In 1931, Dr. Rudolf Wild founded a company in Heidelberg, Germany with the vision of producing alcohol-free beverages using purely natural ingredients. That company became WILD Flavors, now one of the largest, privately-held ingredient suppliers to the food and beverage industry. In 1997, WILD completed a state-of-the-art research, development and production complex near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to serve as the headquarters for its American operations, WILD Flavors, Inc. Wild had acquired Cincinnati flavor maker F & C Co. in 1994 and renamed it WILD Flavors Inc., Cincinnati, giving it the platform to expand its US operations. WILD develops and markets a range of food ingredients in over 30 countries, making the company a pioneer of innovative products that are customized to individual consumer wishes. WILD owns the Capri Sun fruit drink brand, known for its silver pouch packaging, which is licensed for sale by Kraft Foods in the U.S.
In 2004, WILD Flavors completed a major expansion in Northern Kentucky with a 250,000 square feet facility that included new laboratories, offices, warehousing and production facilities. The investment has doubled the capacity for the production of beverage compounds there. The company's most recent expansion was in April, with the acquisition of American Purpac Technologies, Beloit, Wisc., a subsidiary of Hendricks Holdings.