About
Family-owned since 1987, and vertically integrated from the grower to your line
Operating since 1987, Chesapeake Spice is a family-owned manufacturer and importer of spices and custom seasonings, built on direct sourcing, our own milling and relentless quality.
Our company
The world is our marketplace
Whether you are purchasing spices or seasoning blends, direct sourcing gives us a distinct competitive advantage: total control of the process from the fields to your finished products. That control ensures a consistent, reliable supply chain and lets us gather valuable market information to share with our customers.
Chesapeake is rich with experience and knowledge, and that is a major part of what defines us. We approach our business with excitement and enthusiasm, and we are proud of the products we make and how we make them.
A message from the founders
How we do things is just as important as why we do them
At Chesapeake Spice, we strive to inspire exemplary performance, trust and sustainable values in order to achieve the ultimate in customer and employee satisfaction.
It is our shared mission to extend this culture and strength in our relationships to our customers, suppliers, and everyone with whom we associate, to conduct business in a transparent and ethical manner.
Larry LessansCEO/Founder & Owner
David LessansCo-Founder & Co-Owner
What we stand on
Four things that don't change
Control from field to finished product
We travel the globe visiting spice farms, examining crops and establishing long-term relationships with growers. Direct sourcing gives us total control of the process and a reliable supply chain.
Quality that isn't one department's job
Management promotes proactive quality assurance that empowers every employee to take ownership. We participate in the Global Food Safety Initiative and are BRC-certified.
No project too small, no order too big
We serve a diverse customer base - including some of the largest food companies in the world - with rapid sample turnaround and immediate response to document requests.
Continuous investment
We have flourished by advancing technology, hiring people with deep industry knowledge and continually expanding both manufacturing footprints.
Milestones
Built one investment at a time
1987
Chesapeake Spice begins operating as a family-owned spice business.
Expansion
We opened purpose-built plants on both coasts.
Culinary center
We built a culinary center that simulates customer production.
Today
Today we run about 600,000 sq ft of manufacturing, including a new 210,000 sq ft plant in Belcamp.
Our facilities
Built in Belcamp, built to grow
Our Maryland campus pairs the original Chesapeake Spice plant with a new ~210,000 sq ft facility next door, purpose-built for lean manufacturing flow, clean design and energy conservation.
