Serving a substantial portion of the Southeast, including the Five Guys hamburger restaurant chain, Masada Bakery has a deep commitment to customer service, quality standards and an ability to flex with a major growth curve in a tough economy. It’s for these and other reasons that we named it our 2012 Wholesale Baker of the Year.
Masada Bakery’s 100,000-sq.-ft. bakery operation in Norcross, Ga., continues to grow, even in a slumping economy, thanks in part to the dramatic success of several customers.
For four full days, PACK EXPO International 2012 brings together more than 46,000 buyers from all over the globe and 1,800-plus leading suppliers, showcasing state-of-the art materials, machinery and methods for packaging and processing in every market.
Not many things these days can truly be called “something new under the sun.” But Frito-Lay North America’s snack-processing plant in Casa Grande, Ariz. is one of them. Opened in 1984, the plant is possibly the most sustainable facility of its kind in the U.S. Combining sustainability for the future, a learning site and snack production, the facility currently serves a seven-state snack distribution network on a sprawling 280 acres in the Sonoran Desert. Occupying 170,000 sq. ft. of total space, with 160,000 sq. ft. under one roof, the Casa Grande plant is part of Frito-Lay’s
Find out how Calgary Italian Bakery, one of the largest independent bakeries in western Canada, producing baked goods to restaurants such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries, was able to slash its paper costs by more than $2,000 a year, increase delivery efficiency and accuracy and save on administrative staffing by two-and-a-half hours a week using mobile hand-held technology. The bakery is now able to record returns, reconcile orders, print orders and capture customer signatures all on one device.
Chipping in for a “greener” future, Frito-Lay North America’s snack manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Ariz., is the company’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold snack unit—a remarkable achievement in its own right. But the plant, which Frito-Lay calls its Near Net Zero project showcase, is also the result of a highly ambitious sustainability project that took the location “off the grids,” running primarily on renewable energy sources and recycled water, while producing zero landfill waste. The plant could be the most sustainable food production facility of its kind in the U.S.
Simple salt just won’t cut it in the competition for consumers’ popcorn-craving palettes. Unique ingredients and flavor profiles are helping popcorn manufacturers go for their personal best in the great snacking games.
Low in calories, high in fiber—popcorn may just be the perfect natural snack. Of course, that doesn’t stop manufacturers from trying to up the ante by enhancing all the whole grain has to offer. Now, popcorn can be found competing with chips, pretzels and even candy in the snacking Olympics.
Nutritious, delicious and portable, snack nuts and trail mixes continue to provide sports spectators and on-the-go consumers with better-for-you, between-meal treats.
Like Olympic triathletes, snack nuts are able to compete with other edible treats on several levels and come out on top. They’re nutritious (good sources of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals), versatile (usable in endless applications or consumed by themselves) and flavorful (plain or seasoned). No wonder more consumers are incorporating them into their diets.
Jerky manufacturers are concentrating more on all-natural ingredients and intriguing new flavors to meet consumer demand for healthier, better-tasting products and to attract new customers.