high-capacity carbonated production for the CSD and sparkling water markets.

Niagara also holds TRUE Zero Waste Certification — the first bottled water manufacturer in North America to do so — and uses up to 50% recycled PET (rPET) in its bottles. For brands that publish sustainability metrics or are targeting retail buyers with ESG requirements, this certification stack is a meaningful differentiator in a co-manufacturing conversation.

3. Wildpack Beverage — Austin, TX

Best for: Craft beer, hard seltzers, RTD cocktails, specialty energy drinks — startups and mid-size brands

Wildpack operates out of Austin with a model built for agility rather than volume. The facility is designed for flexible run sizes, with a minimum order quantity of 4,000 gallons per SKU — low enough to support emerging brands testing new flavors or formats without committing to industrial-scale minimums.

The "Brite Can" approach is the key operational differentiator for early-stage brands. Rather than requiring pre-printed aluminum cans — which involve high minimum orders and long lead times — Wildpack stocks unprinted cans and applies high-end shrink sleeves in-house. A brand can launch multiple flavor varieties from the same production run, reducing both upfront capital and the risk of obsolete packaging inventory.

The facility holds bonded permits for beer, wine, distilled spirits, and tequila, which makes Wildpack one of the few co-manufacturers in Texas equipped to handle the full RTD cocktail category from a regulatory standpoint. The ERP-integrated chain of custody provides real-time inventory tracking and lot-level traceability. Production timelines run as fast as 60 days from formula approval. The facility is SQF certified and located at 4007 Commercial Center Drive, Austin, TX 78744.

4. Waco Bottling Co. — Waco, TX

Best for: Hot fill, energy shots, functional beverages, sauces, private label

Waco Bottling operates two facilities and has built its technical identity around hot-fill production and high-speed shot manufacturing. The Cup Shot Line runs up to 500 shots per minute — a production rate that makes them one of the most capable partners in Texas specifically for the energy shot and liquid supplement market, where small-format, high-speed filling is essential to compete on cost.

Hot-fill technology heats the liquid to kill bacteria before filling the container, which is then inverted to sterilize the closure. It's cost-effective for high-acid products — sauces, natural juices, functional sweeteners — and extends shelf life without refrigeration. Waco Bottling handles both Tolling (client provides ingredients) and full Turn-key (Waco manages sourcing through production). The in-house lab allows clients to develop or refine formulas with food scientists on-site.The SQF Level 2 score at Waco Bottling is 99 out of 100, placing it in the top tier nationally for food safety performance.

The company is Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) certified and participates in the "Go Texan" program, which is usable in regional marketing. Certifications also include the USDA Organic Seal. Format range covers 2 oz shots through 1-gallon containers.

5. New Caney Beverage — New Caney, TX (Greater Houston)

Best for: Multi-format brands — cans, PET, HDPE, stick packs, sachets, gels

New Caney's primary value is format breadth. The facility handles carbonated beverages in 12 oz, 16 oz, and 12 oz sleek cans; non-carbonated beverages in PET and HDPE containers from 2 oz to 1 gallon; stick packs and 4-side seal sachets from 2 grams to 125 grams; and gels and thicker liquids in PET and HDPE.

That combination of liquid and powder/sachet capability in a single facility is uncommon — it means brands with diverse product portfolios (a beverage line plus a hydration powder, for example) can consolidate to a single manufacturing partner without compromising on format-specific quality.
The Houston-area location also provides direct access to the Port of Houston for ingredient sourcing and to the Southeast distribution corridor for finished goods.

6. Aegle Nutrition — Carrollton, TX

Best for: Functional RTDs, nutraceuticals, sports nutrition, non-alcoholic spirits

Aegle operates at the intersection of beverage and dietary supplement manufacturing. The facility is FDA-registered, GMP-certified, SQF-certified, and holds the "Informed Choice" certification — the drug-testing standard required for products used by professional athletes. That last certification is what separates Aegle from generic beverage co-packers: brands targeting the sports nutrition channel need a co-manufacturer whose processes pass doping control scrutiny, and there are very few options in Texas that qualify.
Liquid capabilities include RTD vitamins, energy shots, non-alcoholic spirits for the mocktail category, and stick pack production for both liquids and powders. The client base ranges from startup wellness brands to major national retailers including Walmart and GNC.

For CPG brands that need to consolidate functional liquids and powders under one GMP-certified roof, Aegle's dual-format capability is a practical advantage over splitting production across two facilities.

7. TexBev — Fort Worth, TX

Best for: Energy drinks, CSDs, aluminum cans — Organic, Kosher, and Gluten-Free certified

TexBev focuses on the high-growth segments of energy drinks and carbonated soft drinks, operating in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with a certification stack that covers SQF, USDA Organic, Kosher, Gluten-Free, and Non-GMO. That combination of functional-drink technical capability and health-claim certifications fills a specific gap: energy and functional brands that need to carry multiple clean-label claims on packaging but aren't large enough for the global-scale players.

The facility runs aluminum cans in 8.4 oz sleek, 12 oz sleek, 12 oz standard, and 16 oz standard. Infrastructure includes reverse osmosis water, CO2, LN2, steam, glycol, and compressed air, plus a tunnel pasteurizer and Velcorin dosing for shelf life management. Run sizes scale from 1,000-gallon trials to 100,000-gallon production runs, which gives brands room to grow from initial launch through national distribution without changing partners.

8. Son Beverage Company — San Antonio, TX

Best for: Syrups, concentrates, cocktail mixes, aguas frescas — lowest MOQ in Texas, Hispanic flavor profiles

Son Beverage has operated in San Antonio since 1945 and holds one of the lowest entry points for co-manufacturing in the state: private label minimum starts at 50 gallons, and co-packing (where the client provides the formula) starts at 200 gallons. For entrepreneurs testing a new concept in regional foodservice or hospitality, those minimums allow genuine market testing without the financial exposure of a full-scale production run.

The company pioneered Hispanic flavor profiles for the Texas market, introducing the first authentic line for snow cone syrups and Aguas Frescas in 1997. Current product range covers snow cone syrups, punch concentrates, margarita mixes, and lemonade concentrates. The 14,700-square-foot San Antonio facility is allergen-free and HACCP certified.

Packaging options include PET, HDPE, and glass with pressure-sensitive labels, clear labels, or heat-shrink neckbands. Son Beverage's ambient-fill specialization makes their products shelf-stable and cost-effective to distribute through Texas's regional grocery and convenience channel.

9. Assemblies Unlimited — Houston, TX

Best for: Large-scale co-packing, Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), Halal and Organic certified

Established in 1993, Assemblies Unlimited operates at 100–199 employees with annual revenues in the $10M–$25M range. The Houston facility's distinguishing technical capability is Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), which replaces oxygen with inert gases to extend the shelf life of sensitive products like fresh juices and tea blends. This is a process that generic fill-and-pack co-manufacturers typically don't offer, and it's directly relevant for brands in the cold-pressed juice or functional tea category that need extended shelf life without heat treatment.

Certifications include Halal, Gluten-Free, and Organic, which allows the facility to serve a global market with diverse dietary requirements. Packaging formats cover glass and plastic bottles, cans, tubes, pails, vials, and sachets. Assembly Kitting and Poly Bagging services round out the offering for brands that need complex secondary packaging alongside production.

10. Southwest Packaging — Fort Worth, TX

Best for: Alcohol co-packing, variety packs, kitting and relabeling for spirits and RTD cocktails

Southwest Packaging operates as a registered Distilled Spirits Plant in Fort Worth, which gives it the regulatory standing to handle secondary contract packaging for the craft spirits and RTD cocktail market — a clearance that most beverage co-packers don't hold. Their core capability is taking finished products and reconfiguring them: variety packs, point-of-purchase displays, relabeling for market-specific compliance, and emergency reconfigurations for brands managing international product imports.

A documented example is their work with Liquid Death, where they handled emergency reconfigurations of products originally formatted for international markets to bring them into US compliance. That kind of supply chain flexibility — repack, relabel, redress at speed — is a safeguard capability that brands managing complex distribution across multiple markets or retail formats need but rarely find in a single partner. The climate-controlled warehousing is also relevant for Texas, where summer temperatures can degrade beverage and nutraceutical quality during storage.

How to narrow down the right partner

Format determines the first cut. Can lines (TexBev, Wildpack, New Caney, DrinkPAK), hot-fill bottle lines (Waco Bottling), aseptic systems (Refresco, Niagara), and sachet/powder equipment (New Caney, ELIS, Aegle) don't overlap — your product format eliminates most of the list before certifications or MOQs even enter the conversation.

For national retail, SQF Level 2 or above is the practical baseline. Refresco and Niagara operate at FSSC 22000, which satisfies the requirements of the most demanding grocery buyers. For specialty claims, verify at the facility level: a co-manufacturer holding Organic certification for one line doesn't mean every product line qualifies.MOQ is the scaling variable. Son Beverage and Wildpack serve brands in early-stage market testing. TexBev and New Caney work across mid-size to growth-stage volumes.

Refresco, Niagara, and DrinkPAK are optimized for national programs where volume justifies their infrastructure investment.Texas's concentration of co-manufacturing capacity across these tiers means brands have genuine negotiating leverage and supply chain redundancy — two conditions that don't exist in markets with only one or two qualified partners per format category.

Looking for beverage co-manufacturers beyond this list? GrowinCo. connects CPG brands with a global network of over 85,000 manufacturing partners. Schedule a call with our team so we can understand how to make your product scale.