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.

Nearly four years after the economic downturn, many Americans are still keeping a tight rein on their expenditures, monitoring how much they spend on essentials, including groceries, and nonessentials, such as eating out. Not surprisingly, many food manufacturers and restaurants have been impacted by this new-found consumer frugality, prompting the former to trim unprofitable items from their product lines and the latter to add more specials to their menus.

Like all manufacturers, bakers and snack producers know that their success (and profitability) depends on more than just regularly introducing new products. Controlling overhead, operating and equipment costs is a major part of the equation.

Hudson Bread, North Bergen, N.J., is rather a paradox. Starting out in 1994 as a small, fully artisan bakery owned and operated by president/chief executive Mariusz (Mark) Kolodziej, Hudson Bread became a favored producer, as its scrumptious baguettes, boules, rolls, brioche, buns, Ciabattas, Pullman loaves and much more gave it plenty of momentum to grow and expand.

Bakers and snack makers are well-acquainted with the saying, “Time is money.” A malfunctioning oven, depositor or conveyor system can result in production delays that negatively impact customers, as well as the bottom line.

We visit one of three of Little Lady Foods’ production facilities, which are all about customization. The frozen food manufacturer produces about 100 stock-keeping units that vary with customer desires, and as many as five million pizzas and three million sandwiches each week.

Expanded several times, Turano Baking Co.’s Berwyn, Ill., headquarters production plant features three fully-automated makeup lines and three semi-automated lines that can produce some 200 stock-keeping units overall and generate as many as 150 types of fresh products each day. Starting out as a 2,000-sq.-ft. storefront in the early 1960s, the facility now is a 185,000-sq.-ft. dynamo of action.

Don Pancho Authentic Mexican Foods’ state-of-the-art tortilla production facility in Halifax, N.C., is now fully onstream, paving the way for tortillas to become a weekly staple in the non-Hispanic market. Adding three more production lines at the Halifax location, the company is offering an array of new, better-for-you tortillas, wraps and chips that are helping make the most of its dynamic tortilla business.