Commercial Baking December | Innovations Annual 2022

WE’RE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK TO A NEW AGE IN THE BAKING AND FOOD INDUSTRIES.

One where advanced analytics and automated production systems combine to elevate technological achievement and change the way your plant operates. A new era where productivity is maximized, downtime is minimized, food safety is prioritized – and possibility is reborn.

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Active Integrated Motion™ (AIM™) technology transforms frozen pizza handling by enabling automation in washdown environments.

Intralox® AIM solutions include sorting, switching, and merging equipment that deliver maximized, reliable throughput and gentle product handling to your pizza packaging lines.

AVANT FOOD MEDIA

Paul Lattan

President - Principal | 816.585.5030 | paul@avantfoodmedia.com

Steve Berne

Vice President - Principal | 816.605.5037 | steve@avantfoodmedia.com

Joanie Spencer

Director of Content - Partner | 913.777.8874 | joanie@avantfoodmedia.com

COMMERCIAL BAKING

Paul Lattan

Publisher

| 816.585.5030 | paul@avantfoodmedia.com

Steve Berne Director of Media | 816.605.5037 | steve@avantfoodmedia.com

Joanie Spencer

Editor-in-Chief | 913.777.8874 | joanie@avantfoodmedia.com

Jordan Winter Creative Director jordan@avantfoodmedia.com

Olivia Huels Multimedia Specialist olivia@avantfoodmedia.com

Annie Hollon

Managing Editor annie@avantfoodmedia.com

Evan Bail

Associate Editor evan@avantfoodmedia.com

Maggie Glisan | Bella Foote

Contributors info@commercialbaking.com

OUR

OUR COMMUNITY

Commercial Baking is published by Avant Food Media, 1703 Wyandotte St., Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64108. Commercial Baking considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur. Consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Commercial Baking is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not liable for errors and omissions. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Avant Food Media nor any of its employees accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities. Commercial Baking magazine is printed in the USA and all rights are reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher. All contributed content and advertiser supplied information will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication or digital product and are subject to Commercial Baking ’s right to edit.

Commercial Baking , ISSN 2767-5319, is published quarterly in Feb, Apr, Aug, and Oct, with special issues in Jun, Jul and Dec, in print and digital formats by Avant Food Media, 1703 Wyandotte St., Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64108.

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American Society of Baking

AUTOMATED BAKERY PACKAGING SOLUTIONS.

Custom Packaging Solutions For Your Bakery Line

Benchmark recently completed a custom system in which a variety of bakery products are positioned, inspected, and timed into the flights of a horizontal wrapper for both twin-pack and individual packaging. An inspection conveyor was engineered and built to accept and subsequently inspect the product for width, rejecting via air blast into a customer-supplied container before being transferred to an InFlight FT loader. Learn more about our custom designed and built applications at www.benchmarkautomation.net/applications/.

Benchmark provides automated food distribution and loading solutions.

Kleenline provides sanitary conveyors for increased line efficiency and superior performance.

Southern provides a complete line of horizontal form-fill-seal pouch packaging solutions.

To find a solution for your baked goods production lines, call 706-208-0814 or visit www.benchmarkautomation.net/industry/baked-goods-packaging-infeedloaders-wrappers/.

Mel-O-Cream Donuts International: Changing

of the Guard

In its 90th year, this Springfield, IL-based bakery looks to the future under new family leadership.

WE RISE FOR SUSTAINABILITY

INTRODUCING THE MULTIBAKE® VITA TUNNEL OVEN

The Zero Emission Hydrogen Tunnel Oven

It’s time the industry experiences the benefits of green energy for a more sustainable bakery operation. Using patent-pending hydrogen-fueled burners, the direct-fired Multibake ® VITA Tunnel Oven delivers consistent product quality and higher throughput with 99.9% fewer CO2 emissions. Independent baking zones offer precise temperature control across a wide variety of baked goods. This breakthrough innovation by AMF Den Boer comes equipped with digital tools to control, manage, and optimize the baking process while reducing your bakery’s environmental impact.

•

• Reduce your carbon footprint with up to 99.9% fewer CO2 emissions

•

•

• Increase cost savings with minimal energy consumption, reliable parts, and preventative maintenance contracts

• maintenance contracts

• Modular and pre-assembled design for efficient installation and primed for future growth

• AMF’s patent-pending hydrogen-fueled burners are also available as a combination hydrogen-natural gas burner solution, additionally patent-pending

• •

• Partner with AMF for consultation and support of your hydrogen production, certification, and installation

• Available as a retrofit solution for existing AMF Den Boer Tunnel Ovens

JOANIE SPENCER Editor-in-Chief

An Unbreakable Bond

As we close out the year with our Innovations Annual, I can’t help but notice there’s a theme of family threaded throughout. Whether it’s family-owned companies, families of brands or even lessons learned from childhood, there’s clearly something familial about the baking industry, and it’s shining through in these pages.

Have you heard the phrase “fight like family”? If you know the core Commercial Baking team, you know what I mean. All jokes aside, it describes a culture so tight-knit that, no matter the conflict, the bond is never broken.

If you ask me, it’s that feeling of family that makes the baking industry so relational … not just transactional. There will always be conflict and competition. I mentioned relationships in a previous issue; the ones that are rooted in mutual respect will yield the greatest innovation.

That’s what it means to be family. It’s helped us weather these storms, and it will carry us through whatever the future holds.

Before bidding farewell to a year that brought us 12 full months of in-person events and looking ahead to the unknown that awaits in 2023, take a moment to enjoy our showcase of innovation. I hope you find insight and inspiration, not only from the bounty of supplier solutions but also from the stories of progress told through the eyes of our industry. I wish you a peaceful holiday season and look forward to seeing you again next year!

LEAD YOUR BAKERY FORWARD

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Year-End Update

Commercial Baking checks in on the activity for categories covered in the second half of 2022.

Perimeter Cookies

Dollar Share

ICED | FROSTED: 14.98%

SPECIALTY: 7.9%

ASSORTED | MULTIPACK: 6.72%

COOKIE TRAY | KIT: 5.52%

In the center store, traditional cookies have the lion’s share of sales. And while cookie trays/kits have a sliver of the pie in the perimeter, their share is almost nonexistent in the center store.

Source: IRI OmniMarket Integrated Fresh

Latest 52 Weeks Ending Oct. 9, 2022

TRADITIONAL COOKIES: 63.94%

HOLIDAY | SEASONAL: 0.82%

ALL OTHER: 0.15%

Traditional cookies dominate the perimeter with nearly 64% of sales. However, they are not seeing the bulk of the growth. That distinction goes to perimeter cookie trays/kits with a 47% increase in dollar sales over a year ago.

Source: IRI OmniMarket Integrated Fresh Latest 52 Weeks Ending Oct. 9, 2022

Center-Store Cookies Dollar Share

TRADITIONAL COOKIES: 84.55%

ICED | FROSTED: 13.99%

ASSORTED | MULTIPACK: 1.00%

SPECIALTY: 0.41%

COOKIE TRAYS | KITS: 0.04%

HOLIDAY | SEASONAL: 0.02%

Growth for center-store cookies is significantly stronger than the first half of the year, with 23.1% growth vs. a year ago, as opposed to the 7.1% increase at the 52 weeks ending May 15, 2022. However, in that same time period, centerstore assorted/multipack cookies’ 151.8% growth eclipsed the 52 weeks ending Oct. 9, 2022.

FLATBREAD: 10.19% ALL OTHER: 4.27%

Source: IRI OmniMarket Integrated Fresh Latest 52 Weeks Ending Oct. 9, 2022

While snack cake items bar/finger and cupcakes maintained steady growth from the previous reporting period, roll snack cakes saw a slight bump in growth since the Q4 report (the 52 weeks ending Sept. 4, 2022), and nut swirls went from 5.9% growth to 8.0%.

Source: IRI OmniMarket Integrated Fresh Latest 52 Weeks Ending Oct. 9, 2022

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

BY JOANIE SPENCER

In its 90th year, Mel-O-Cream Donuts International looks to the future under new family leadership.

It’s a household name around this town. People will stand in line to get donuts by the dozen from any of the five Mel-OCream Secret Recipe Donuts shops. And supermarket shoppers throughout the Midwest may not realize it, but they, too, enjoy the quality of Springfield, IL-based Mel-O-Cream Donuts International.

The signature yellow sign lights retail locations throughout Springfield, while the original commercial facility has produced its secret recipe for wholesale customers for nine decades.

In 1932, Kelly Grant Sr. bought the original donut shop for a rumored $500 and with no baking experience. He learned the trade while all six of his kids worked in the bakery through their teen years. Mel-OCream began as a retail shop, but after supply chain shortages during World War II, the retail business fell sharply postwar, and the model shifted to wholesale routes for grocery stores and restaurants.

His oldest son, Kelly Grant Jr., joined the family business, and although his father offered to give him half the company and sell him the other half, his work was cut out for him. Grant Sr. was a self-taught baker, and he expected his son to learn the same way.

“He was supposed to teach me how to make donuts, and it became very clear he wasn’t interested in that,” Grant Jr. recalled. “But if you don’t like work, you don’t want to be in the donut business.”

For 65 years, Grant Jr. owned and operated Mel-O-Cream with partner Dave Waltrip as donuts maintained a stronghold in the market, gaining momentum in the franchising trend of the ‘60s and, as the retail business waned, taking center stage during the dawn of in-store bakeries in the ’80s.

“When the in-store bakeries started around Springfield, there really wasn’t anyone supplying a high-quality product,” Grant Jr. said. “We went in with our retailquality products, and from the first place we went, they bought into it right away.”

In 2019, Grant Jr. sold the company to Eric Larson, Mel-O-Cream’s head of sales. But Grant Jr. didn’t just sell the company … he also inadvertently ensured Mel-OCream would live on as a family business.

Today, Mel-O-Cream Donuts International is led by Eric Larson as president and CEO and his sons, Chad Larson and Chris Larson, as VP/COO and VP/ secretary, respectively.

The Larson family may be the new owners, but they’re no strangers to the company. One might even say baking is in their blood.

Long before the sale, Chad had joined Mel-O-Cream in 2004 as manager of quality and R&D. Shortly after came Eric, who had touched nearly every facet of baking including managing an in-store bakery, owning a donut shop and a full-service retail bakery, and selling bakery equipment and ingredients.

“Eric had a background of selling quality product, and he was good at it,” Grant Jr. recalled. “He was the only sales manager we ever had who would get behind the wheel and drive hundreds of miles to make a deal happen … and he was happy to be doing it.”

Meanwhile, Chad’s background revolved around sanitation and quality, including HACCP, having worked closely with Waltrip on achieving HACCP certification and AIB superior audit ratings. They also worked together on R&D, ideating new product development.

“Too often companies answer a question for today without thinking about tomorrow, but we want to make sure we’re thinking about what happens down the road and how we can grow the business.”

Chad Larson | VP and COO | Mel-O-Cream Donuts International

— Left

(From left) Chris Larson, Chad Larson, Kelly Grant Jr. and Eric Larson.

All photos by Olivia Huels | Avant Food Media

“Mel-O-Cream had become an institution in Springfield, and we did not want to sell it to anyone who wouldn’t maintain that reputation,” Grant Jr. said, reminiscing on dozens of offers, none of which would guarantee support of the retail stores still operating in town. “I was ready to sell, but I wanted it to maintain the traditions.”

With Eric’s bakery sales experience and relationships with Mel-O-Cream customers, Chad’s expertise in bakery operations and quality, and Chris’ engineering background, the Larson family was a perfect fit. And when Chad’s daughter Samantha, his wife Christie and Chris’ son Alex came on board in operations, admin and maintenance, respectively, the Larsons formed a veritable Mel-O-Cream dream team.

“They brought a combination of skills and backgrounds that made them perfect to take over and make sure it performs,” Grant Jr. said. “It was also very clear they would honor Mel-O-Cream’s traditions.”

Today, Mel-O-Cream is a frozen dough and finished-frozen operation serving primarily in-store bakeries, a model Grant Jr. built when he bought the first walk-in freezer.

When the Larsons took over on Dec. 2, 2019, they couldn’t predict the challenges that were waiting just a quarter away. Despite the COVID-19 chaos that ensued, the team got to work ensuring that Mel-O-Cream could stay on track for growth through internal efficiencies and investment in technology upgrades and process optimization.

“When you buy a business and COVID hits, you burn the original plan and think about how to retool everything,” Chad said.

In its 72,000-sq.-ft. facility, Mel-O-Cream makes a variety of products for its in-store bakery product portfolio including Kelly’s Creations branded products — named after Grant Jr. — which are also sold in in-store bakeries. Meanwhile, the five retail shops still operate independently through a licensing agreement.

Currently, the plan is to focus on organic growth in the name of recovery and rebirth, then look at how to expand beyond the portfolio and the capital investments it will take to get there.

Since 2019, the Larson family has ensured Mel-O-Cream stays on track for growth through internal efficiencies, technology and process optimization investments.

The bakery currently operates two Moline production lines that make pre-fried frozen and frozen dough products in yeast-raised and cake formats. Prior to the sale, a 32-ft. Moline fryer was added to the sheeting and makeup system for the finished-frozen products. Mel-O-Cream also kept the old 28-ft. Moline fryer because new iterations of the traditional old-fashioned donut could soon necessitate investment in building a third line, including another freezer, around that fryer.

“We’re looking at the future saying, ‘How do we build this into the process?’” Chad said. “We have this new product that we really love and want to get out there, so that could be our avenue to do it.”

For its current pre-fried products, proper filtration has been a focus of the existing line. It’s key for an operation that runs three shifts five days a week.

“We have a continuous filtration process,” Chad said. “It gives us the ability to run around the clock without having problems with the oil degrading to the point that it changes the product profile.”

When a bakery is in the business of selling a traditional product that doesn’t stray far from the norm, manufacturing becomes the point of differentiation.

“I believe that’s what makes our product better in terms of eating quality, shelf life and things like that, that our customers are looking for,” Chad said. “We can provide it without having to make a fancy product or add a lot of cost.”

In Chad’s eyes, donuts are a commodity. A bold statement to be sure, but a fair assessment when looking at the pricing structure and competition in the marketplace.

LABOR-SAVING DISCOVERIES AT IBIE

For a new leadership team at a 90-yearold company, there’s no better place to shop for innovation than the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), held Sept. 18-21 in Las Vegas.

The leadership at Mel-O-Cream Donuts International — Eric Larson, president and CEO; Chad Larson, VP and COO; and Chris Larson, VP and secretary — perused the aisles of the Western Hemisphere’s largest bakery show to seek the latest innovations that can help propel its operation into the future.

Overall labor shortages in the American workforce due in part to the pandemic have hit both commercial and in-store bakeries. It leaves baking companies trying to help their workforce-strapped customers overcome those shortages while simultaneously figuring out how to operate efficiently with staff deficiencies of their own.

“We wanted to look at what equipment’s out there that can streamline our process and make employees’ — and our customers’ — jobs easier and make the product better,” Chris said.

One of Mel-O-Cream’s biggest sellers is a filled Bizmark, currently a laborintensive, semi-manual, process of “punching” the dough.

“At IBIE, we found several companies who offer that solution and were reasonably priced, considering the automation that’s involved,” Chad said. “The labor market has tightened, and this is a skilled position, where the people who do it are not easily replaceable.”

Mel-O-Cream donuts are a staple in Springfield, IL, and in-store bakeries throughout the Midwest.

“A lot of companies make really great donuts, and we’ve got to be smart about how we run this business,” Chad said. “We’ve got to stay on trend and keep costs down to remain competitive for the long term.”

That’s one benefit of being a flexible operation; Mel-O-Cream can try out new varieties for their customers without disrupting the flow of consistency, quality and category management.

“Our team is really in tune with what our customers need,” Chad said. “We speak their language, and, to me, that’s what’s going to be the key to long-term success. They’re less likely to drop us because something trends higher than our product. We can have a conversation to see what we have in our wheelhouse to help them where they need it.”

That said, it’s important to watch consumer trends across the board, specifically in areas such as foodservice, where menu trends are a healthy predictor of what’s coming to the in-store bakery.

Looking ahead, Mel-O-Cream is now focused on cinching up the operation to modernize its manufacturing and further its ability to innovate for customers. With his experience working in several commercial bakeries that make a variety of products, Chad has a keen eye for the innovation the bakery needs to continue its growth trajectory.

“Getting ourselves to the next level means spending time focusing on our internal operation and core organic growth,” he said. “We have a lot of different customers with different needs that we will be able to service in the future. Innovation in our world revolves around the operational aspect and how we make our core items.”

Innovation in refrigeration will be one area of focus. That’s in terms of not only production efficiency but also energy consumption. In what could be considered a global energy crisis, identifying the correct refrigeration solution is critical with several refrigerants no longer viable options.

It needs a strong fiscal strategy as well. For an exclusively frozen operation, this is arguably the most expensive area of the bakery.

That becomes a major factor at Mel-OCream when not only is one of the biggest drivers in the consumer price index energy costs but also when Springfield is facing one of the highest kilowattsper-hour rates in the country. Lowering energy costs by 10% through refrigeration upgrades can make a significant impact on the overall operation.

“We have to start with looking at how we drive costs down so customers don’t bear that in the long term,” Chad said. “Especially as we regionally sell outside of the Springfield area.”

As the company considers refrigeration in its capital investment strategies, the

team will also identify what growth opportunities will likely come with it.

“When you’re retooling a process, you get the chance to think about the bigger, more long-term picture,” Chad said. “Too often companies answer a question for today without thinking about tomorrow, but we want to make sure we’re thinking about what happens down the road and how we can grow the business.”

With a background in large-scale automation outside of baking, Chris’ perspective on efficiency is a key factor in making the right investments.

“Our processes are laid out from how the equipment runs to the products running through them,” Chris said. “It’s a donut, so there are only so many ways it can be made. A lot of my time is spent going through the operation and processes and finding spots where we can improve and get more out of our lines.”

As the Larson family leads Mel-OCream toward its centennial, Chris sees opportunities to invest capital in technology that can do more with a

Samantha (left) and Chad Larson are just two members of this family-owned bakery.

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T: 262.367.4444 F: 262.367.5555

Faced with labor shortages and the difficulty of lifting mixing bowls overhead to dump products, this bakery turned to AXIS for the Hopper Buddy Transfer Pump. Capable of handling a wide range of batters – including those with inclusions – the Hopper Buddy has made it easier and safer to get their products from mixing bowls or dough troughs to their process equipment.

limited workforce, make life easier for existing labor and make strides toward waste reduction.

No matter if the bakery business is a family affair, relationships are vital to gaining best practices and new tricks for efficiency. Chad has created connections with leaders from other donut producers like Donut Peddler, Baker Boy and Clyde’s Donuts, as well as networking through associations like BEMA.

“It’s helpful to have ‘friendly partners’ and even ‘friendly competitors’ in business,” Chad said.

Tapping into a variety of resources will surely broaden the scope of innovation for these young owners of a storied operation.

While the building sits on 19 acres that provide plenty of room for expansion or even a whole new building to mirror the current one, the Larsons aren’t getting ahead of themselves.

“We have to look at how we can make things smarter,” Chris said. “There are only so many things you can improve upon, and it all comes down to time, money and energy. Working smarter, not harder, has always been a priority. Looking at what’s smart and what’s the right way to do things will be how we get the best results.” CB

INNOVATIONS FROM THE BAKERY FLOOR

For Springfield, IL-based Mel-O-Cream Donuts International, 2022 marks 90 years in business. The company has evolved from a small donut shop to a regional supplier of frozen products for in-store bakeries throughout the Midwest. To Springfield natives, it’s a name synonymous with the town itself; to customers, it’s synonymous with quality.

Below is a list of supplier innovations that can be found on the floor of this 72,000-sq.-ft. bakery.

ABI dough handling

Ashworth conveyors

Banner Engineering sensors

Belshaw test fryer

Cambridge Air Solutions air filtration

Columbia Okuma robotic palletizing

Diosna mixers

Dorner conveyors

Gemini dough handling

Hytrol conveyors

IJ White cooling tower

Innovative Refrigeration Systems blast freezer

Moline sheeting, makeup and frying

Safeline metal detection

San Cassiano continuous batch mixing system

Topos Mondial mixers

Prior to the 2019 sale, Mel-O-Cream invested in a donut makeup line and 32-ft. fryer.

The CRS system combines three techniques Cascade, Roll and Submerge (or a combination of the three) to alleviate damage and inconsistencies caused by automated frying of fragile products.

Improves operational efficiency reduces damaged and/or partially fried products.

Scalable for both large and small fryers, the CRS system is field installable on existing machines. Patent pending.

WHAT INNOVATION LOOKS LIKE

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Leaps of Faith

For Milwaukee Pretzel Co.’s Matt and Katie Wessel, delivering an authentic German experience requires balance in all things.

BY JOANIE SPENCER

Photo courtesy of Marquette University

Matt and Katie Wessel | co-owners | Milwaukee Pretzel Co.

As husband and wife and co-owners of Milwaukee-based Milwaukee Pretzel Co., Matt and Katie Wessel — president and COO, and CEO, respectively — under stand the value of a strong partnership. It’s their foundation for taking big leaps of faith, which is also something this duo knows a thing or two about.

The Wessels’ passion for bringing authentic Bavarian pretzels to the American market is no secret. A simple Google search or a few clicks on the company website quickly reveals the brand story: The couple discovered their love for this traditional German fare after spending a year in Munich.

But what the product means to Matt and Katie is something much deeper. The pretzel they sell is a manifestation of their values as business owners, manufacturers, community members and even as a family. It’s all tied together … in a pretzel knot, if you will.

“There’s a German word, gemütlichkeit,” Katie said. “It’s not translatable into English, but it means that feeling you get when you’re surrounded by the people you love and doing something you love. That feeling was instrumental in the development of our business. For us, the experience is not just about having a pretzel; it’s about recreating what it feels like to have a pretzel in a beer garden under the chestnut trees on a beautiful day.”

Despite the high Germanic population in Milwaukee, soft pretzels were not a big part of the landscape. So, Matt and Katie felt compelled to create a pretzel that played an unmistakable role in a truly German experience. But they also felt a calling to create one that played an unmistakable role in that truly German experience.

Katie Wessel | CEO | Milwaukee Pretzel Co.

“It’s important to us as business owners to develop a brand that aligns with these warm memories that were such a big part of our life,” Matt added. “It comes from our own experiences, but we can use that to help people create their own memories when they’re eating our product.”

Bringing Bavarian pretzels to the US market was a decision that was a perfect balance between business and personal.

“Our mission was not just to sell pretzels; it was also to bring the gemütlichkeit experience to people through them,” Matt said. “Yes, we saw a business opportunity, but we also saw a way to bring something we had fallen in love with to people in our community and beyond.”

It’s what sparked the momentum for the company’s rapid growth that’s occurred just inside of a decade.

“When you’re staying up late or getting up early to put the work in, sometimes that’s what pushes you the most to succeed,” Katie said. “Passion has pushed us to grow, and it’s continued that momentum for us.”

As the company matures, the workforce is growing along with it. On one hand, Matt chalks it up to luck; then again, discovering talent — and retaining it — requires a commitment that mirrors the Wessels’ love for their product.

“As you grow, you need help,” Matt said. “And hiring people who not only can do the work but also go beyond their job descriptions and quickly grow into new roles, identify opportunities, and live and breathe the brand and mission as much as we do — that’s so critical.”

“We realized very quickly how important it is to let go of some of that control … you can’t have good processes or good manufacturing without trusting your people.”

Commitment also means being able to let go. For a young manufacturer — especially those whose career paths didn’t start with manufacturing as the finish line — it’s a lesson that can only come from experience.

“We realized very quickly how import ant it is to let go of some of that control,” Katie said. “You cannot grow without doing that; you can’t have good processes or good manufacturing without trusting your people.”

Building a network of not only leadership but also mentors and trusted advisors was also key to their success. And much of that has come from Katie, who also happens to be the company’s creator. Initially running Milwaukee Pretzel on her own, Katie built a solid coalition of experts who helped her develop the process and make incremental business and manufacturing improvements.

Trust is often born out of faith, and that has been a foundation for the Wessels’ investments. It started with the first piece of automation for the pretzels’ caustic bath, the first area of production to be impacted by the growth. Although “sticker shock” is one of the first pains a business owner must get used to, the Wessels also believe in investing for the future and designing an operation that can be grown into.

That’s also reflected in the most recent investment for a new production line in the current facility.

“We had to trust that we could do it,” Matt said. “It’s risk, but it’s a mitigated risk because you know deep down it’s going to pay off.”

The Wessels’ business acumen and community involvement has propelled each of them into the Milwaukee spot

light, as both Matt and Katie have been named to the Milwaukee Business Journal ’s 40 under 40, each in sepa rate years. Currently, Katie engages in thought leadership in the Milwaukee business community through speaking engagements and panels.

“There are so many incredible things happening around us every day, and we are learning a lot from this community,” Katie said. “There are business leaders out there often doing things very quietly, and the Business Journal brings their leadership to light. And that allows me to learn from them every day.”

As bakery owners and business lead ers, the Wessels face a challenge that has haunted bakers for generations: balance.

Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Business Journal

As a member of the Milwaukee Business Journal ’s 40 Under 40, Katie Wessel is known as a thought leader in the business community.

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Burnout in this industry is real, and for Matt and Katie, it comes down to a numbers game. The natural inclination is to give 100% of oneself in every aspect. While that’s mathematically impossible, the key is to prioritize what areas to go all-in and lean on resources where possible for the rest.

That might mean scaling back community involvement or business networking one month or perhaps sending a proxy to a meeting in favor of attending an important family event. Those strategic decisions often bring clarity for when the business takes the front seat.

Matt and Katie — two self-professed “Type A” personalities — see themselves as a yin and yang.

“We love our pretzels and everything we’re doing, but it all comes down to our family and each other,” Katie said. “If that’s not strong, then nothing else can be.”

That prioritization is the foundation for how the Wessels have managed Milwaukee Pretzels’ growth. From building the team to investing in automation to expanding sales into 17 states, each step was made with intention to strengthen the “family” in this family business.

“Growing more rapidly than we did would have been at the expense of those other things we prioritize,” Matt said. “The sole goal was never about ‘more, more, more’ pretzels. This company is a part of our life. But it’s not our entire life.”

That’s not to say they aren’t prepared to keep growing the brand. In fact, the ultimate goal is for Milwaukee Pret zel to have a presence throughout the entire US. Even so, the Wessels’ priori ties remain the same, right down to their

partnership with the March of Dimes Milwaukee chapter, specifically through the Randol Thomas Wessel Memorial Fund, established in honor of the family’s first born, who passed away in 2013.

“In growing this business, I’ve learned the importance of focus in areas we want to support,” Katie said. “The March of Dimes is important to us, and it’s something we put a lot of time and energy into. We don’t want to do anything less than 100% … we could be working with several organizations, but we wouldn’t really feel like we were contributing something meaningful.”

Ultimately, it comes back to that untrans latable, but unmistakable, gemütlichkeit For Matt and Katie Wessel, sharing this Bavarian delicacy brings as much joy as the art of creating it. CB

Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Pretzel Co.

Matt and Katie Wessel created a pretzel to share the German gemütlichkeit an untranslatable feeling of joy.

“Our mission was not just to sell pretzels; it was to bring that gemütlichkeit experience to people through them.”

Matt Wessel | president and COO | Milwaukee Pretzel Co.

There’s a reason why so many baked goods made our list of the 20 most influential made-with-honey food and beverage products ever formulated. Honey is truly an all-natural sweetener that consumers crave in their breads, cereals, snacks and food bars.

We assembled a team of industry experts to name 20 food and beverage products formulated with honey that have changed consumer perceptions, influenced categories and driven revenue growth. Find inspiration in your next new product development by recognizing some of the most influential products ever developed.

The Big Sister of Innovation

Hostess Brands’ Tina Lambert has never been afraid of change — she craves it.

BY ANNIE HOLLON

Some people were shaped into the lead ers they are today through the course of their respective academic and profes sional careers. Tina Lambert was born one. The VP of the Marketing Center of Excellence for Lenexa, KS-based Hostess Brands hit her stride as a leader early on from the very first role she held as the oldest of seven children.

Raised as an “Army brat,” Lambert is no stranger to change. She attended eight different schools between preschool and high school and spent much of her childhood traveling across the US and abroad before her father retired in Ohio. As a result, Lambert remained near her family for college. She earned her bachelor’s in marketing and international business from the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lidner College of Business.

Her past experiences, Lambert shared, are what shaped who she is as an executive.

“I’m a very creative solutions-minded person, and I’m not someone who becomes attached to the way things are now because I spent my whole life know ing that everything was always in flux,” she said. “I’m actually not afraid of change; I crave change, and that led to a lot of the choices I’ve made with my career.”

All photos courtesy of Hostess Brands

Lambert’s path to Hostess Brands was one filled with innovation. Among the pivotal points of her career, two stand out to her as major lessons in ingenuity: a college internship with toy c onglomerate Hasbro and the launch of a new snack brand under Procter & Gamble (P&G).

With her work at Hasbro’s Kenner Toys division, which included contributing to the company’s acquisition for the license of Pokémon, Lambert gained a deep appreciation for understanding the consumer.

The next came from her time at P&G on the team behind launching Torengos, a Pringles-like triangular tortilla chip stack stored in a prism-shaped can. Despite pre-launch consumer feedback praising the flavor and the company’s investment in two full production lines, marketing and capital, it ultimately failed within a year.

“Ironically, I think the failure of P&G’s Torengos brand launch is what led to focusing the rest of my career on innovation because it happened early enough that I had nothing to lose, but so much to learn,” Lambert reflected. “Seeing how such a strong idea could fail so fast — and understanding the whys behind it — was mind-opening.”

Over the years, Lambert learned that, similar to life, innovation failures both “teach you more and stick with you longer.” She would carry these lessons into future roles at companies including Kellogg’s, Kraft Foods and Tyson Foods.

It was at Tyson where Lambert first connected with Andy Callahan, current president and CEO of Hostess Brands. Through their work together in the retail and foodservice businesses at the company, Lambert was inspired by the

“magical” balance of inspirational and pragmatic leadership upheld in his work.

It was this connection with Callahan that brought Lambert to lead the Marketing Center of Excellence two years ago. With the role built specifically for her, she oversees a centralized marketing support team that covers an array of matters including innovation, advertis ing, e-commerce, shopper marketing, consumer insights, public relations, external communications and, most recently, packaging.

Though change has led Lambert to companies across the spectrum of CPGs, one concept ties them all together: innovation. The term has been a constant throughout the roles she’s held in her career. Over time, Lambert’s definition of innovation has evolved from a product-focused point of view to one that is more organizational.

Tina

|

Marketing Center of Excellence | Hostess Brands

“As a senior leader, when you’re running a team of experts, it’s all about giving them the tools they need to succeed, clearing obstacles out of their path and then getting out of their way.”

Lambert

VP,

“As I think about innovation in an organizational context, there are four ingredients I always talk about: having the right people in place, the right strategy in place, the right processes in place and then the right financial support,” she said, noting that Hostess Brands continues to invest in all four.

This investment includes positioning experts to support the company’s growth through advertising and R&D in addi tion to innovation. These strategies are centered around the five fastest grow ing snacking occasions that offer a $50 billion market opportunity. Addition ally, agility in process — including fewer meetings and paperwork — has paid off.

In addition to the organization behind innovation, Lambert also noted key components: Plan as far ahead as you can, and to be agile when the plan goes sideways.

A case study in this strategy is Hostess Bouncers, an early project she initiated after joining the Hostess Brands team. When the bite-sized snack cakes entered the market, the team had to pivot when the launch was pushed back due to delays driven by COVID-19, labor and equipment delays.

Starting a new role at any company comes with its own set of challenges, but stepping into a newly formed position

at a company that has brands that are 100 years old requires finesse and a steadfast leadership style cemented from years of practice.

Lambert has both in spades.

Remaining resilient in the face of reduced consumer confidence, a looming reces sion, supply chain disruption and more, Lambert celebrates that, through it all, Hostess supports what she and her team believe will drive long term growth.

“My three favorite things to do are build teams, create new strategies and tackle tough challenges,” she said. “I’m an innovator at heart, and if you give me

Tina Lambert (second from right) works with Hostess Brands R&D team members (from left) Talia Merriman, R&D scientist; Pete Asta, senior director of R&D; and Mike O’Mara, R&D associate scientist to create innovations such as Hostess Bouncers.

something meaty and challenging, that’s when I get really excited. And this role has allowed me to showcase those three things, for sure.”

Of the three, Lambert prides herself most on the team she’s built. The experts who have joined her team over the past three years — all new to Hostess Brands — are transforming the company’s brands, Hostess and Voortman, through innovative and agile marketing.

“Our advertising is 100% digital at Hostess Brands, so we’re able to read the results every few weeks and actually make adjustments to our advertising program to maximize the ROI,” she explained. “You can’t do that with a traditional TV kind of plan. But the fact that we’re 100% digital really gives us that flexibility and efficiency.”

It all comes back to that first title Lambert ever held, long before she led teams at major CPG companies: big sister. Lambert isn’t surprised that throughout her career people have described her leadership as “sisterly.”

“As a senior leader, when you’re running a team of experts, it’s all about giving them the tools they need to succeed, clear ing obstacles out of their path and then getting out of their way,” she explained. “And as a big sister, it’s kind of the same thing. I’ll give you the support and help that you need, and then you’re going to run from there and be successful.”

Throughout her history of working in innovation, Lambert seems to inevitably return to one guiding mantra: The Ford Model-T wouldn’t sell today.

“I say that because what worked in the past can’t guide our future,” she said. “You have to look at three things: innovation,

Tina Lambert | VP, Marketing Center of Excellence | Hostess Brands

the advertising tactics you’re using and the advertising messages you’re deliver ing. They all have to be constantly evolving to meet changing consumers’ needs.”

With the wisdom of an older sister, Lambert’s learned that innovation will more likely fail if the benefit to consumers is weak. Whether it’s diffi cult to communicate and market or it faces challenges from competitors or distribution, innovation’s biggest enemy is often the idea itself. As she continues her work at Hostess Brands, Lambert will use her experiences, lessons and commitment to the consumer to maintain her track record of success.

“I’m an innovator at heart because my whole life I’ve been two things: an idea person and someone who prides themselves on understanding people,” Lambert said. “I think that’s where it’s helped me learn from my failures and succeed in a lot of other places.” CB

“I’m actually not afraid of change; I crave change, and that led to a lot of the choices I’ve made with my career.”

Well Equipped

How automation is changing who is best fit for the job.

BY MAGGIE GLISAN

With continued automation in bakery, manufacturers have the opportunity to diversify their production teams.

Innovation and the adoption of smart technology in today’s bakery equipment is changing not only how the work gets done but also who can do it. The industry has been gradually embracing robotics and automation to streamline key aspects of production in recent years, but the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated that trend. As manu facturers contend with ongoing supply chain challenges and labor shortages, investing in system automation is no longer a novelty; it’s a necessity.

This shift is having a considerable effect on who is working on the production floor. The days of relying on physically strong — often male — workers to lug around heavy bags or lift cast iron

have become a thing of the past. And although automation and robotics aren’t eliminating the need for manual labor altogether, it is easing the industry’s reli ance on physically demanding positions. As such, automation could provide greater opportunity for manufacturers to tap into a more diverse pool of candi dates, such as women or people with otherwise physical limitations, for jobs on the production line.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, policies and practices are top of mind industry wide. According to an April 2022 American Bakers Associ ation (ABA) study, 65% of companies in the baking industry have DEI programs in place. Additionally, 44% provide DEI

training to employees and 26% plans to implement diversity education programs.

Pursuing DEI initiatives isn’t just bene ficial to improving workplace culture; it also attracts a more engaged work force and improves customer loyalty. Data from the Manufacturing Institute cited “becoming an employer of choice” and “reflecting the community in which they operate” as the top two reasons companies develop diversity initiatives.

At a time when the industry faces alarm ing workforce shortages (a study by the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte indicates the shortage could result in 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030), DEI initiatives should remain at the forefront

of manufacturers’ strategic plans for recruitment and retention.

One tool that’s becoming more common is robotics. But it comes with a miscon ception that its primary purpose is to eliminate jobs.

“When we first started talking about automation, people were scared,” said Nathan Norris, director of DEI for North brook, IL-based Highland Baking Co. “They thought automation was coming to replace them.” He said the tran sition required some education and communication of the advantages, but that ultimately workers were recep tive to the new technology, especially when they saw how it benefited them.

Automation has also been a win-win for DEI at Highland, Norris said, and with the easing of physical barriers to

Nathan Norris | director of DEI | Highland Baking Co.

entry, there’s greater opportunity to tap individuals from a broader range of backgrounds and experiences to work on the lines.

Take palletizing robots, for example.

“They’ve been a game changer,” Norris said. “Prior to that, people had to stack manually, and some of the boxes could get pretty heavy. When you have people at different heights, weights and body types, it could be really difficult for some people to do the work. Now, it doesn’t matter the size or shape of the individual; the robot takes that out of the equation.”

Eric Riggle, president of Rademaker USA, said recent innovations have taken the weight out of much of their equipment, allowing for people with a broader range of physical ability, size and strength to do the job.

“Now, it doesn’t matter the size or shape of the individual; the robot takes that out of the equation.”

Rather than rely on traditionally manual labor, automation relieves that need and broadens the scope of who can work in manufacturing.

© Dusko on Adobe Stock

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“In some cases, lighter-weight equip ment can be managed and handled by one person instead of two burly operators,” Riggle said. ”So, a wider vari ety of personnel can use and operate it.”

Recent innovations to human- machine interfaces (HMIs) are also helping broaden the scope of who can operate certain equipment. Those that feature bilingual, trilingual or even pictorial controls can help manufacturers elimi nate language barriers and recruit work ers from different ethnic populations.

“We’re constantly working toward greater universality with operating inter faces so even if there is a language barrier, a worker can still do the job,” said Riggle, who is also trying to put to bed the notion that automation kills jobs.

“Robotics doesn’t mean we don’t need people; it means we need different people,” he said. “The things you want to automate tend to be the things you don’t want to be doing anyway. These jobs don’t lead to satisfying careers. You need to get rid of repetitive tasks.”

Instead, automation should be seen as a chance for more training and education to elevate the skills of the existing workforce and recruit new workers who might not have considered manufacturing previously.

“There should be a reeducation of the workforce to meet the needs of the automated bakery,” Riggle said. “Just because you don’t need people who are bending and pinching 50,000 croissants an hour doesn’t mean there still isn’t a need for people to maintain, operate, and run that automation that produces those 50,000 croissants an hour. And those people are lacking in the workforce.”

65%

of companies in the baking industry have DEI programs in place.

Source: American Bakers Association

Jorge Izquierdo, VP of market develop ment for the PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technolo gies, said automation can lead to greater ownership and responsibility among workers, which is key for retention.

“Automation is making manufacturing less and less about physical things and more about critical thinking and decision making,” he said. “Critical think ing is one thing that every CPG [brand] is looking for.”

Similarly, Norris said automation is increasing the need for more techni cal skill among workers, which could open the door for greater diversity in the workplace.

“These jobs require people to use their brain a little bit,” he explained. “It’s not just waiting on bread to come down the line and picking it up and setting it in a case. You need a little more knowledge and skill.”

With that comes greater opportunity for training and education ... along with an increase in hourly wage, which can be a big incentive for workers who might not have otherwise considered a career in food manufacturing.

This comes at a critical time when interest in manufacturing jobs is still in decline.

“One of the biggest long-term issues our industry is confronting is the percep tion problem, said Carolyn Lee, pres ident of The Manufacturing Institute, while speaking at Made in Connecticut: 2022 Manufacturing Summit. “Many Americans — usually parents — cling to the belief that the manufacturing industry is not a place where people can find satisfying, well-paying, life long careers … Our industry needs to overcome this perception and grow the supply of young workers.”

On the other hand, there is no such thing as a silver bullet.

Craig Souser, president and CEO of JLS Automation, said there are some significant systemic challenges facing manufacturers who want to diversify their workforce. He fears automation could accelerate workforce inequities — at least in the short term.

“I think the opportunity gap has been made worse in the short term because of automation, but I don’t think it has to stay that way,” Souser said.

According to “Diversity and the Age of Automation,” a recent study by Faethm, the adoption of AI and robotic technology accelerates across industries, disparities are likely to increase further.

“This is particularly true for Black and Hispanic employees, for women, and women of color in our focus industries, as they tend to occupy roles with repeatable, repetitive and lower-skilled tasks, which are prone to replacement by technology,” the study noted.

For successful DEI in the bakery, it’s important to see automation as a resource, not the solution. For example, Souser said diversifying the manufacturing workforce in an increasingly automated industry needs

to start with improving diversity within higher education.

Women and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in STEM fields. Based on 2019 data from the US Census Bureau, women make up just 15% of workers in engineering, and accord ing to a 2019 study from Pew Research Center, Black workers make up only 9% of those in STEM-related fields.

Speaking to racial diversity specifi cally, underrepresentation can in large part be attributed to the lack of diver sity in higher education in general. By contrast, the underrepresentation of women in engineering is specifically tied to the field of study, not to the overall number of females seeking post secondary degrees.

“Automation is making manufacturing less and less about physical things and more about critical thinking and decision making.”

Jorge Izquierdo | VP of market development | PMMI

When it comes to diversifying the work force in an increasingly automated industry, it’s important for companies to strategize within the context of these broader issues. For JLS, that means investing in scholarships specifically for people of color and recruiting from historically Black and women’s colleges and universities.

“We need to think about how we can create opportunities for all groups with higher paying jobs that become great careers,” Souser said.

Progress won’t happen overnight, and the return on an investment in education now won’t be realized until several years down the line. But all those small steps do matter and will add up over time to narrow the opportunity gap.

“At the end of the day, we need more technicians and engineers, so the demand is going up,” Souser continued. “We need more of the population to embrace that, and if we could pull folks from areas that haven’t been tapped, there is a huge opportunity.”

Both BEMA and ABA are working to help members address DEI and identify best practices. This is just one way companies can ensure they are making strides toward change.

As technology advances in robotics and automation across manufacturing industries, bakeries should keep DEI top of mind.

The radical shifts in the labor market will undoubtedly continue to impact day-to-

day operations, and companies need to consider the intersection of all these moving parts to remain competitive.

“The more diverse you are as an organization, the smarter you are and the better decisions you make,” Souser said. “I’m embracing [DEI] because it’s going to make the company better. It’s going to make the industry better.” CB

In the past year, BEMA and ABA have developed individual task forces and working groups to identify the baking industry’s DEI challenges and the best practices to solve them. Highland Baking Co., Rademaker and JLS Automation are all active participants in groups for both associations.

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Brand-Powered Innovation

In an era of consolidation, multiple brands are cross-pollinating solutions.

BY JOANIE SPENCER

As the baking industry becomes a breeding ground for M&A activity, a transformation is happening at break neck speed.

From Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo’s acquisition of UK-based St. Pierre Groupe and the addition of Dianne’s Fine Desserts into the Dessert Holdings portfolio to growth by acquisition from the likes of Crown Bakeries and Quebec City-based Bakery Humanity, the business of baking is driving change … in a big way.

Two years ago, most baking companies were either struggling to stay afloat or scrambling to keep product on store shelves. As the world settles into what’s unofficially considered a postCOVID-19 reality where disruption is the status quo, bakeries are pushing the envelope on innovation.

According to a report from Barnes Dennig — a Cincinnati-based tax firm with expertise in the manufacturing, transportation/logistics and wholesale/ distribution fields — manufacturing has seen an uptick in M&A activity in the past

year. That’s due to a few factors, accord ing to the firm, starting with the return of production back to pre-pandemic levels.

Other factors include tax and regula tory issues, availability of funds, shifts in strategic growth plans and, of course, the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and their owners.

It’s not just happening in the bakeries. M&A has been prevalent on the supplier side, as well. During the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), held Sept. 18-21 in Las Vegas, three of the show’s largest exhibitors shared best practices on incorporating multiple brands into one IBIE booth experience. In this Innovations Annual, those compa nies sat down with Commercial Baking to identify some of the most important implications for innovation when working with multiple brands under one umbrella.

Developing complex organizations that encompass several brands — each with its own technology solutions, leadership and customer base — requires targeted focus for each brand that is born out of identifying specific operational needs.

AMF Bakery Systems, part of the Markel Food Group, recently restruc tured its family of brands organized as nine individual business units based on their product technology, all under the AMF banner.

Each brand was developed to bring its own identity and equity to the market place and to ensure strategic and operational focus. However, they each leverage common sales and customer care organizations around the world and work together to provide integrated solutions to customers.

“While we continue to invest in the brands, there’s also a company sitting behind each one,” said Jason Ward, AMF Bakery Systems president. “Each brand is its own business unit with a focused product line.”

Each one has its own dedicated lead ership team that focuses on best-inclass product development that can then create integrated solutions for complete production lines for soft bread and bun, artisan bread, flatbread, cake, pie, croissant or pastry.

This is what AMF calls the “battle for ‘and.’” Success is twofold: On one hand, each unit has a tightly focused product development strategy that must deliver success at the unit and sub-system

level; on the other, it’s a group effort to bring innovation in full bakery systems solutions from mixing to post-packaging automation.

“There has to be intense collaboration across the brands in order to provide a seamless, complete system solution,” Ward said. “That collaboration across our brands, sales and customer care organi zations, coupled with extreme focus at the product line level, is what makes us different, and we must deliver both to be successful.”

While each unit has its own strategy for meeting specific customer needs, AMF has a high overall standard for its digital transformation strategy. In pursuit of next-level bakery intelligence, the company is leveraging technology like artificial intelligence to develop fully autonomous bakery equipment by 2030.

Collaboration isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition; it depends on customers’ needs and how machines work together for specific product types or in different areas of the line.

“Sometimes, it’s OK to be different, and there are good reasons for those differ ences,” Ward said. “In those cases, we wouldn’t necessarily need to have every technology the same across the entire AMF product line.”

There are many reasons why one-stop shopping can streamline the process of outfitting a bakery, but that’s not always the goal. AMF brands offer a variety of technology including extrusion-based makeup, volumetric makeup, sheeting, laminating and depositing, as well as proofing and baking technology and packaging at the end of the line.

At the front of the line, AMF mixing tech nology has typically focused on batch varieties. Recently, though, the AMF Fusion unit partnered with Reading Bakery Systems (RBS), another Markel company specializing in continuous mixing through its Exact Mixing plat form. The result is an unprecedented take on cross-pollinated innovation as Jim Warren, VP of Exact Mixing at RBS, and Terry Bartsch, executive product manager – dough systems for AMF Fusion, work closely to identify and drive new solutions for both platforms.

“We have to empower the businesses and the brands to be the very best at what they do, to respond to customers and drive continuous improvement,” Ward said. “When you have a complex organization that encompasses different brands or businesses, you must make it easy for customers to get the help they need. That’s the case whether it’s a project that includes one or two product groups or the entire bakery.”

“There has to be intense collaboration across the brands in order to provide a seamless, complete system solution.”

Jason Ward | president | AMF Bakery Systems

Linxis Group, which includes six brands for ingredient handling, mixing and portioning technology, has built its network through acquiring brands that have established strength in the market. This allows each brand in the group to leverage its own expertise while also tapping into a deep knowledge base from other areas of the bakery.

“We take a strategy of a combined, cohesive team of experts, each specific to their field,” said Jason Stricker, VP of sales and marketing for Shick Esteve, a Linxis Group brand since 2017. “They’re already strong brands in their own right, but when they come into the fold, they can leverage the expertise of all the Linxis Group companies.”

For Shick Esteve, joining Linxis Group gave the team more resources for new opportunities and product development.

“Being part of Linxis Group gives us multiple opportunities to address customers’ needs, not only for automated ingredient handling but also mixing and other technology,” said Blake Day, president and CEO of Shick Esteve. “It allows us to provide solutions that we know will support our customers and make their products better.”

Linxis has taken a specific approach to building the brand portfolio. Currently offering solutions that include ingredient automation, mixing, depositing, cutting and more, the company prioritizes best-in-class manufacturing and a likeminded customer approach.

“To be a member of the Linxis Group, you have to deliver on that brand prom ise and provide expert support and innovative design,” Stricker said.

For this company, it’s about strength of the brand and the expertise it provides, no matter what stage of the process. The strategy focuses on expertise in specific fields while leveraging the innovation that comes from being part of a cohesive group.

Although the brands function autono mously, they also share best practices in areas such as sales, engineering, R&D and project management.

“When we developed our IoT platform Clarity data management, we had discussions with the whole group to build the best platform,” Stricker said. “Each of our IoT solutions is tailored to the function and needs of customers who invest in our equipment and systems, but under the hood, we’ve developed a unified platform.”

This level of interaction is vital, especially for a parent company with manufacturing facilities around the world. Manufactur ing standards and regulations can vary

from country to country, so the brands must all be well versed in Linxis Group standards as well as regulations in areas like food safety and hygienic design.

To put innovation into action, Linxis Group brands can come together in the Linxis North American Technol ogy Center (LNATC), located in Shick Esteve’s Kansas City, MO headquarters.

Oftentimes customers will contact Linxis brands such as Shick Esteve for help with solving a particular challenge. Because the brands interact so frequently in the technology center, these challenges are often the impetus for brainstorming future innovation.

“We are fortunate to have invested in the Linxis North American Technology Center,” Day said. “It’s helpful for custom ers to see how the equipment all works together and how the brands integrate. That’s how we collaborate from a project standpoint; There’s constant teamwork among all Linxis Group brands.”

“It’s helpful for customers to see how the equipment all works together and how all the brands integrate. That’s how we collaborate from a project standpoint.”

Blake Day | president and CEO | Shick Esteve

Middleby Bakery, a division of Middleby, developed its brand acquisition exper tise from the company’s innovation in the foodservice sector. Whether for fast food, QSR or white tablecloth, Middleby developed a platform that provided a full suite of solutions in one kitchen.

“We developed a similar strategy with a focus on incorporating best-in-class brands for our total food processing line solutions,” said Mark Salman, president of Middleby Bakery.

If there is one rule of thumb for supplier consolidation, it’s that one company can’t — or, at least, shouldn’t — try to do everything. The power of the parent is in the strength of its brands. Middleby Bakery is a portfolio of 14 brands providing integrated production lines for bread/buns, cakes/muffins, cookies/crackers and pizza/pastry.

“We bring in the company that really fits in terms of innovation, management team or the market they focus on,” Salman said. “We look at different syner gies when we seek an acquisition.”

A lifelong entrepreneur and former baker, Salman has seen the trials and tribulations that come with starting a business and running both large and small companies. In the current climate, between the pandemic, supply chain woes, inflation and a potential reces sion, smaller suppliers are more often collaborating with larger companies, if not through acquisition, then at least in strategic partnership.

Although Middleby Bakery’s flagship brands are headquartered in Plano, TX — home to Middleby’s Bakery Innovation Center and the Middleby Innovation Kitchen for the foodservice portfolio, this is a global company with great

diversity among all brands. That can come in handy for innovation.

“With companies in the US and compa nies in Europe, we encompass many different cultures,” Salman said. “And we are able to use that diversity within our group to find new ways of looking at and solving problems.”

Each year at budget time, all Middleby brands do more than crunch the numbers. They collaborate and find incremental, yet impactful, changes that can be made among the brands.

“We call it ‘transformational innovation,’” Salman said. “We sit together with lead ers and engineers for all the brands and look at each other’s initiatives to identify the best practices. We’ll have people from around the world with expertise in biscuits and crackers or bread and buns, and we just talk about innovation.”

The cross-pollination of ideas becomes particularly impactful when suppliers from different sectors exchange best practices.

“We have this diversity of people, functions and product applications,” Salman said. “We have people from protein, bakery and foodservice, and we can uncover different ways to tackle a variety of problems.”

It’s easy to assume that conglomerate suppliers simply strive to be a “one size fits all” solution, but that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, one of Middleby’s core values is entrepreneurship.

“We are very entrepreneurial,” Salman said. “We strive to do what’s right, what’s fair and what’s proper. Integrity is import ant, and we work to focus on small changes that make a great impact.” CB

| president | Middleby

“With companies in the US and companies in Europe, we encompass many different cultures, and we are able to use that diversity within our group to find new ways of looking at and solving problems.”

Mark Salman

Bakery

Pair any number of our slicers with the level of bagger to meet your bun/roll packaging needs.

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Deluxe Hand Bagger

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Model B Bagger

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BSI ALPS

Fully automated line that groups, slices, stacks, and bags most types of buns/rolls at average speeds of 35 to 55 bags/min. High Speed option allows for speeds up to 66 bags/min. Not all products run at the same speeds.

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The Perfect Storm

Ingredient suppliers are innovating amid supply chain disruption.

BY BELLA FOOTE

Supply chain, a topic of conversation typically confined to those working within manufacturing industries, has now become a hot-button topic for many. Its disruption has impacted every day consumer activities, with 79% of people noticing product shortages according to Momentive, an experience management company formerly known as SurveyMonkey. Within the baking industry, the American Bakers Associ ation (ABA) noted nearly every bakery operation has seen price increases. The consumer economy has always

been at the mercy of the supply chain, but it’s one that has often worked tirelessly and quietly in the background … until now.

Although a spotlight has been shone on the consumer-related fallout, it’s import ant to understand what’s happening on the ingredient supply side. What does the environment look like for ingredient suppliers, and how are they navigating shortages and disruptions?

This torrent of supply chain disruption has been the perfect storm.

Dave Hufford, SVP of procurement and quality assurance and regulatory compliance at AB Mauri, a global supplier of yeast and other bakery ingredient products, described the conditions at hand.

“We have been dealing with a series of never-ending challenges since February 2020,” Hufford said. “That includes multiple global impacts associated with the pandemic, weather events, container shortages, extended lead times on most items, the impact of the conflict in

© Nadia Blacksmith on Adobe Stock

Rising ingredient costs are just one of several ongoing issues impacting commercial bakeries.

Russia and Ukraine, avian flu, and heavy inflation, just to name a few.”

Storms, droughts and fires — all ampli fied by climate change — have dealt blows to the raw ingredient supply. According to the UN Food and Agri culture Organization, the month of January alone saw a 4.2% surge in vegetable oil prices due to South Amer ican droughts and Malaysian typhoons. Additionally, the war in Ukraine has had reverberating effects with the country being the top supplier of sesame seeds and an important grower of crops such as wheat, corn, soy and barley.

What’s more, the baking industry, like many others, suffers from serious work force challenges, with more than 12,000 jobs available on ABA’s career website.

Raw material shortages — and their rising cost — have been the biggest focus for Corbion, which supplies emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, vitamins and minerals.

“For our baking business, we buy between 1,000 and 1,500 different raw materials,” said Abby Ceule, senior director of ingredient solutions at Corbion. “It’s been almost exactly a year since we started to see the raw material delays and shortage start to creep up on us. It’s been a rolling trend; starches right now are a hot topic for our business. We’ve seen different issues with gluten, emul sifiers and different food assets at various times.”

The ingredients and commodities that were commonplace five years ago are now beginning to dry up.

“I’ve been absolutely floored by the sheer number of things that are extremely tight,” said Nesha Zalesny, a partner at IMR International, an indus trial market research and consulting company in food hydrocolloids. “Even things as ubiquitous as xanthan gum, you cannot get it in the United States. That is really shocking.”

Even if ingredients can be acquired, delayed shipments propose an issue.

“We typically can source most ingredi ents, but lead times are much longer and more difficult,” said Edward Mlotek, VP of sales and marketing for global ingredi ent supplier Repco Bakery Solutions.

In addition to price increases and lead times, bakeries in need of ingredients may overorder to account for inventory loss and potentially delayed material.

“Overordering, like hoarding toilet paper during the pandemic, creates a feedback loop that stretches an already dwindling supply,” said Ben Reusser, Innovative Center manager for Cain Food Industries. “That will cause our suppliers to cap new business or not even be able to add any at all.”

As outside factors become increas ingly more difficult to predict and regu late, ingredient suppliers rely heavily on internal regulation and management.

Bakers face a number of roadblocks including labor, climate change, ingredients and more. Even so, ingredient suppliers are helping them formulate around those challenges.

Photo courtesy of Cain Food Industries

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This takes the form of consistent and open communication.

“We manage our customer expectations with great care,” Reusser explained. “We let them know what we can get from our suppliers along with lead times and current pricing.”

Therefore, trust between bakers and their suppliers has become more critical than ever.

“Our customers trust us to keep them informed about sourcing challenges,” Mlotek said. “Our intervention and management of this issue is some thing we are proud of. When we run into a hiccup or we have an issue with sourcing an ingredient, we immediately communicate with our customers, keep ing them updated on where we’re at and how the sourcing is going.”

Strong communication is also neces sary to ensure the supply chain remains

fluid and that suppliers can pivot quickly when it comes to creative R&D. Ingredient shortages and delays have forced many suppliers to expand their network, sourcing the same product from various places.

“We started to ask, ’Who else can we get this from?’” Ceule said. “We’ve had to expand our own network of suppliers into our business.”

Network expansion is becoming more common throughout the supply chain. KPMG — a global organization of independent professional services firms — identified overreliance on a limited number of suppliers as a key trend impacting the current situation.

“As we emerge from the COVID-19 slowdown, many businesses recog nize the need to better equip their supply chains by identifying alternative trading partnerships,” KPMG reported. “They are actively seeking a broader

Now that the industry is returning to in-person interaction, bakers are taking advantage of on-site product development with their supplier networks.

Even in the face of extreme conditions, baking industry ingredient suppliers have managed to not only ease the supply chain burden for their consumers but also create new — and better — formulations.

Photo courtesy of AB Mauri

list of suppliers, alternative markets/ customers, as well as different transport and logistics providers.”

Then again, sometimes certain ingredi ents are simply not available.

“Like everyone in this industry, we too experience some of the pains of the supply crisis with certain ingredients that our customers ask us to blend,” Mlotek said. ”So, we have worked with bakers to substitute ingredients or formulate a difficult ingredient out of a product.”

Ingredient supplier R&D teams have worked tirelessly to test and develop new ideations of certain recipes for their customers.

“For instance, gluten reduction is nothing new, so we have ascorbic acid, enzyme blends and other classic conditioners that have been used previously to great effect in reducing the overall gluten needed in a formula,” Reusser explained. “Emulsifiers have been an issue as well due to lack of oils. We also have enzyme blends that are also used to reduce or eliminate these ingredients.”

Ingredient suppliers often have an R&D team with baking expertise, so they can understand exactly what they are dealing with.

“We utilize our in-house bakery lab for experimenting with replacement ingredi ents and enzymes to offer replacements and unique solutions,” Mlotek said.

Suppliers often provide an ingredient substitute that doesn’t impact the nutri tional claims or ingredient statements, especially when it comes to allergens.

“We are very careful about formulations that may involve a label change or affect

texture or flavor profile,” Mlotek said. “We formulate in our Nutritional Lab and work closely with our customers to ensure we meet their specifications on the label and organoleptically with flavor and taste profiles.”

However, there are times when the ingredient change is more advanced, and that impacts not only the label but also texture and price point.

“We’re usually able to match the functionality 1:1, but there have been a few instances where customers had to accept different functionality,” Ceule said. “They said, ‘We can deal with that for a while, but if things free up, let’s go back to the original formula.’”

Even in the face of extreme conditions, baking industry ingredient suppliers have managed to not only ease the supply chain burden for consumers but also create new — and better — formulations.

“After all, necessity is the mother of invention,” Reusser said.

If nothing else, this has been a learn ing opportunity that has the potential to change how R&D looks in the future.

“We have certainly learned a few things by testing replacement ingre dients for those in short supply,” said Troy Boutte, Ph.D., VP of innova tion and ingredients for AB Mauri. “For example, we have explored functional starch replacement and previously created a methodology for comparing options. These methods certainly came in handy when supply issues began.”

While the future is still uncertain, one thing is for sure: This is an industry that encourages change and ingenuity. Where there is an opportunity to inno vate, ingredient suppliers will continue with a dynamic and fluid approach. CB

Suppliers are helping bakers accomodate for hard-to-obtain raw materials while also managing expectations.

Photo courtesy of Repco Bakery Solutions

Willkommen Back

After years of pivots and postponements, bakers return to Germany for tradeshows in 2023.

BY JOANIE SPENCER

It’s been a tough few years for tradeshows; only a precious few had the good fortune of getting through the pandemic unscathed. Fortunately, the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), which took place Sept. 18-21 in Las Vegas, fell in the sweet spot between the onset of COVID-19 and the return of in-person events. But two major Germany-based tradeshows — interpack in Dusseldorf and iba in Munich — weren’t so lucky.

After three years of virtual versions and complete postponements, both shows will host their events in-person for the first time since before the pandemic. Although international attendance is hard to predict from a quantitative standpoint, tradeshows around the world are reporting highly qualified attendance, even from countries such as China, which currently exercises one of the strictest international travel regulations in the world.

Prior to 2020, IBIE, interpack and iba maintained three-year cycles that afforded each to take place in sepa rate years. But global disruption to the tradeshow industry has resulted in inter pack and iba both happening in 2023. With interpack in the spring and iba in the fall, it’s the first time they’ve ever occured in the same year. See what’s in store for both events as Germany welcomes the industry back.

© William on Adobe Stock

interpack: May 4-10

With its tagline as “Simply Unique,” interpack is known as a world-leading horizontal tradeshow for packaging and processing across several industries including bakery, snack and confectionery.

Pre-pandemic, interpack touted more than 170,000 attendees from 169 nations and 2,866 exhibitors from 55 countries. After a successful show in 2017, inter pack first fell prey to COVID in 2020, and after two postponements, it will return to its regular triennial cycle in 2023.

“After missing six years, everyone is eager to get back to interpack, both exhibitor-wise and visitor-wise,” said Thomas Dohse, project director, processing and packaging for Messe Dusseldorf, which organizes the show. “It’s a must-see event, even more than it was in the past.”

When the show was canceled in 2020, interpack offered to hold exhibitor positions for those who chose to keep their registration for the show in

anticipation of a 2021 postponement and, ultimately, 2023. As a result, exhibitor space is already sold out with many on a waiting list.

“We are back on track with the show being booked out,” Dohse said. “Now we are focusing on bringing in visitors. It’s a great opportunity for US visitors with the dollar being so strong. It’s almost a 1:1 exchange today.”

With consumer demands significantly driving change particularly in pack aging, interpack has identified certain hot topics of innovation that will be addressed throughout the show, not just on the exhibition floor. Those topics include circular economy, resource management, digitization and IIOT, and product safety, all of which are areas of concern for commercial bakers.

Dohse observed that while manufac turers in every sector have been talking about issues like sustainability and circular economy for years, the time for action has arrived, with crises such

as droughts and energy shortages happening around the world and calling for better resource management.

Coupled with a rising demand for food — sales of packaged food increased 4% from 2017-2021 and are projected to grow 14% by 2026, according to interpack data — food manufacturers are seeking best practices for efficient food production now more than ever.

“Manufacturers have talked about it for years, and now they mean it,” Dohse said. “They see rising prices for energy, water and materials, and it makes a difference when you’re able to conserve in those areas. The cost of energy is going up, and manufacturers can save a lot just through efficient processes or changing materials.”

Issues that will be discussed include reducing or using lighter packaging material, better recyclability, recyclable packaging design, establishing or expanding recycling outlets, and more.

Special discussions will also take place around co-manufacturing, which is gaining interest from nearly every facet of CPG manufacturing and product development. The World Packaging Organization (WPO) will also present its 2023 WPO Awards celebrating the top packaging innovations at the show.

Although bakery is one of eight main parts of the show, baker attendees can find a cross-pollination of innovation throughout other areas of CPG.

“Bakers will get a broad picture of packaging,” Dohse said. “They’ll have a special view of bakery, but if they want to see more than that, if they want to see other aspects of packaging and processing, then they really can’t afford to miss interpack.”

Photo courtesy of interpack

After six years, interpack will return and address global packaging concerns across all verticals incuding bakery.

iba: Oct. 22-26

iba, a leading trade fair for baking and confectionery, was last held in 2018 in Munich. It has faced several challenges in its show cycle, which had the event originally scheduled in October 2021.

With worldwide waves of uncertainty, not only for in-person events but also for international travel, iba created the all-virtual iba.CONNECTING EXPERTS, which first took place online in March 2021. It was followed by a second virtual event later that year after iba organizers announced they would have to postpone the in-person version until 2023.

“Postponing the live event to 2023 was the right decision,” said Susann Seidemann, exhibition director for iba. “As the world’s leading trade fair, we will soon provide the baking industry with a global offer and an iba in its full strength, dimension and quality.”

Historically, iba touts high attendance as well as engagement, with the 2018 event showcasing more than 1,300 exhibitors and more than 75,000 attend ees representing nearly 170 countries. Of those attendees, more than 82% were decision makers, according to iba data.

The two iba.CONNECTING EXPERTS events allowed for this large global community to exchange ideas and discuss innovations during a time when in-person shows were postponed and international travel restrictions prevented even routine business meetings from happening. While virtual events posed challenges for tradeshows of all types and specifically the baking industry, iba used the interaction as a platform to maintain momentum until the on-site show resumes in 2023.

“When we postponed in 2021, COVID required us to be more flexible in ways we never knew before,” Seidemann said. “Of course, many factors such as travel restrictions, the uncertain development of the pandemic, feedback from the market and a busy international trade fair schedule for 2022 played a role. Having the next show in 2023 gave us and the market a planning security all parties will benefit from.”

During IBIE, iba’s leadership shared details for the 2023 event, including a new structure called iba.topics, which organizes the show by specific areas of interest. They reflect the hall struc ture and include four main categories: production technology and equipment, raw materials and ingredients, artisan bakery, and packaging technology. Addi tionally, iba.focus topics will address the megatrends and market developments

such as sustainability, artisan bakery, health, food trends, industry 4.0, turnkey solutions and quality management. With the supply chain and current energy crisis on the minds of all bakers, iba is emphasizing the technology available for efficiency in every aspect of those areas.

“Valuable industry exchange — and learning from different perspectives for finding solutions to the challenges we all are facing — are the most import ant things we offer to the industry,” Seidemann said. “Our main priority is to be the meeting place of the year for the global baking community and help them through these crises by addressing what currently moves the industry.”

Nearly 80% of exhibitor space is already booked, which reflects a slight uptick than in previous years that took place in the “regular” show cycle.

“Key international players have already booked their booths,” Seidemann said, noting that booth proposals will go out toward the end of this year.

In addition to iba, which is getting regis trations and requests for information almost daily, the industry is showing excitement for the return to international exhibitions with global tradeshows showing strong attendance.

“I have visited a lot of events and trade shows, and I have seen firsthand that they are possible and necessary,” Seidemann said. “People are hungry to get back to shows, to real encounters. The whole iba team can’t wait to meet everyone in Munich 2023 when it’s finally time again to taste, smell and try the greatest variety of baked goods a show has to offer.” CB

Susann Seidemann, exhibition director for iba, sees excitement for the return of international tradeshows.

Photo courtesy of iba

The lightline machines from Schubert can be delivered quickly and are extremely attractive in terms of price. With the preconfigured machines, customers can adapt more flexibly to market trends and significantly shorten their time-to-market.

The LIGHTLINE PICKERLINE consists of pick & place robots as well as one or more several tray inserters, and packs products into trays made of plastic or cardboard. It offers an affordable and highly flexible possibility to automate packaging processes with the most efficient technology on the market while ensuring the highest availability and packaging quality.

The world’s leading FMCG and private label manufacturers rely on Schubert. www.schubert.group

Ingenuity Bound

BY EVAN BAIL AND ANNIE HOLLON

It goes without saying that the baking industry is not the same as it was. In the face of myriad challenges old and new, bakers and their suppliers have proven resilient against the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ever-climbing inflation rates, supply chain shortages and more.

In addition, labor — more specifically, a lack of it — is directly impacting the production capabilities of commercial bakeries. The American Bakers Asso ciation and the American Society of Baking’s 2022 study on the workforce

gap in US commercial baking revealed a significant skills shortage in machine operators, up 22% from the original study in 2016. It also noted that, among recruitment challenges listed, finding and developing talent and identifying talent for hourly unskilled and skilled production are the top challenges facing companies today.

2022 was also the year the baking industry returned to in-person meet ings and engagement with automation solutions. Events like the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), held Sept. 18-21 in Las Vegas, put bakers

and suppliers in one room for the first time in years. As companies debuted new equipment, the path for the future of baking became increasingly clear: Auto mation is here to stay. And with additional events on the horizon, finding solutions to solve or accommodate for modern problems is top of mind for both parties.

This year, the Commercial Baking team has identified some of those innovations propelling the baking industry forward and the trends that can indicate what the future holds for bakery. From full automation to environmentally friendly options to data-centric systems and

Photo courtesy of IBIE

The International Baking Industry Exposition, held Sept. 18-21 in Las Vegas, was one of the first post-COVID-19 opportunities for in-person interaction with solutions.

SOLUTIONS INNOVATION OVERVIEW

add-ons that upgrade present systems and more, these solutions offer an array of answers to bakers’ primary concerns. While the Solution Showcase found in the upcoming pages contains just a fraction of the resources now available to bakers, its entries reflect sea changes that could never have been imagined just a few years ago.

Automation is how the baking industry is progressing, but as far as innovations are concerned, some companies are going beyond a singular machine. Rather, many are opting for whole automated systems. In the face of rising labor costs and increas ing challenges for talent acquisition, complete systems can make a major difference for commercial bakers. For example, Moline’s latest iteration of mid-capacity donut systems, from sheeting and proofing to frying and finishing, allows flexibility for donut operations that produce 500-1,200 dozen donuts per hour.

On another side of manufacturing, commercial bakery operations need to be more self-reliant than ever before. In areas such as packaging and labeling, bakeries are looking for solutions that will provide them autonomy to weather the disruption.

Schubert Additive Solutions’ PARTBOX 3-D printer, which holds its own stream ing platform and printer, is a complete system that gives companies the flexibil ity to create necessary printed compo nents within their own facility to reduce reliance on the turbulent supply chain.

LeMatic’s newest innovation, the P7 Pattern Former and Loader, takes a step toward fully automating the packaging line with an approach that can yield nearly 70 packages per minute.

For end-of-line solutions, it’s all about driving efficiency and reducing over all maintenance and labor, often while saving space on the floor.

Environmental issues are also top-ofmind for many bakers, and equipment manufacturers have heard the call. As increased interest in electric-based equipment spreads, companies like Heuft are taking the initial steps toward renewable energy as a future fuel source. By using a combination electric and fired heater, bakeries have the option to heat thermal oil more sustain ably and earn more independent energy management. These types of solutions provide additional opportuni

ties for bakers to regulate their carbon footprint through renewable energy resources that best fit their operations.

Energy is also a concern from a cost perspective. Rexfab’s Pan StackerUnstacker fully electric solution helps bakers reduce operation costs with a system that does not require the use of compressed air. Powered by electro magnetic technology and servo motors, the solution can maximize productivity and reduce downtime.

As the day-to-day pace grows for lifestyles and workplace environ ments, technology plays a major role in diminishing the gap between wait time

Due to labor shortages, automation has played a major role in supporting bakery manufacturers.

SOLUTIONS INNOVATION OVERVIEW

and outcome in many areas includ ing manufacturing. At IBIE, mandatory digital data stood out as an option for bakeries to run smoothly, ensuring that bakers can rely on the machines when the operators are not in the facility. A handful of the solutions in the show case highlight the power of digital data.

Rademaker’s monitoring station has been designed with increased efficiency and waste reduction in mind. By analyz ing the size, shape and volume of bakery products, the system is able to provide data to streamline production through real-time adjustments on the line.

Convenience continues with Unifiller’s +Series Depositors. Bluetooth technol ogy allows bakers more control over speed, volume, deposit pressure and

more, with cloud-based access to realtime data analytics, machine settings and recipes adjustments.

As the industry evolves with rising infla tion, cost concerns persist. It can have a great impact on how bakers determine when, why and how they invest in inno vation. With the cost of manufacturing and ingredients increasing — and the workforce shrinking — bakers want to ensure they’re getting a strong, speedy return on their investments. Nowadays, solutions are transforming to create better results in a more effective manner.

Earlier this year, Mecatherm debuted M-Care, a maintenance application to prevent breakdowns and optimize a production line’s accessibility rates. To reduce confusion about the tech

IBIE

an appetizer for the return of the industry...

If

was just

...then 2023 is ripe with opportunity for further innovation.

nology, most Mecatherm ovens have already been prepped and equipped with M-Care.

As bakeries evolve, their operational needs do as well. Technology that can be easily added to an existing solution can be the key to keeping operations running efficiently. The Traveller — a servo-controlled machine mounting platform for Axis Automation deposi tors — was designed to be compatible with pre-existing Axis equipment. This device provides two-axis motion control for accurate depositing and consistent finishes.

From cost to climate to labor capabilities, there remain critical issues that bakers face every day, often risking setbacks. Suppliers are helping bakers achieve

success with solutions that provide the answers for the many questions the past few years have left them with.

Closing out on the pandemic’s third year, the industry is finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Innovations that can capture the magnitude of help bakers need to make their lives easier — be it reduction of time, labor, energy or cost — have been crafted with bakers in mind.

Bakers and suppliers have the passion to push past the problems the pandemic brought and adapt to the everyday challenges that remain.

If IBIE was just an appetizer for the return of the industry, then 2023 is ripe with opportunity for further innovation. CB

INNOVATION FOR THE MODERN AGE

items in an efficient way. Equipment and ingredient suppli ers have seen — and addressed — these challenges, with innovations to supplement them as bakers confront these issues head-on. The following pages highlight some of the top technologies from 2022 as the industry anticipates what 2023 has in store. BluePrint Automation 90 Brolite .............................................................................. 91 Bundy Baking Solutions ............................................. 91 Burford Corp. 92 Capway Automation ................................................... 92 Cavanna .......................................................................... 93 Corbion 93

ABI LTD

Customizable scoring robot

ABI LTD’s Katana Robotic Scoring System is a userfriendly bakery solution that includes ultrasonic drag and plunge, conventional blade, and waterjet scoring options. Operators can switch from one tool to another in seconds with the automatic tool changer and save time during production. They can also add a library of scoring styles and designs customizable to different products. With precision in each cut, bakers can be confident their products meet quality standards and limit product waste. www.abiltd.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: inquiry@abiltd.com

AMF TROMP

SFA Artisan Bread Line

AMF Tromp delivers increased efficiency with the SFA Artisan Bread Line. It enables bakers to produce a wide variety of artisan bread products on a single production line. It also offers increased efficiency, flawless re-work integration, less waste, faster changeover and simple production. The operator-friendly, hygienic frame design and components are engineered to the highest sanitary design standards with easy-access washdown parts to reduce cleaning times and minimize water usage. www.amfbakery.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: sales@amfbakery.com

AUTO-BAKE SERPENTINE

Lower core temperature in minutes

Auto-Bake Serpentine, a Middleby Bakery brand, created the Inline Vacuum Cooling System in collaboration with Armor Inox. The system reduces the core temperature on average by 100°F within three minutes while reducing total process time by more than 60%. Shelf-life spans increase by controlling final moisture and water activity and eliminating foreign particle contamination. The system can also improve final product volume and symmetry and provide a softer mouthfeel by tightening the internal crumb structure. www.auto-bake.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: sales@auto-bake.com

AXIS AUTOMATION

Two-axis motion control

Axis Automation debuted the Traveller, a stand-alone, servo-controlled machine-mounting platform, in fall 2022. It provides two-axis motion control to ensure precise depositing and consistent finishes. Available on new equipment installations, it is also designed to work with exist ing facility infrastructure by bridging existing Axis equipment. As bakeries add new SKUs, introduce new formulations and change portion sizes or presentation, the Traveller is a cost-effective way to increase functionality and flexibility. www.axisautomation.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: sales@axisautomation.com

BAKER THERMAL

High volume, reduced bake time

Baker Thermal, a Middleby Bakery brand, created the industry’s first impingement microwave combination oven to meet high-volume demands. Rapid Bake allows bake time reduction by up to 40%, occupying a smaller footprint on the bakery floor. With four zones and two microwave launchers per zone, it reduces power usage by decreasing the number of natural gas burners. Rapid Bake can operate at temperatures up to 650°F. With its modular design, bakers can cut installation time. www.bakerthermal.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: equipmentsales@bakerthermal.com

B

BELSHAW

Multi-faceted fryer accessory

Belshaw developed a multi-faceted fryer accessory that allows for automated frying of historically labor-intensive, manually produced goods such as mochi rings and yeastraised donut holes. The CRS System, which can reduce labor and increase throughput, is scalable, modular and flexible. This first-of-its-kind system can be easily integrated into existing Belshaw equipment to improve quality and efficiency. www.belshaw.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: info@belshaw.com

BETTENDORF STANFORD

Bread slicer with sanitary design

Bettendorf Stanford rolled out a full washdown Frozen HBS slicer for sandwich assembly lines. It has been updated with the latest sanitary design standards in mind. The slicer features improved hygienic design bearings, open angle framing, sloped surfaces and an easy-to-clean discharge conveyor. It is also capable of slicing frozen ciabatta, English muffins, biscuits, croissants and more at speeds up to 120 pieces per minute. When the product exits the slicer, the tops are sitting next to the bottoms to allow for easy sandwich assembly. www.bettendorfstanford.com/frozen-hbs

Year released: 2022

Contact: sales@bettendorfstanford.com

BLUEPRINT AUTOMATION

Product loading with bulk feeding

BluePrint Automation’s Spider 100v Product Loader with Bulk Feeder uses delta-style robots with vision to replace a traditional collate and load system. Designed for over wrapped baked products and more, the system eliminates traditional racetrack collation and potential jam points picking virtually any product count or configuration. With the integrated bulk feeder, the system is not tied to an oven and accepts product from bulk or work in process. www.blueprintautomation.com

Year released: December 2021

Contact: Rocco Fucetola fucetola@blueprintautomation.com

BROLITE

Clean label, non-GMO mold inhibitor

Brolite’s Inhibitor C X2 is a cultured product that naturally produces propionic acid to lower pH levels. Used at 1 to 3%, Inhibitor C X2 acts as a clean-label and non-GMO mold inhibitor in baked goods. Since the ingredient statement only contains cultured wheat flour and citric acid, there are no allergens other than wheat. Inhibitor C X2 does not impact the flavor of the product, and it can be easily added into many existing formulas to increase shelf life. www.bakewithbrolite.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: Ken Skrzypiec k.skrzypiec@broliteproducts.com

BUNDY BAKING SOLUTIONS

Automated, sanitary pan greaser

Bundy Baking Solutions’ release agent and applicator brand Synova uses exclusive design technology for its AccuTech Pan Greaser to provide bakeries with the most accurate, sanitary and automated pan greaser available in the baking industry. Bakeries can expect to reduce release agent usage, decrease sanitation needs and downtime, and increase throughput. The AccuTech Pan Greaser’s recipe-driven technology and simple changeover also lowers labor requirements for bakeries. www.synovaoil.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: info@synovaoil.com

BURFORD CORP.

Accuracy for high-speed seeding

Burford Corp., a Middleby Bakery brand, offers a targeted pattern of seeds on bakery products with a patent-pending design. With seed savings from 20 to 50%, the Smart Seeder+ minimizes waste and keeps pans clean. The dual-purpose rotating drum acts as the template and reclaim system. This feature allows the Smart Seeder+ unit to provide accu racy and savings while maintaining high-speed production. www.burford.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: info@burford.com

CAPWAY AUTOMATION

Efficient pan stacking, unstacking

Capway Automation designed the RoboStack system to stack and unstack baking pans by gripping and lifting then gently placing them onto a stacking conveyor. Its multiple pan cart interface conveyors allow for maximum operation. Features include a visual and audible “cart full” announcement for multitasking operations as well as removing potential pan damage. The custom engineered conveyor systems allow for seamless integration of the RoboStack system into a bakery’s existing footprint. www.capwayautomation.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: sales@capwayautomation.com

CAVANNA

Tray slug loader for fragile goods

Cavanna presents Tray Slug Loader (TSL), a new system developed for cookies, sandwiches, and products with deco rations or enrobed with chocolate. TSL combines three func tions: filling PVC blister trays and trays with or without lids, and feeding slugs directly into the flow wrapper’s bar infeed. It can create and pack nine different product configuration types and one to three different product portions. Depending on product type, TSL can handle up to 2,000 pieces per minute. www.cavanna-usa.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: Bill Kehrli b.kehrli@cavannagroup.com

CORBION

Consistent oil and fat distribution

Corbion recognizes that oils and fats play a major role in helping bakers maintain consistent quality and predictable performance in baked goods. But with ongoing pricing and supply constraints, bakers are looking for relief. The enzyme-based Vantage 2060 lets bakers deliver consistent, high-quality products, while eliminating the use of mono- and diglycerides. Vantage 2060 reduces oils and hard fats by up to 60% and can be used alongside other dough improvers and ESL solutions for easy formulation. www.corbion.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: foodus@corbion.com

DIOSNA

Grain cooking for extended freshness

Diosna, part of Linxis Group, recommends grain cooking processes to any bakery operation for optimal product quality. Grain cooking involves heating flour and grains with water until a gelatinized hot soaker is achieved. Adding it into the ingredients extends freshness and increases dough yield. Bakeries will achieve extended frozen storage stability of baked goods and a reduction of premixes, bread improvers and preservatives. It will also help cost reduction for yeast, flour, logistics and more. www.diosna.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: marketing@diosna.de

FORMOST FUJI

Upgraded bagger for better efficiency

Formost Fuji’s GTS Bagger has a new mechanical design that allows the machine to run quieter, smoother and more efficiently. These changes on the horizontal bagger — including a newly designed overhead, improved bag hold down and auto bag change design — provide less downtime and better operation on the plant floor. www.formostfuji.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: sales@formostfuji.com

HANDTMANN

Expanded bakery team services

Handtmann’s baking integration and customization team contributes high levels of technical knowledge, application experience and collaborative skills to ensure success across core technologies. From a complete pizza dough ball line to a valveless depositing option or bestof-breed mixing, dividing or forming technologies, to a full solution in a new bakery facility with other vendors. Gentle mixing options and efficient dividing and forming add value through reliability, accuracy and operational ease. welcometo.handtmann.us/bakery-innovations

Year released: 2022

Contact: info@handtmann.us

HARPAK-ULMA

Gravity loader with flexibility

Harpak-Ulma’s gravity loader uses a common conveyor and pattern former with side pushers to condense and orient a complete layer of fresh baked goods or corrugated cases typically used for frozen products. The layer is indexed and positioned over a set of doors prior to dropping it into the basket or case. The design combines mechanical simplicity with flexibility. It is also well suited for bakeries with space constraints often associated with manual loading. www.harpak-ulma.com/equipment/gravity-loader

Year released: 2022

Contact: Josh Becker joshbecker@harpak-ulma.com

HENRY & SONS

Eliminate metal-to-metal contact

Henry & Sons can supercharge a VEMAG’s performance with its patented Zero Contact Double Screw and Hous ing System. Made in the US like all Henry & Sons products, the new “genius by design” Zero Contact System stops the metal-to-metal contact of double screws and housings. It also improves weight consistency, reduces product temperature rise, and stops product giveaway and the wearing process. www.dhenryandsons.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: Mark Henry mark@dhenryandsons.com

HEUFT

Sustainable hybrid thermal oil heater

Heuft’s patent-pending hybrid thermal oil heater warms thermal oil sustainably and grants bakers independence in energy management. It combines electric and fired heater technologies, with the electric heater operating sustainably with regenerative sources. Bakers can choose which type and how much renewable energy they want to use. The goal is to use all sustainable energy sources available so nothing goes back to the grid. An optional buffer tank can be added to increase energy efficiency. www.heuft-backofenbau.de

Year released: 2022

Contact: Marcus Hofmann m.hofmann@heuft1700.com

INTRALOX

A reliable release for bakers

Intralox added the Active Integrated Motion (AIM) Glide, offering bakers a reliable alternative to metal slat switches for transferring bread. AIM Glide uses AIM technology and offers zero unscheduled downtime, no jams and 75% less maintenance. It also boasts 50% less cleaning time and gentle product handling while maintaining product orientation. www.intralox.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: customerservice.bakery@intralox.com

J&K INGREDIENTS

Innovative dough conditioner

J&K Ingredients offers the Maxowave, an innovative dough conditioner specifically for use in yeast-raised baked goods that are heated in the microwave. It can maintain the overall quality of and keep products like sandwiches, bread and rolls, stuffed pockets, pizza crust, biscuits, and more from becoming rubbery after heating. This solution can be applied to any existing dough conditioning system to enhance the tolerance of microwaved baked goods. www.jkingredients.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: sales@jkingredients.net

KWIK LOK

Environmentally friendly bag closures

Kwik Lok created Fibre-Lok, an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bag closures, entirely of natural cellu lose wood. Developed to meet the needs of bakeries interested in reducing their plastic use without sacrific ing functionality, quality or durability, Fibre-Lok closures are made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and meets or exceeds all known environmental and health regulations. At .70 mm thick, Fibre-Lok provides the strength and reusability of all other Kwik Lok closures. It can be used in Kwik Lok automatic bag closing machines with minor modifications, allowing for easy line conversion. www.kwiklok.com/sustainability

Year released: 2022

Contact: sales@kwiklok.com

LEMATIC

Automated forming and loading

LeMatic takes another step toward total automation of the packaging line with the P7 Pattern Former and Loader. The P7 has been designed with industry-leading capacity, up to 70 packages per minute. Its linear motors increase efficiency and flexibility while maximizing speed. LeMatic’s all-in-one approach combines pattern forming and tray loading, lowering overall maintenance while saving space and reducing labor. www.lematic.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: sales@lematic.com

MECATHERM

Predictive maintenance solution

Mecatherm’s M-Care is an intuitive predictive maintenance application developed in partnership with French company MaMaTa. It’s designed to prevent breakdowns and opti mize the production line’s availability rates. It also enables industrial bakeries to detect anomalies in equipment early and provide operators and maintenance staff guidance for initial maintenance checks. This predictive analysis solution helps manufacturers better understand their equip ment and guide them with problem-solving. Most of the new Mecatherm ovens are already equipped with M-Care. www.mecatherm.fr/en

Year released: 2022 Contact: info@mecatherm.com

M

MULTIVAC-FRITSCH

Performance-based control systems

Fritsch, part of the Multivac group, unveiled its new performance-based control system for lines in the PROGRESSA range making operation easy and intu itive, requiring fewer skilled laborers and minimizing input errors. With PROGRESSA Control, the operator inputs the target production number, and the line will calculate all parameters necessary to achieve the desired output. No more highly technical settings and adjustments. Mid-sized bakers can now achieve quan titatively and qualitatively superior results on their lines. www.fritsch-group.com/en/machines/progressa

Year released: 2021

Contact: bakery-sales@multivac.com

MOLINE

Next-gen mid-capacity donut system

Moline introduced the next generation of mid-capacity donut systems at IBIE 2022. A turnkey solution for sheeting, proofing, frying and finishing, this system is tailored for fresh donut operations requiring 500 to 1,200 dozen per hour. The versatile makeup line allows for product change overs in less than two minutes, while the proofer and fryer feature continuous sediment removal systems that clean the equipment during production. The fryer also features a continuous oil filtration system to maintain product quality. www.moline.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: sales@moline.com

OAKES

Slurry mixer for labs and pilot plants

Oakes’ 24-in. Slurry Mixer replaces traditional batch mixing and is designed for R&D labs or pilot plants. It will mix and trans fer up to four 250-lb. batches of batter or fillings per hour to a holding tank or depositing manifold. Featuring a hands-free, single-cylinder, pneumatic cover design, it can be equipped with spray balls and a dual use CIP product/transfer pump. The operator touch screen allows multiple programmable mix stages, times and speeds and performs auto diagnostics. www.oakes.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: info@oakes.com

PEERLESS

Flight-driven sandwich equipment

Peerless’ flight bar transport system chain design for its Peters Sandwiching Machines provides higher performance for cleanability and longer chain life. It reduces exposure to cream and cookie crumbs to limit spillage. This system also provides better alignment and synchronization of the flight bar pusher pins with base-biscuits and the depositors across six lanes. Additionally, removal of extra chain parts and chain rails makes for an improved ergonomic design. www.peerlessfood.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: sales@peerlessfood.com

PFENING

Dust collector filter monitoring

The Fred D. Pfening Co. knows that bin vent dust collectors on silos, use bins and hoppers are an integral part of NFPA combustible dust control protocols and critical to ensure that pneumatic conveying systems operate at peak performance. Improper venting is the most common root cause of tube plugs, low transfer rates and slow ingredient scaling. Pfening designed the Filter Guardian Monitoring System, which features real-time monitoring and optimal performance to ensure dust collector filter cartridges perform properly and achieve maximum useful life between changeouts. www.pfening.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: sales@pfening.com

RADEMAKER

Integrated, mobile monitoring station

Rademaker introduced the Monitoring Station, an inte grated, mobile product line scanner, in light of increased attention to efficiency, profitability and waste reduc tion. It analyzes the size, shape and volume of bakery products and provides measurable data to solve these issues. Operators can also use the data to make real-time process adjustments, or the data can be sent directly to the line during production when applicable. www.rademaker.com

Year released: 2021

Contact: Nick Magistrelli nmagistrelli@rademakerusa.com

REISER

Production line versatility

Reiser’s latest innovation, the VEMAG Multi-Lane Dough Divider, adds versatility to every production line and is applicable for all types of buns, rolls and English muffins. Easily adjustable to consistently produce exact-weight portions of dough, the multi-outlet VEMAG includes Reiser’s patented Waterwheel flow divider and servo-driven cutting system. It can run up to eight lanes at up to 300 cuts per minute and is able to handle all types of dough. Weight accu racy is achieved across multiple lanes without adjustments. www.reiser.com

Year released: 2022

Contact: Ron Mullins sales@reiser.com

REPCO

Improve hinge integrity on sliced rolls

Repco’s Ultimate Hinge was developed to improve hinge integrity on all sliced rolls. The company’s proprietary formula is incorporated into the baker’s recipe to ensure that customers get the best sliced roll on the market. Ultimate Hinge enhances softness and freshness as well as improves texture while keeping the structural integrity of the protein inside the bun. This also improves the development, quality and machineability of dough for rolls. www.repcoworld.com/ultimate-hinge

Year released: 2021

Contact: emlotek@repcoworld.com

REXFAB

Automated pan stacking/unstacking

Rexfab’s Pan Stacker - Pan Unstacker delivers lower operat ing costs through automation. The machine’s breakthrough technology includes a fully electric system using electro magnetic technology and servo motors to ensure smooth, gentle pan stacking and unstacking. The recipe-driven solution handles up to 40 pans per minute in a compact footprint. Benefits include reduced noise levels, less need for expensive compressed air, reduced pan wear and maximized operator safety with dual-zone safety enclosure. www.rexfab.com

Year released: 2020, debuted at IBIE 2022

Contact: sales@rexfab.com

STEWART SYSTEMS

Gentle, accurate makeup line

Stewart Systems, a Middleby Bakery brand, released the Wave 200 Bread Make-Up which runs two lanes at speeds of 100 cuts per minute or faster. The unit integrates with all Middleby Bakery equipment or serves as a replace ment for older volumetric technology. With a low pressure, max 40 PSI at the manifold, this unit embraces Wave tech nology due to its gentle-on-the-dough action compared to other extrusion technologies. Servo-driven pumps gener ate positive displacement, and the servo-driven cut-off delivers accurate weights with no mineral oil needed. www.stewart-systems.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: stewart.parts@stewart-systems.com

SCHUBERT

In-house 3-D printing solution

Schubert Additive Solutions launched its PARTBOX 3-D printer to deliver consistently high print quality and improve process reliability for packaging machines and overall process efficiency. With its own streaming platform and printer, PARTBOX is complete system that enables manufacturers to produce components directly in their own operations. www.schubert.group

Year released: 2022

Contact: sales@schubert-na.com

Precise and powerful depositing

Unfiller, part of Linxis Group, offers its +Series Depositors to blend the power of pneumatic machines with digital precision. With the help of a Bluetooth-enabled smart device, operators can control speed, volume, splash reduction, pre-charge and deposit pressure profiling for the most accurate deposits. A cloud-based Total Care App provides real-time data analytics as well as digital controls for any machine settings or recipe adjustments. The +Series Depositors are built for ease of use and cleaning and require no special training to operate. www.unifiller.com

Year released: 2022 Contact: Sean Devenish info@unifiller.com

U UNIFILLER

Secondary packaging solutions for the bakery, snack and tortilla industries. BPA loads all types of products into cases and various other containers including your hffs machines, wrapper chain in-feeds and indexing thermoform machines.

Commercial Baking Channel

Our multimedia collection is full of videos, podcast episodes and more, where you can get a look — and listen — into the exciting shifts happening in the baking industry.

TechTalk with Josh Becker, Harpak-Ulma

Joanie Spencer, editor-in-chief of Commercial Baking , and Josh Becker, bakery/confection product manager for Harpak-Ulma, discuss the benefits of sole-source providers for bakery packaging line operations. Watch as they dive into what it takes to make sure customers receive top notch packaging for their products. www.harpak-ulma.com

TechTalk with Ronald Falkenberg, Diosna

In this TechTalk, Joanie Spencer chats with Ronald Falkenberg, North American sales director for Diosna, about the benefits of grain cooking and the technical considerations that come with this technology. www.diosna.com

Catching up with Alpha Baking Company

Joanie Spencer catches up with Larry Marcucci, CEO of Chicago-based Alpha Baking Company, at Pack Expo International 2022 in Chicago to discuss the latest innovations and equipment being featured at the show.

Catching up with Boulangerie Humanite

At Pack Expo 2022, Dominique Bohec, CEO of Que bec, Canada-based B oulangerie Humanite (Bakery Humanity), shares his main takeaways from the tradeshow floor. He also discusses how the bakery is working through packaging issues and some of his strategies for exploring the tradeshow floor.

Troubleshooting Innovation podcast: Season 5

Season 5 of Commercial Baking ’s podcast features Rebecca Abel, owner of D’Vine Cookies, as she gives listeners a glimpse at cookie production through the lens of an entrepreneur. Listen to the full season now, starting with episode 1.

IBIE Innovation Minute: Hans Besems, AMF Tromp

Hans Besems, executive product manager for AMF Tromp, discusses the company’s most modern ar tisan bread line at the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE). The machine allows full washdown execution and is designed for cu stomers to make better, more diverse products. www.amfbakery.com

IBIE Innovation Minute: Jeremy Shall, Intralox

Jeremy Shall, bakery and snack industry team leader at Intralox, highlights the AIM Glide system. Crafted to replace common problems found in slat switch technology, this innovation was featured at IBIE and has a focus on safety, efficiency and sanitation. www.intralox.com

IBIE Innovation Minute: Chuck Sena, Axis Automation

Chuck Sena, director of sales and marketing for Axis Automation, explains the LD Depositor and Hopper Buddy Transfer Pump that the company displayed and introduced at IBIE. Both are capable of handling a wide range of viscosities. www.axisautomation.com

IBIE Innovation Minute: Nico Roesler, Reading Bakery Systems

Nico Roesler, North American pretzel and snack equipment sales manager for Reading Bakery Systems, explains the new Thomas L. Green WCX Wirecut Machine for cookie and bar applications. Showcased at IBIE, it is one of the company’s most versatile systems to date. www.readingbakery.com

IBIE Innovation Minute:

Scott McCally, Auto-Bake Serpentine

Scott McCally, president of Middleby’s Auto-Bake Serpentine, explains the new Rapid Bake oven and the technology within it at IBIE. Check out how this innovation can reduce bake time by an average 30%. www.auto-bake.com

IBIE Innovation Minute: Wayne Tillotson, Bundy Baking Solutions

Wayne Tillotson, senior manager of technical services for Synova Oil, a Bundy Baking Solution, elucidates the AccuTech Pan Greaser for cakes. See his description of this innovation from the IBIE show floor. www.synovaoil.com

Pack Expo Innovation Minute: Craig Souser, JLS Automation

Craig Souser, president and CEO of JLS Auto mation, explains the innovations on display at the company’s Pack Expo 2022 booth including vertical pack, 3-D inspection technology and more. www.jlsautomation.com

Pack Expo Innovation Minute: Josh Becker, Harpak-Ulma

Josh Becker, bakery and confection segment manager for Harpak-Ulma, describes the new flow wrapper machine for bars and other technology to help with bakery needs. www.harpak-ulma.com

From the tradeshow floor and education sessions to booths and exhibits, Pack Expo 2022 was filled with critical insights and conversations regarding packaging. Watch the recap to get a sense of the excitement and knowledge that was shared.

Jordan Winter, creative director for Commercial Baking , presents a QuickBite session at IBIE 2022 entitled, “Are you a B Corp and Don’t Know It?” Here, she explains the steps baking companies can take to become a certified B Corporation.

Are you a B Corp and Don’t Know It?: Presented by Jordan Winter, Commercial Baking

A walk through Pack Expo International 2022

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Fresh insights on trends and innovations

Ad Index

The following advertisers appear in this issue. We encourage readers to reach out to these companies through the listed website or email for further information. This index is provided as a service to readers and advertisers, but Commercial Baking does not assume any liability for errors or omissions. Please send any updates or corrections to info@commercialbaking.com

ABI LTD 54 www.abiltd.com inquiry@abiltd.com

American Society of Baking 71 www.asbe.org kvanamburg@asbe.org

AMF Bakery Systems 12-13 www.amfbakery.com sales@amfbakery.com

Auto-Bake Serpentine 45 www.auto-bake.com mail@auto-bake.com

Bundy Baking Solutions 15 www.bundybakingsolutions.com info@bundybakingsolutions.com

Burford 53 www.burford.com info@burford.com

Capway Automation 18-19 www.capwayautomation.com sales@capwayusa.com

Cavanna Group 115 www.cavanna.com sales@cavannagroup.com

www.commercialbaking.com/subscription

Axis Automation 29 www.axisautomation.com info@axisautomation.com

Baker Thermal 78 www.bakerthermal.com equipmentsales@bakerthermal.com

Baxter 106 www.baxtermfg.com mike.mathis@baxtermfg.com

Belshaw 31 www.belshaw.com info@belshaw.com

Bettendorf Stanford 63 www.bettendorfstanford.com jatkins@bettendorfstanford.com

BluePrint Automation 105 www.blueprintautomation.com sales@blueprintautomation.com

Brolite 67 www.bakewithbrolite.com s.delghingaro@broliteproducts.com

Corbion 116 www.corbion.com foodus@corbion.com

Doran Scales 64 www.doranscales.com sales@doranscales.com

Formost Fuji 56 www.formostfuji.com sales@formostfuji.com

Fred D. Pfening Co. 21 www.pfening.com sales@pfening.com

Great Western Manufacturing 59 www.gwmfg.com eharrison@gwmfg.com

Handtmann 16 www.handtmann.de/en patrick.mcgady@handtmann.us

Harpak-Ulma 61 www.harpak-ulma.com info@harpak-ulma.com

Henry & Sons 82-83, 86 www.dhenryandsons.com info@dhenryandsons.com

Heuft Thermo-Oel GmbH & Co. 39 www.heuft1700.com L.Lubberich@heuft1700.com

Hindsbock 47 www.hinds-bock.com sales.inquiries@hinds-bock.com

Intralox 5 www.intralox.com customerservice.bakery@intralox.com

J&K Ingredients 2 www.jkingredients.com sales@jkingredients.net

Kaak 75 www.kaak.com jlaros@kaak.com

Kwik Lok 48 www.kwiklok.com sales@kwiklok.com

LeMatic 51 www.lematic.com info@lematic.com

Mecatherm 55 www.mecatherm.fr/en info@mecatherm.fr

Moline 25 www.moline.com sales@moline.com

Multivac/Fritsch 37 us.multivac.com matt.zielsdorf@multivac.com

National Honey Board 40-41 www.honey.com honey@nhb.org

Oakes 27 www.oakes.com info@oakes.com

Peerless Food Equipment 4 www.peerlessfood.com sales@peerlessfood.com

Promach 8 www.benchmarkautomation.net benchmark.sales@promachbuilt.com

Rademaker 7 www.rademaker.com sales@rademaker.com

Reiser 10 www.reiser.com sales@reiser.com

Repco 69 www.repcoworld.com/bakery info@repcoworld.com

Rexfab 3 www.rexfab.com rexfab@rexfab.com

Schubert 77 www.schubert.group sales@schubert-na.com

Shick Esteve 32-33 www.shickesteve.com info@shickesteve.com

Stewart Systems 81 www.stewart-systems.com stewart.sales@stewart-systems.com

Unifiller 109 www.unifiller.com info@unifiller.com

Zeppelin Systems USA 72 zeppelin-systems.com/us/industries/food-industry info@zeppelin-usa.com

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Paul Lattan

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Steve Berne

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It’s time to perform rather than just spend.

Lessons from a Revival

A stranger once approached me in a hotel lobby. It was late at night, and I was exhausted after a full day of work, but he had a warm smile and seemed eager to talk to me. “You don’t know me,” he said, “but I follow you on LinkedIn and want to thank you for bringing back a piece of my childhood.”

Moments like that remind me why I’m on this journey to revive my family’s business. Three years ago, I had the unexpected opportunity to buy Stuckey’s, the roadside chain my grandfather founded in 1937. The company had fallen on hard times after a series of outside owners. But I saw something that wasn’t on the balance sheets: the value of the brand, of people who had cherished memories of stopping at our stores on family vacations. That was worth reviving — and worth risking my life’s savings.

In many ways, bringing back a business is harder than starting one. You don’t get to pick your own team, and even the most thorough due diligence fails to uncover all the pitfalls you’ll encounter. The hardest part, though, is letting go of what’s not working.

We shifted focus from the stores to the product, specifically pecans. Stuckey’s began as a roadside stand selling pecans and grew into a nationwide company. We had to return to our roots, making our pecan snacks and candies ourselves. Shifting focus from our stores was strategic, but it wasn’t easy.

There are 13 original Stuckey’s stores still standing, but they’re no longer our pathway for growth; we found that through our manufacturing efforts and B2B sales.

For the first time in more than 50 years, Stuckey’s makes its own products. Not only is the quality better, but the margins are also better. Today, Stuckey’s products are landing national accounts, and our operation is picking up co-manufacturing contracts, too. I’m proud to say that in less than three years, the company is out of the red and thriving.

The key was collaboration with my partners: co-owner RG Lamar and Ted Wright, an equity investor who is also a talented marketing professional. Choosing the right partners was hands-down my best business decision. But we could not have done any of it without passion. If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, then you need to be doing something else. But if you have it, harness it. And then go all in.

I hope my story will inspire others to take a risk on an unex pected opportunity. You never know when it might lead to a stranger thanking you for reviving his childhood. CB

Stephanie Stuckey is the CEO of Stuckey’s. She can be seen on social media spreading the word to drive awareness and nostalgia for the Stuckey’s brand that was an iconic part of the American family road trip.

Be on the lookout for our NEW Innovation on the Rise Webinar!

Coming February 2023

Re:

Rethink Sustainability

Sustainability is a broad concept, and companies looking for ways to be greener can find the challenge overwhelming. The fact is that many parts of a company can contribute to creating a more resource-efficient, eco-friendly enterprise, but allowing yourself to be guided by your company’s values can help in narrowing your focus. Innovation on the Rise, a new webinar series, examines various aspects of, perspectives on and avenues toward improving the sustainability of your bakery operations.

What comes next starts when we rethink sustainability together.