JANUARY 2012 |
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BU S I N E S S AN D TECH NOLOGY SOLUTION S FOR COLD CHAI N PROFE S S IONALS
Reser’s
puts its best food forward
PACKAGING NEW MICROWAVE MATERIALS
LOGISTICS AS/RS LABOR SAVERS
ENERGY LED’S CUT COST Supplement to Food Engineering a
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VIEWPOINT COLD PACKAGING Hot topics Microwave miracles? One expert endorses simple delivery, sophisticated structures.
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10 COLD SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS
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Got a GPS? Don’t get lost. Here’s one expert’s advice to navigate supply chain challenges and spot opportunities. Labor, cost savers Experts say it’s time to take a fresh look at automated material handling.
15 COLD TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE Showcase on cold facility flooring and suppliers’ other new products for food plants and cold storage warehouses.
24 COVER FEATURE
Reser’s
FRESH approach
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Reser’s fresh approach Nation’s largest refrigerated prepared foods processor embraces new branding, products and categories – and the start of a historic new chapter in its story.
32 COLD PLANT OPERATIONS Forward focus Reser’s adds seven plants in just five months – and keeps the focus on quality, food safety and customer service.
40 COLD FOOD SAFETY Certified safe Reser’s Fine Foods Quality Assurance Director Brad Pacey talks about food safety at the nation’s largest refrigerated salads and side dish company.
42 COLD ENERGY MANAGEMENT REFRIGERATED & FROZEN FOODS, a supplement to FOOD ENGINEERING, is published 7 times annually, Jan/Feb, Mar/ Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct, Nov and Dec by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 480843333.
Spend to save Cold warehouse operators say LED lighting makes dollars and sense.
Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2012, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Send address changes to: FOOD ENGINEERING, P.O. Box 2146, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O.Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to FOOD ENGINEERING, P.O. Box 2146, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or
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ON THE COVER: Leading the way at Reser's Fine Foods are (L-R) Peter Sirgy, senior vice president-sales & marketing; Paul Levy, chief financial officer; Mark Reser, president & CEO; Mike Reser, vice president, logistics; and Barbara Jordan, director of R&D and quality assurance. www.RFFmag.com
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VOL. 22, NO. 1
Green supply chain success? Tell me.
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EDITORIAL BOB GARRISON Editor-In-Chief
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PRODUCTION
want to interrupt this editor’s viewpoint to insert a shameless plug … about YOU. Refrigerated & Frozen Foods is preparing to honor a food processor-shipper with the magazine’s second annual “Sustainable Supply Chain” award. This award recognizes a refrigerated or frozen food processor’s year-overyear efforts to reduce carbon footprint in transportation and warehousing activities. With its initial program last year, R&FF recognized two companies, frozen potato processor H.J. Heinz (principally, the Ore-Ida business) and turkey processor Butterball LLC. Due to overwhelming interest and several additional related improvements, I want to use this space to tell you more about our 2012 plans. Voting: Proud of what your supply team has accomplished? We encourage food processors to nominate their logistics / supply chain departments. Alternatively, we encourage third-party carriers (truck, rail), warehouse operators and logistics consultants to nominate food processor customers. Award criteria: We’re looking for hard examples of year-over-year improvements (2011 vs. 2010) in one or more of the following seven categories: UÊ vÀÌi`ÊÌÀ>ëÀÌ>ÌÊ savings (raw materials shipping, field or plant-to-plant) UÊ Ü>Ài
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UÊ ÌÀ>ëÀÌ>ÌÊ`iÊÃ>Û}ÃÊ (truck-to-rail savings) UÊ ÌÀ>ëÀÌ>ÌÊ«Ìâ>ÌÊi°]Ê equipment upgrades, SmartWay Partnership program) UÊ «>V>}}Ê«Ìâ>ÌÊÃiÀÊ or lighter packaging, etc., to ship more per truck) UÊ Ü>Ài
ÕÃiÊ«ÀÛiiÌÃÊi°]ÊÃ>ÀÊ energy, lighting, AS/RS-related energy savings) UÊ iÝÌi`i`ÊÃÕ««ÞÊV
>ÊÛÛ}Ê third-party partners’ noteworthy efforts Judging: Judging this year’s entries will be 30-year-plus logistics veteran Jack Ampuja, president and CEO of Supply Chain Optimizers, Buffalo, N.Y. Readers may reach Jack (profiled on page 10 of this month’s issue!) at
[email protected] or (716) 689-4601. Award & magazine coverage: R&FF will profile its Sustainable Supply Chain honoree in its May 2102 cover feature. The magazine also will present its award – in person – during the second annual Food Logistics Forum (FLF), June 3-5 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans. FLF is sponsored by the American Frozen Food Institute and Global Cold Chain Alliance.
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Supplement to Food Engineering a
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods January 2012
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Cold Packaging Solutions
Hot topics Microwave miracles? One expert endorses simple products, sophisticated structures. Refrigerated & Frozen Foods talks about microwave packaging trends and technologies with Timothy Bohrer, CCP, a 35-year packaging materials expert and president of Pac Advantage Consulting, Chicago.
R&FF: What new products or packaging caught your eye last year? Why? Bohrer: ConAgra Foods introduced Marie Callender pot pies and family-sized entrees in sophisticated field management trays that heat the product quite evenly. This is significant because it represents a family of products using this technology. Last year also saw continued growth in steamable packages and microwaveable, stand-up pouches. R&FF: How about advances in susceptor technology? Bohrer: Last year appeared to be a bit of a plateau for susceptor heating. There was some product consolidation in hand-held items with competition increasing in that product area. Yet there appears to be more growth on the horizon. Published patent applications suggest many companies are exploring ways aim to increase the available heat generation of a susceptor structure. I see some early introductions of new approaches in both the United States and Europe. R&FF: So where can that technology grow? Bohrer: Susceptor technology’s next growth spurt will come with greater heating control capabilities. I’m thinking about “hotter,” single-layer susceptor structures that duplicate or exceed a dual susceptor’s performance. New single-layer structures could offer simpler, cost-effective options. However, the real opportunity involves using higher heat flux susceptors to extend the range of microwaveable products. High-moisture content foods – such as larger pizzas and other items that are difficult to brown and crisp – are logical targets for these technologies. R&FF: What’s new in microwave steaming? Bohrer: I would characterize 2011 as another year of expanded options and technology choices for microwave steaming functionality. Packagers face decisions about trade-offs of cost versus more control over the temperature/ pressure at which venting is initiated. Multi-component systems offer more customization options. However, there’s increased cost compared to perforations or tortuous venting paths in seal areas. 8
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
. more evenly ats product he ay tr ed Improv
R&FF: So what’s next in microwave steaming? Bohrer: As the category matures, I expect to see a bit of a shake-out of various technologies. With greater experience, packagers now better understand each option’s cost/performance profiles. This means the market will trend toward preferred solutions. My personal view is that there is a growth opportunity for rigid packaging with venting lids. Flexible steaming packages prove you can gain additional sales if you simplify the consumer’s microwave heating experience. R&FF: What should processors look for in 2012? Bohrer: I think we’ll see continued scrutiny about how consumers achieve safe food temperatures with any microwaveable product – precooked or raw. Obviously, raw is far more difficult to manage and this seems to be a work in progress. Some experts say “no” to any consideration involving prepackaged raw meat in the microwave. Others believe the appropriate controls can adequately reduce risk. I think we’ll see increased emphasis on packaging technologies that effectively reduce temperature gradients (uneven temperatures) in microwaveable foods. These technologies would expand the range of microwavable foods. I’m also still waiting for substantiated, on-pack claims about microwave energy efficiency compared to conventional ovens – particularly when it comes to heating frozen foods. There’s a good story here for consumers. www.RFFmag.com
Cold Supply Chain & Logistics
Got a GPS? Don’t get lost. Here’s one expert’s advice to navigate supply chain challenges and spot opportunities. Refrigerated & Frozen Foods talks with Jack Ampuja, president and CEO of Supply Chain Optimizers, a Buffalo, N.Y., consulting firm.
R&FF: What was the best news for supply chain executives in 2011? What was the worst? Jack Ampuja: Oil prices have gyrated up and down. However, they aren’t worse than they were at this time last year. So, although fuel surcharges are still evident, they haven’t been a significant issue for most shippers. The big “negative” relates to how quickly trucking capacity is tightening and rates are increasing. Many shippers are so concerned about this development that they already have been lining up equipment commitments for 2012. Carriers are reviewing low-priced accounts for increases and are much more reluctant to enter into long-term pricing arrangements. R&FF: What was the most surprising supply chain news? Ampuja: I’m surprised the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration seems so intent to reduce truck drivers’ hours of service. The trucking industry’s safety record has been outstanding. That’s why many observers – including me – don’t understand the need for tightened regulations. R&FF: Do you see processor-shippers changing network optimization strategies? Ampuja: Network optimization is high on the [must] list for virtually every major food processor-shipper. Remember that many companies’ logistics networks were set when oil was $40 per barrel. With oil now hovering around $100 per barrel, it really pays to analyze the validity of the network in light of this major cost increase which directly impacts fright rates. During the 30 years I’ve worked on network optimization, I’ve watched it evolve from a five-year strategic tool into a quarterly tactic. Bud Lalond leads Ohio State University’s annual survey of supply chain executives and he asks about their careers. Bud told me that network optimization now has the highest level of management attention it has received in the 35 years since the survey has been conducted. R&FF: How are shippers tackling sustainability? Ampuja: The green movement continues to escalate. Nearly every major company has an executive responsible for sustainability. In the largest firms, this is usually a stand-alone, vice president’s position; in smaller firms it is typically linked with another function, such as “director of transportation and sustainability.” 10
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
MEET JACK AMPUJA Background: Ampuja has more than 30 years of supply chain experience with five Fortune 500 firms, including Rich Products Corp. Education: B.A., University of Massachusetts; post-graduate logistics study at Northeastern University.; MBA, Univerisity of Connecticut Personal: Ampuja teaches MBA supply chain management courses at Niagara University and serves as Executive in Residence. He also teaches online for the University of Massachusetts. Our consulting clients ask us to report on green impact [of proposed actions] as well as financial measures. Green is here to stay and it will only escalate in importance. I believe it was green guru Andrew Winston who said “If you are not at the table discussing sustainability, someone at the table will probably have your company for lunch.”
R&FF: What about packaging optimization as a green strategy? Ampuja: Last spring, I was asked to speak about packaging optimization at the first “Supply Chain Day” of the Food & Consumer Products Association of Canada. Many top supply chain executives attended that event and subsequently, I have been contacted by as many as seven companies that want to explore the opportunity. A month before that Canadian conference, I hosted packaging optimization workshops in London, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Aarhus (Denmark’s second largest city). I already have been asked to conduct similar sessions in China, India and Vietnam. R&FF: What’s your read on 2012 supply chain strategy? Ampuja: It already looks like a challenging year. A worldwide financial malaise still blocks numerous programs and investments. No one really knows what will unfold in Europe and what that means for North America. To me it looks like processors will have difficulty raising prices. Meanwhile, I think you’ll see continued pressure on logistics costs due to the impending tightening of carrier capacity, increased driver shortages and no relief in high oil prices. It will not be easy to maintain profit margins. Leading shippers already are working proactively with logistics service providers to get ready. Anyone waiting for carriers to contact them is probably missing the boat. www.RFFmag.com
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Cold Supply Chain & Logistics
BY STEVE KING
Labor, cost savers Experts say it’s time to take a fresh look at automated material handling.
n the past, companies experiencing growth often turned towards building a new facility – or expanding their existing facility – to help accommodate additional inventory. However, during the past three to four years, financial and economic disruptions have forced companies to be much more cautious with capital expenditures and look at situations more subjectively. More companies are asking, “How can I grow and expand my business utilizing my current facility?” and “How can I increase production with less cost?” In turn, more companies are turning to automation as a practical solution.
Photo courtesy ESI Constructors / ESI Group USA
I
New options, more options During the last 30 years, automated warehousing has evolved from massive vendor-driven designs in very specialized, fullyautomated structures to more of a commodity approach involving conventional structures. No longer do companies have to build a highly specialized facility for a single vendor’s proprietary automated system. Instead, a number of warehouse operators are turning to mini mechanized systems with automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) replenishment. These systems may be used as stand-alone units or implemented with existing pick-to-pallet jacks, pick-to-belt or pick-to-tote solutions. These hybrid systems also can work for almost any type
Bridgford upgrades AS/RS You can count Bridgford Foods Corp., Anaheim, Calif., among AS/RS believers. In fact, this frozen bread, roll and sandwiches processor contracted with its original system provider, Westfalia Technologies Inc., to upgrade an automated storage and retrieval system in Dallas. Westfalia, York, Pa., installed Bridgford’s original system in 1994. Officials said its 2011 renovation involved new motors with SEW drive technology, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), Allen Bradley human machine interface (HMI) upgrades, wireless communications between conveyors and warehouse management software and a complete replacement of the system’s electrical control cabinet. Westfalia said it completed system upgrades within a scheduled 14 days and that Bridgford’s Dallas plant, a frozen dough bakery, was able to partially ship items after only eight days.
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Cold Supply Chain & Logistics
World news & notes Swisslog, Buchs/Aarau, Switzerland, expects this summer to complete and start up a high-bay public refrigerated warehouse in Zellik, Belgium (near Brussels), for Norbert Dentressangle, a French third-party logistics company. Swisslog says the fully automated location handles products at temperatures as low as -25˚C (-13˚F) and will serve multiple clients. In other news, Swisslog said last October that a U.S. “Fortune 200 retailer” placed a “major order” for an automated distribution center. Swisslog’s U.S. sales office is in Newport News, Va.
of company that handles food – including grocery retailers, foodservice distributors, public refrigerated warehouses or food processors. Recent trends also have shown companies looking for help with their “slow movers.” Since slow movers proliferate and inundate the typical warehouse, most facilities want access to all kinds of specialty products (only in small amounts) – but still want them delivered with their regular deliveries at little or no extra cost. ESI Constructors recently helped a southwestern convenience store company automate a distribution center. In this instance, ESI designed a multi-level system with an AS/RS crane for pick-to-belt and pick-to-pallet activities within the same module. This approach allows the operator to combine fast movers and slow movers in
the same system – further amortizing the cost of the automated system by doing replenishment with the automated crane for fast movers. It also allows the owner to maximize overhead clearance in its existing facility. This system has reduced forklift labor by 90 percent and improved sortation and queuing for pick-to-belt items, which will result in a 30 percent increase in order selection and order consolidation productivity. The system has been designed with the ability to migrate into fully automated selection of up to 80 percent of the total master case throughput of the facility. This process will be an add-on that capitalizes on the newly installed AS/RS conveyor and sortation infrastructure. Labor savings, improved selection accuracy, ease of integration and related op-
erating requirements make these systems a great choice in helping companies become more competitive in the marketplace.
What’s changed? If you haven’t looked closely at the automated material handling market, it’s time to do so because of changes in … … complementary technologies: Today’s scanning, labeling, radio frequency and conveying equipment is both improved and more flexible than what was available five to 10 years ago. … size, energy demand: Newer, smaller systems take less space and use less energy. New systems also use fewer resources. For example, an AS/RS warehouse needs no lighting in the crane aisle. It only needs lighting in the selection areas and those may be turned off based upon motion in the aisle.”
Preferred opens third fully automated site Refrigerated warehouse operator Preferred Freezer Services (PFS), Chatham, N.J., opened a fully automated, 10 millioncubic-foot warehouse in Elizabeth, N.J. PFS said it held a mid-November open house, “where guests witnessed firsthand how curve-going, rail-guided robotic stacker cranes can precisely handle pallet loads of goods in complete darkness, as two pallets per minute move from the loading dock to the freezer at each high speed door.” PFS’ Elizabeth, N.J., site is the company’s third fully automated operation in the United States and fifth worldwide, officials say. PFS has 27 locations in the United States, Vietnam and China.
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012 13
Cold Supply Chain & Logistics
World news & notes AS/RS technologies supplier Savoye, Dijon France, says it wants to introduce a pallet shuttle to U.S. food processors and cold storage warehouse operators. The company opened a U.S. sales office, Savoye Inc., in suburban Chicago (Hoffman Estates, Ill.). Officials say the pallet shuttle is a popular AS/RS solution and has proven itself in a 2010 installation in Ardooie, Belgium, for Ardo nv, one of Europe’s largest frozen vegetable and fruit processors.
ISO 21469 Cerfied What does it mean to you?
Human health and personal safety are important issues in the food processing and packaging industry. That is why Summit Industrial Products made it a priority to become an ISO 21469 Certified facility. Summit’s raw materials, additives, lubricants, equipment and facility pass annual inspections by NSF Internaonal to maintain their ISO 21469 Cerficaon. Equipment leaks are going to occur, so the challenge is to select the right lubricants to minimize product contaminaon. Summit food grade synthec lubricants have been developed, tested, and industry accepted to be safe, and reliable, while enhancing equipment performance. By going through the detailed ISO 21469 certification process with the NSF – as opposed to the self-certification by those companies who are “compliant” - Summit products offer the confidence of knowing without a doubt that the lubricants in your machine meet the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness. PRODUCTS YOU CAN TRUST: Air Compressor - FG Series - PAO Hydraulic - HySyn FG Series - PAO Hydraulic - HyPar FG Series - White Oil Air Line Lubricant - LubeAir FG-22 - White Oil Refrigeraon - R Series - PAO Gear - Syngear PG FG - PAG Gear - Syngear FG Series - PAO Gear - UniPar FG Series - Synthec Blend Barrier Fluid Series - PAO Blower - SBL FG Series - PAO
… software: Although it’s demanding, new automated systems do not require as much processing capacity as their older counterparts. New systems also are friendlier for warehouse employees. A younger generation of workers does not remember working without computers, so it takes less time for them to understand and embrace warehouse automation. … return on investment: Labor savings, improved selection accuracy, reduced building size and related operating requirements all help automated systems bring a faster return on investment. In the end, not very building is designed for automation or even needs automation. Facility owners need an expert – not affiliated with an automation vendor – to examine each case. This way, building owner-operators get an unbiased opinion of the value of automation to their operation. Unbiased experts will help facility owners select systems that represent a correct “fit.” No matter what, if you haven’t looked closely into the automated material handling market in awhile, it’s time to do so. Steve King is a regional vice president in Vancouver, Wash., for ESI Constructors Inc. King has more than 30 years experience in food industry project management, design and building. Learn more about ESI, Hartland, Wis., at www. esigroupusa.com.
Summit Industrial Products P.O. Box 131359 • Tyler, TX 75713 Ph. 800.749.5823 • www.klsummit.com
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
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Cold Technology Showcase FOCUS ON: FLOORING, INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION Better floor, more uptime Fricks’ FSC Advantage™ shrinkage compensating concrete provides more durable concrete floors that equate to more uptime with less facility maintenance and equipment maintenance. Facility operators can eliminate as much as 90 percent of floor joints by using Fricks’ FSC Advantage™ shrinkage compensating concrete floors. These light-reflective concrete floors feature steel-edge armored joints, traprock floor hardener and Rebar reinforced construction. Fricks’ FSC Advantage™ shrinkage compensating concrete floors won’t curl and sealers are not required. – The Fricks Company (817) 560-8281 / www.thefrickscompany.com
Food appoved! SherwinWilliams’ new Magnalux™ 304 FF is a flakefilled vinyl ester approved for food contact surfaces. Magnalux 304 is a chemical resistant immersion coating comprised of a vinyl ester resin containing mica flakes that reduce permeability and improve edge retention for longer service life. Offering maximum flexibility, it is formulated with an extended pot life and can be applied with conventional or airless spray equipment on steel and concrete surfaces. Magnalux 304 meets FDA 175.300 for conditions of use D, E and F, covering dry and liquid foods and beverages that are hot filled or pasteurized below 150˚F; room temperature filled and stored, with no thermal treatment in the container; and subject to refrigerated storage, with no thermal treatment in the container. – Sherwin-Williams (800) 524-5979 / www.sherwin-williams.com
Color? Get it right. Now there’s a simple, accurate way to customize floor colors. Just visit Dur-A-Flex’s new Website and click on the bright, red starburst. Our new Custom Chip Color Selector leads visitors through three easy steps: chip size selection, choice of colors and mix percentage. Just select micro- or macro-sized chips. We’ll marry those chips to Dur-A-Flex’s color palette and then tweak them for color intensity. Press a button to order a sample shipped within days. Dur-A-Flex is a leading manufacturer of epoxy, urethane, methyl methacrylate and colored aggregates with a complete line of high performance polymer flooring and wall systems. Our versatile, seamless applications provide improved safety, minimal downtime and easy maintenance for food processors. – Dur-A-Flex Inc. (877) 251-5418 / www.dur-a-flex.com
It’s a first! Evapco proudly introduces the Smart Shield Water Treatment System, the industry’s first solid chemical treatment engineered for – and factory mounted – on your closed circuit coolers and evaporative condensers. Evapco’s family of solid chemistry includes non-toxic inhibitors with oxidizing biocide to meet all your water treatment requirements without pumps, timers or liquids. With “No Touch” Solid Chemistry technology, Smart Shield is easy, safe and sustainable. – Evapco Inc. (410) 756-2600 / www.evapco.com
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012 15
Cold Technology Showcase FOCUS ON: FLOORING, INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION Come visit, learn Vilter Manufacturing invites you to its new $2 million technology and innovation center in Cudahy, Wis. Opened just last spring, this technology center will help Vilter engineer, develop and test energy efficient compressors as well as and expand its offerings using environmentally friendly refrigerants such as ammonia. Vilter’s 7,000-square-foot test facility lets engineers test an entire range of compressors on environmentally friendly anhydrous-ammonia (NH3). The new facility’s closed loop includes two compressor test beds that can be operated independently or simultaneously as a two-stage system. One station is designed for high flow testing while the other is designed for high pressure testing. – Vilter / Emerson Climate Technologies, www.emersonclimate.com
Seamless, sanitary SaniCrete’s goal is to exceed every customer’s expectations. We are your turnkey source for heavy duty polyurethane flooring systems. We know food processors need excellent resistance to impact abrasion, chemical attack or thermal shock. Our sanitary, non-slip, odor-free flooring systems meet or exceed all USDA, FDA and HACCP guidelines and may be installed over damp or dry concrete. Sanicrete also can complete installations and return floors to operating status in just 24 to 48 hours. Our single-source solution includes a no-hassle warranty. – SaniCrete (248) 893-1000 / www.sanicrete.com
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
Size does matter Whether your application involves new construction or replacement, Baltimore Aircoil’s CXV-T evaporative condenser is the answer. Using our patented coil-fill technology, the CXV-T can pack 1,888 tons into one cell with fewer connections, less overall weight and significantly less ammonia than the competition. – Baltimore Aircoil Company Inc. (410) 799-6200 / www.baltimoreaircoil.com
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Cold Technology Showcase FOCUS ON: FLOORING, INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION Improve worker safety SlipNOT non-slip stainless steel products transform slippery food processing environments into high-traction work areas. SlipNOT safety flooring products increase productivity and worker safety and reduce injury and liability. SlipNOT products are very versatile and can be used as floor plates, grating, ladder rungs, stair treads, crossovers, drain covers and platforms. SlipNOT products provide a long lasting, maintenance-free alternative to slippery diamond plate and fiberglass products – while withstanding food plants’ caustic enzyme environments. Sanitation crews can easily clean SlipNOT anti-slip flooring by power washing and brushing. – SlipNOT Metal Safety Flooring (800)-SLIPNOT / www.slipnot.com
Cold storage floors Want to boost handling speed, reduce lift truck maintenance and become more environmentally sound? Kalman floors use 80 percent fewer joints and 33 percent less rebar. We deliver the industry’s highest quality cold storage floor because our customers demand floors that require minimal maintenance under extreme operating conditions. Our self–polishing, abrasion resistant warehouse floor withstands high traffic volume and temperature extremes with minimal cracking to avoid costly shutdowns and slowed material handling speeds. Ask us about floor repair at working temperature! – Kalman Floor Company, 800-525-7840 / www.kalmanfloor.com
Seamless, hardworking floors Stonhard has been providing long-term food flooring solutions for 90 years. In addition to being sustainable, chemical, abrasion and impact resistant, our epoxy- and urethane-based floors perform in extreme heat and cold – resisting both thermal shock and cycling. Found in filling lines, kitchens, coolers, food preparation areas, mixing areas and process and packaging rooms, Stonhard’s Stonclad and Stonshield systems are textured to prevent slips and falls. They also stand up to oxidizing agents, organic acids and CIP chemicals. Our floors also are pitched to drains to prevent standing water from puddling and compromising sanitary regulations. Ask us about many more food safety related features! – Stonhard, (800) 257-7953 / www.stonhard.com
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S U C C E S S
S T O R I E S
HOW A VE MAG SALAD DE P OSITOR
eliminated HAND-LABOR a n d i n c r ea sed P R O F I TA B I L I T Y A TRUE STORY: A local customer visited Reiser to test our AMFEC equipment to mix his gourmet seafood salad. The test ran quite successfully. The customer then explained how his delicate mixture would be hand-scooped into plastic containers and he challenged us to develop a more cost-efficient solution. We suggested a Vemag Depositor with a dripless valve attachment. At first, the customer was skeptical – he thought the machine would damage the large chunks of seafood that his customers loved. However, the labor costs to handscoop were eating away at this product’s profitability, so he decided to give the Vemag a shot. We explained that the Vemag’s positive displacement double-screw pump would portion his product extremely gently without damage. He was pleasantly surprised to see that the portioned product from the Vemag Depositor was indistinguishable from the hand-scooped product. Plus, the Vemag delivered exact-weight portions with no giveaway. The customer was thrilled to leave Reiser with a solution to his mixing problem and his labor and giveaway issues.
A VEMAG DEPOSITOR CAN GREATLY REDUCE YOUR LABOR COSTS Reiser 725 Dedham Street, Canton, MA 02021 • (781) 821-1290 Reiser Canada 1549 Yorkton Court #4, Burlington, ON L7P 5B7 • (905) 631-6611 www.reiser.com 2012
Leading the food industry in processing and packaging solutions.
Cold Technology Showcase Adaptive 3D portioning Poultry processors may feel they have exhausted their yield improvement efforts but a new portioning technology from JBT FoodTech provides opportunities for double-digit yield improvement. The DSI Adaptive 3D Portioning™ system combines vertical waterjet portioning technology with intelligent horizontal slicing to achieve three-dimensional portioning. This system maximizes yield by slicing intelligently and only when necessary. The DSI system improves yield by vertically and horizontally cutting optimal portions out of irregularly shaped meat better than other systems. The system scans incoming meat and sophisticated software determines the most profitable use for each piece of meat. – JBT FoodTech, (419) 626-0304 / www.jbtfoodtech.com
Thorough cleaning
Faster. Cleaner. Smarter Faster. Cleaner. Smarter. It’s not only an apt description for Triangle’s X-Series VFFS baggers, it also applies to production lines that currently employ Triangle baggers, weighers, tray loading and depositing systems. Whether you’re packaging fresh chicken breasts, IQF chicken nuggets or portioncontrolled pieces, Triangle offers the perfect solution for every packaging challenge. Triangle will showcase its USDA/3A X-Series bagging machine at the International Poultry Expo. The X-Series features an electropolished stainless steel frame with continuously welded frames ground smooth; stainless steel control box and wash-down rated servo motors; extended stainless steel top plate with drain and cross members rotated 45-degrees to facilitate ‘drip-drain-draw;’ and stainless steel laser-sealed / bearing-free film rollers (patent-pending). – Triangle Package Machinery Co. (800) 621-4170 / www.trianglepackage.com
Hinds-Bock multiple piston and servo driven pump fillers are designed with features to allow them to be quickly cleaned for maximum production uptime. For example, operators can rapidly sanitize depositor heads. They simply pull a lever to tilt back the hopper and spout plate. This feature saves time and helps workers confirm proper sanitation when running allergen products. Other rapid sanitizing features include tool-free removal of piston assembly and other contact parts. PLC-controlled automatic rinse feature, purge and prime cycle also increases up time. – HindsBock Corp. (877) 292-5715 / www.hinds-bock.com
Easy on the eye, energy budget Kingspan’s new Optimo™ Series insulated metal wall panel system offers designers a comprehensive range of building solutions for both vertical and horizontal wall applications. Panels feature unique smooth or embossed profile and variable reveals. With tested R-values as high as 30, superior air tightness and low thermal bridging, the Optimo wall system can result in energy savings up to 30 percent over standard cavity-based insulation systems. In addition, the single-component system can reduce on-site installation time by as much as 50 percent compared to traditional multipart site-assembled built-up systems. – Kingspan Insulated Panels North America (877) 638-3266 / www.kingspanpanels.us
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Cold Technology Showcase Sustainable wall solution Randall Manufacturing, a national leader in temperature zoning products for the transportation industry and commercial buildings, will showcase green advances in its modular curtain wall system, InsulWall®, during the MODEX 2012 in Atlanta. Green InsulWall is a rigid, insulating modular wall system made from reclaimed Polyiso. Polyiso’s superior R-value and general consideration as the “greenest” of the foam-plastic insulations make it a sustainable insulation. When paired with industrial vinyl it becomes a flexible, energy-conserving modular wall system. In addition to its new green thermal properties, InsulWall is inherently green in its ability to be moved, re-hung, and reused as business needs change. – Randall Manufacturing (800) 323-7424 / www.randallmfg.com/InsulWall
For Frozen Food Safety, Equipment Reliability & Extended Lubricant Service Life
Depend on Summit NSF H1 & H2 Food Grade Lubricants Summit Industrial Products offers a full line of Food Grade lubricants that conforms to the requirements of ISO 21469, ISO 9001:2008 and HACCP compliance programs governing quality and food safety. These lubricants provide superior extreme pressure, heat transfer and anti-wear properties for equipment reliability. They are resistant to oxidation, deterioration and harsh chemicals to provide extended lubricant service life.
REFRIGERATION PRODUCTS YOU CAN TRUST: Need a conveyor? Call us. Dorner Manufacturing has produced a quick-read line card showcasing all its industrial and sanitary low-profile conveyor platforms. The full-color line card is a comprehensive, onesource guide for customers looking to add low-profile conveyor systems. The four-page line card provides a brief overview of features-and-benefits to Dorner’s conveyor platforms – assisting customers in selecting the best conveyor system for the job. All conveyors are custom made to exact customer specifications and shipped in a matter of days from time of order. – Dorner Manufacturing, (800) 397-8664 www.dornerconveyors.com
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FG SERIES • 100% Synthec PAO for compression of ammonia NH3 or carbon dioxide CO2 • Very low carryover, greater system efficiency & cleanliness • Documented with extended ODIs over 50,000 hours with ammonia
HySyn FG Series •100% Synthec PAO for extreme low temperature hydraulic and conveyor lubricaon applicaons
Scan to see Summit’s food grade products
Summit Industrial Products P.O. Box 131359 • Tyler, TX 75713 Ph. 800.749.5823 • www.klsummit.com
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012 21
Cold Partners in Progress
Hands-free handling Cheesecake processor blends artisan appeal with in-plant automation
ulinary Art’s Specialties, Inc. is all about cheesecake manufacturing. The company was founded in 1982 by Arthur P. Keller, a Swiss pastry chef who developed an exclusive Swiss baking process now used in the company’s New York cheesecake. Today, Culinary Art’s produces dozens of cheesecakes with an apparent endless variety of toppings. This Cheektowaga, N. Y., processor focuses on the private label sales, which account for 80 percent of its business. The company delivers a full line of inplant, contract manufacturing services ranging from product development to manufacturing to packaging. Having recently expanded its production space from 18,000 sq. ft. to a 53,000-sq.-ft. plant, the company’s cheesecake making operation is new from the ground up. The facility has the capacity to produce, freeze and ship 150,000 pounds of the dessert each week-30,000 cheesecakes each day. Handling cheesecakes requires a delicate touch to prevent marring the cakes. Nowhere in the production process is the handling of the product more critical than in the end-of-line packaging, and particularly in the conveying of the cheesecakes through the packaging cycle. Yet many systems that handle such delicate desserts run a high defect rate resulting in damaged products, lessened throughput and increased production costs. “When we planned the move to our new building, we redesigned the entire production process,” says Art Keller, vice president of operations for Culinary Art’s Specialties. “We started from scratch and designed a facility that was cut out to do exactly what we wanted
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it to do — manufacture the world’s best cheesecakes with a very high level of throughput efficiency without sacrificing product quality.” “Our prior packaging lines were largely manual,” says Keller. “We manipulated the cheesecakes by hand. One of the challenges we needed to solve with the design of the automated system was moving our cheesecakes through the packaging line before they are shrink-wrapped without having them touch anything, as this would mar the product. Additionally, we wanted to minimize the amount of cheesecake residue deposited on the conveying system for food safety reasons. We looked at a number of conveyor systems, but they permitted too much contact with the cheesecakes. It was a huge issue for us.” Culinary Art’s brought in Shrink Packaging Systems, Edison, N.J., to handle the integration of the shrinkwrapper; and Shuttleworth Inc., Huntington, Ind., to engineer a solution to the conveyor handling of the product and set up the cheesecakes for induction into the shrink-wrapper. The shrink-wrapper used on this line is an automatic, horizontal, continuousmotion side sealer rated at a maximum 100 cycles per minute. Shuttleworth engineered two different solutions. First, to keep the product from touching the sides along the 16-foot stretch of conveyor prior to entering into the shrink-wrap unit, and to center the cheesecakes, it designed a sequential series of different-height rollers that form a type of funnel into the middle of the conveyor. Second, the conveyors are also equipped with Slip-Torque technology, which minimizes cheesecake damage by
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
creating extremely low back-pressure accumulation. Low line pressure throughout the continuous-motion accumulation conveyors allows for precise product placement throughout the line and into the shrink-wrapper. The all-stainless steel conveyors can continue to take product flow from the upstream line for a period of time instead of stopping. A low-pressure accumulation buffer absorbs irregularities in the production flow, and provides a smooth, even flow on the line, which minimizes the cheesecakes from bumping into each other. When the cheesecakes leave the shrink-wrapper, they are placed into cartons. The conveyor runs parallel to the cartoner and is synchronized with it. As a cheesecake passes on the conveyor in front of a worker, the cartoner presents an open carton and the worker manually slides it into the carton. The conveyor/product and carton are precisely sequenced. Officials say the new conveying capability helped Culinary Art’s automate and streamline its entire packaging line. While improving on the product quality it had with its manual processes, it has been able to transfer this product integrity to its automated system. “The packaging line automation has reduced our product defects to less than one-tenth of one percent, while increasing our throughput,” Keller explains. “This significantly surpasses what we could do on a manual level. With the success of this line we are now buildingout a second automated packaging line to further streamline our cheesecake production.” – Shuttleworth Inc. (800) 444-7412 / www.shuttleworth.com www.RFFmag.com
See us at IPE Booth #4639
“The patented tight curve in the GYRoCOMPACT TC Freezer makes high capacity freezing possible in tight spaces.” Who has space for gigantic freezers in plants where there are already equipment traffic jams? Processors need significantly more capacity but in a smaller footprint and that’s where the GYRoCOMPACT M10 TC Freezer comes in. Its 40” belt expands on the outside and collapses on the inside to create a tight radius curve. Add to this an integrated self-stacking belt system creating an enclosed product zone which provides the most efficient and hygienic system on the market today. What’s in it for you? Up to 40% greater capacity in the same footprint, longer run-times, less downtime and turnaround time, increased throughput and more trouble-free production. Call Lee Clarkson to reserve the Tech Center. 419-627-4319
We’re with you, right down the line.™ www.jbtfoodtech.com
Steve Radke on the Frigoscandia™ GYRoCOMPACT® M10 Tight Curve (TC) Spiral Freezer
[Cover Story]
Casting a “branded” new vision at Reser’s are executive team members (L-R) Peter Sirgy, senior vice president, sales and marketing; Paul Levy chief financial officer, treasurer; Mark Reser, president and CEO, Mike Reser, vice president, logistics; and Barbara Jordan, director of R&D and quality assurance.
Reser’s
FRESH approach
Nation’s largest refrigerated prepared foods processor embraces new branding, products and categories – and the start of a historic new chapter in its story. By Bob Garrison 24
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
www.RFFmag.com
Cover, executive photos by Charlie Kloppenburg / Kloppenburg Photo
[Cover Story]
New entrees, sides formulated and packaged to deliver baked taste from oven or microwave.
S
ure, you know 3G phones. Now meet 3G food. A third-generation family company, Reser’s Fine Foods last year introduced more than 300 new items, completed two key acquisitions and built two large facilities. Along the way, this Beaverton, Ore.-based company also crossed the $1 billion annual sales mark and claimed its spot as one of the nation’s largest private food processors. Of course, there was a time when Reser’s was small potatoes. It was in 1950 that Mildred and Earl Reser started making refrigerated potato salad – by hand – in their Cornelius, Ore., farmhouse. By the end of 1951, the start-up business was supplying all of Safeway’s Oregon supermarkets. The Reser’s 25-year-old son, Al, became president in 1960. He incorporated the business, moved it to Beaverton and then led Reser’s for the next 46 years. Although the company had its share of twists and turns (including a battle for control while it was publicly traded), Al led Reser’s to growth, diversification and expansion. In 2006, BYonward BOB GARRISON he handed a $600 million business – firmly back under family ownership – to his son, Mark. Today’s company employs approximately 3,700 people at nearly 20 facilities in the United States and Mexico. Those operations produce more than 2,500 refrigerated, frozen and shelf-stable items for nearly every North American sales channel. Core product lines include refrigerated cold deli salads and kits; dips and spreads; heat-and-eat side dishes and entrees; fresh-cut produce and fruit; and Mexican foods (corn and flour tortillas, chips and salsa). In his first face-to-face interview since the recent acquisitions, it’s clear that a soft-spoken Mark Reser prefers to keep a low profile. Having spent most of his 22-year career in operations, Reser says he’s “a behind-the-scenes guy” who’s more comfortable with process equipment – than the interview process.
Then again, he has a lot to say. “Private label will always be an important business for us. However, we think there’s room for both (private label and branded products) to give consumers more choice,” says Reser. “We’re becoming more brand- and category focused. We’re anxious to control our destiny, create and drive excitement and help customers grow . . . We’re already thinking about Reser’s branded initiatives for next fall (2012) and ways to refresh product categories or create new ones.” Like Nike, its neighbor across the street, Reser’s is enhancing its product line with more power, flexibility and customer service. Specifically, Reser’s says it strives for at least 10 percent year-over-year sales growth through new products and packaging as well as branded marketing and promotion. Behind the scenes, the company looks to drive down production costs – even during an aggressive time of investment in new operations (see “Forward focus,” p. 32). And then there’s growth by acquisition. For the record, Reser’s bought as many as 12 companies between 1992 and 2006 – and then nothing during the past five years. Then last year brought two deals that were too good to miss. Last November saw Reser’s buy its next largest salad competitor and a 59-year rival: Orval Kent. Reser’s submitted a $69.2 million bid to buy the assets of Orval Kent which were in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Reser’s purchased Orval Kent’s refrigerated deli salads, side dishes and prepared fresh-cut fruit at plants in Delphos, Ohio; Vista, Calif.; and Linares, Mexico. The company has an affiliated distribution center in Hidalgo, Texas. The company has employed more than 1,000 workers. “Both companies are working diligently to ensure that Orval Kent customers experience a smooth transition as we integrate their operations,” said Mark Reser, in a public comment after Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ visit. “We’re confident that the increased breadth and depth of our combined North American product portfolio, product innova-
Blount Fine Foods invests, acquires and innovates to become a year-round leader in premium refrigerated blended foods.
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012 25
[Cover Story]
Thinking outside the box. Reser’s R&D team members are busy in Beaverton and in customers’ operations.
AT A GLANCE: RESER’S FINE FOODS HEADQUARTERS: Beaverton, Ore. TOP EXEC: President and CEO Mark Reser ANNUAL SALES: Approximately $1 billion PRODUCTS AND PACKAGE BRANDS: Reser’s American Classics (cold deli salads), Main St. Bistro (baked dinners, sides) Reser’s Sensational Sides (mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, etc.), Stonemill Kitchens (dips, spreads), Don Pancho (tortillas, chips) DISTRIBUTION: Reser’s supplies all North American sales channels FAMILY TIES: Pat Reser (Mark’s mother) is Reser’s chairman. One brother, Mike Reser, is vice president of customer services and logistics. Marty Reser, another brother, is a national account representative. Fourth-generation family member Nikki Reser, (Marty’s daughter) is a Reser’s marketing team member. A second cousin, Jerry Reser, manages Reser’s direct store delivery route truck operations.
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tion and customer service will benefit all of our customers.” Although he was not prepared to say much more about Orval Kent products and brands, Mark Reser did note that company’s fresh-cut fruit operation (Linares) represented an important new inhouse capability. Officials say fresh-cut vegetables also represent another new competitive category – coming with Reser’s $18.25 million purchase of Vaughan Foods Inc. last September. Vaughan, Moore, Okla., supplies foodservice and retail operators with fresh-cut vegetables, fresh-cut fruits, salad kits and prepared deli salads. A second facility in Fort Worth, Texas, processes dips, spreads, sauces, side dishes and soups (another new product line for Reser’s). “Deli sales have shifted more to pre-packaged self-serve items. Yet deli operators also are buying more fresh, short shelf-life salad kits for behind the glass,” says Mark Reser. “More than half of Vaughan’s fresh cut produce sales involve fresh produce salad kits and they’re known for broccoli slaw and cole slaw. That really intrigued us.” And this is something of an intriguing time for food-processor suppliers such as Reser’s. That’s because recession-minded consumers want it all. They’re eating more at home and demanding value, family-friendly convenience and a little bit of taste adventure. Meanwhile, foodservice operators likewise need back-of-the house food safety, consistency, cost savings, convenience … and unique menu items. Some product development steps take place behind the scenes. Barbara Jordan, director of R&D and quality assurance, says Reser’s invested millions in 2009 to create a 10,000-square-foot Customer R&D Center with new development labs, kitchens and presentation areas. It also hired more culinary experts and has assigned them – right along with sales – to key national accounts. Jordan says Reser’s invites foodservice and retail customers to visit for quick, custom new product development projects or prod-
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What was your logistics company doing in 1923? Our business was founded on these four principles, and they have been the mainstay of our company ever since.
1-800-791-2653 WWW.HENNINGSEN.COM OREGON • WASHINGTON • IDAHO NORTH DAKOTA • OKLAHOMA • PENNSYLVANIA
SMART PHONE, SCAN ME!
[Cover Story]
New “classic” look for packaged cold salads; Stonemill dips, spreads hit hot trends.
uct training. Reser’s is sending more people into the field to work side-by-side with customers’ employees -- whether it’s in a retailer’s R&D lab or the back kitchen in a chain restaurant unit. Reser’s also converts its customer and consumer insights – into foods that everyone can see. “Consumers need prepared meals that can be served to the whole family, particularly on busy weeknights,” Jordan says. “They’re also looking for more international-inspired foods as well as contemporary twists on trusted classics. “Deli shoppers don’t want to take too many risks with edgy product concepts,” she notes. “These [edgier foods] are relatively expensive on a per-pound basis and shoppers want to know they’ll taste good, but also deliver value. Comfort foods also are enjoying a resurgence with more restaurants featuring items such as grilled cheese, mac and cheese, hamburgers, etc.” Jordan says Reser’s latest offerings target … … comfort foods / quick meal solutions. Last year saw Reser’s dramatically recast its refrigerated side dish line with four dinners and four sides. Officials say each comes in a patent-pending “Top Bake” dual-ovenable tray that delivers “home-baked taste right from the microwave.” New Main St. Bistro Baked dinner varieties include Three Cheese Rigatoni Bolognese, Penne Toscana with Italian Sausage, Pasta Alfredo with Chicken & Bacon and Pasta Florentine with Chicken. New baked sides include Scalloped Potatoes, Mac & Cheese, Hash Brown Casserole and Twice-Baked Potato Casserole. Reser’s offers both lines for merchandising in the retail meat case and deli department. Reser’s also punched up the graphics and artwork for Reser’s Sensational Sides, a line of more traditional heat-andeat items such as Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Homestyle Stuffing, Mac & Cheese and even Mashed Sweet Potatoes. … health. Debuting this January at the Winter Fancy Food Show (San Francisco) are new Stonemill Kitchens Greek yogurt dips. Each of three new varieties features Greek yogurt
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with fewer calories and less fat than traditional sour cream-based dips, Jordan says. … taste adventure. Last spring brought eight new bulk salad kits for behind-the-glass deli sales. New chef-inspired flavors include Tandoori Chicken and Curry, Mediterranean Orzo, Thai Peanut Yakisoba with BBQ Pork, Buffalo Chicken, Loaded Antipasto, Chickpea Curry and Fruit & Nut Couscous. … better taste, value. Reser’s says it reformulated its four best-selling Reser’s American Classics protein salads (Chicken, Ham, Seafood, Tuna) with more and/or better cuts of meat and fewer ingredients. Are people aware of Reser’s product development capabilities and new offerings? That’s where David Lakey, vice president of marketing, comes into the picture. Reser’s hired this 20-year packaged food and nutrition marketing veteran to champion the company’s brands and activities to customers and consumers alike. Like Jordan, Lakey notes that Reser’s has invested in behind-the-scenes resources – everything from in-store merchandising materials to sophisticated perishables category sales data and consumer insights research. “We want to be the category captain,” he notes. “Category management is well established in the center of the store but not as common on the perimeter” Lakey talks more about the relationship of national brands and private label: “When we look at how consumers buy products, we see that every retail category – bleach, crackers, ice cream, you name it – has a “two-brand strategy” involving a national brand and a private label. Consumers like to have a national brand choice, and offering both maximizes sales.” “Reser’s is a true national brand: every time deli departments have merchandised our branded items in addition to their own – it grows their category,” he adds. “We have the data to support it. Moreover, in the future, retail customers can leverage our increased consumer marketing.” Case in point. In the past, Reser’s has supported brands with coupons. Starting last year, Reser’s embarked on stron-
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Ross S Series
The advantages of Ross Tray Sealers come in every shape and size. Join other satisfied Reiser customers that trust Ross tray sealing equipment to protect the integrity of their product. Specially designed to produce modified atmosphere packages (MAP), the Ross high-impact seal bar system ensures the highest quality seals every time. Reiser offers a full line of Ross tray sealers to match any packaging requirement. Reiser is your solution – put us to the test. For more information, call Reiser at (781) 821-1290.
Ross Inpack A10
725 Dedham St., Canton, MA 02021 • (781) 821-1290 • www.reiser.com
Leading the food industry in processing and packaging solutions.
If leading edge manufacturing and automation technologies are your priorities, save the date for the food industry’s PREMIER CONFERENCE in 2012.
SAVE THE DATE APRIL 22–25, 2012
Sanibel Harbour Marriott, Ft. Myers, Florida
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: ) Vice Presidents of Operations ) Plant Managers ) Vice Presidents of Engineering ) Plant Maintenance Managers ) Plant Engineers ) Directors of Engineering
ALL NEW AGENDA FOR 2012 TO INCLUDE Food Safety Modernization Act: What You Need to Know Now Speaker: Kurt Deibel, Vice President, Quality & Food Safety, HJ Heinz
Creating a No-compromise Operations & Manufacturing Culture Speaker: Neil Ducoff, Founder and CEO, Strategies
) Owners and Presidents Engineering Keynote: Manufacturing Innovation for Today’s Leaders ) Directors of QA/QC
Speaker: Dave Haft, Senior Vice President, Sustainability, Productivity and Quality, Frito-Lay
Social Responsibility: Addressing Customer and Consumer Concerns Speaker: Leigh Ann Johnston, CPEA, EHS Training, Communication, & Sustainability Manager, Tyson Foods, Inc
Best Practices in Automated CIP Speaker: Pete Duessel, Project Engineer, Coca-Cola Refreshments North America
Robotics vs. Continuous Motion Speaker: Terrence Southern, Senior Engineer, Flexible Automation, Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
PRODUCED BY
Plant Security Audits: Protecting Your People and Assets
WWW.FOODAUTOMATIONCONFERENCE.COM
Speaker: William L. Ramsey, Director of Corporate Security, McCormick & Company, Inc.
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
[Cover Story]
Come and get it. Reser’s samples products at national barbecue cook-off events judged by the Kansas City Barbecue Society.
ger national campaigns to build awareness and brand value. It took to the streets and city parks last year as an official sponsor at more than 40 national barbecue cook-off events judged by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. At many of these venues, Reser’s sampled potato salad including the Kansas City Royal and the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue competition (“The Jack”) in Lynchburg, Tenn. In addition to national print media, Reser’s also is reaching more consumers in the electronic world. Efforts here have included a new consumer Web site and appearance on more than seven national episodes of Food Network’s “Unwrapped” series. This year finds the company planning to engage more loyal fans on Facebook and other social media sites. “We’re focusing on our Reser’s consumer brands and will better coordinate efforts across all of our categories,” says Lakey. “Those include Main St. Bistro (dinners, sides), Reser’s (deli salads), Stonemill Kitchens (spreads, dips) and Don Pancho (tortillas). We’re determined to get more ‘share of mind’ with side dish and deli salad shoppers.” Meanwhile, Mark Reser admits to shopping more aisles within his own Portland neighborhood grocery. “I love innovation,” he notes. “Our baked products are a new platform – dating back to when we went into hot side dishes seven or eight years ago . . . Now we’re looking for the next category. It’s fun to visit stores, walk through the frozen and dry departments and think about new fresh (refrigerated) offerings we could bring to our customers and consumers.”
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See Us at IPE - Booth 4129 Faster
Cleaner Cleaner
Smarter
CLEANER...Triangle’s X-Series VFFS baggers meet strict USDA and 3A sanitation standards. Faster production. Smarter technology. Built for the standards the industry and your customers demand...and backed by the best service and support team. for more information go to: www.trianglepackage.com/cleaner
For more information on the X-Series easy clean, scan the QR code with your smartphone.
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods January 2012 31
[ Cold Plant Operations ]
FORWARD FOCUS Reser’s adds seven plants in just five months – and keeps the focus on quality, food safety and customer service. By Bob Garrison
T
hink your holidays were traumatic? Tony Kunis added nearly 1,200 new members to his family – right before the end of last year. In just a three-month span last fall, Reser’s Fine Foods purchased both Vaughan Foods Inc., Moore, Okla.; and Orval Kent Food Company, based in Wheeling, Ill. Reser’s went into last summer with 2,500 employees at 13 facilities nationwide. It would end the year with 3,700 employees at nearly 20 plants, including a former Orval Kent operation in Linares, Mexico. Reser’s also added two more facilities to its own network last year. It built an 85,000-square foot tortilla plant in Halifax, N.C., and has just completed a 160,000-square-foot multi-temp distribution center in Topeka, Kan. Tony Kunis is Reser’s vice president of operations. And no . . . you wouldn’t have found him singing “Auld Lang Syne”
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
on New Year’s. On the contrary, Kunis knows that Reser’s operations team has no time to dwell on the past. Rather, this 31-year company operations veteran knows the key to success is to look ahead and keep things simple, focused. “Although there may be opportunities to be distracted by our recent M&A activity, we are committed to excellent customer service for our larger organization,” he says. “We have new programs to exceed customer expectations – particularly for new customers that may come along with these new companies, as well as our most loyal, long-term customers. “This is going to be a busy year of integrating businesses and bringing our own new plants online,” he continues. “Yet, we have to remain focused, produce a consistent product dayin, day-out and improve processes that better serve our customers.” Observers could say Reser’s operations strategy involves
www.RFFmag.com
Photos courtesy Reser’s Fine Foods
Customer service, food safety and quality are ongoing concerns for Tony Kunis, Reser’s vice president of operations and a 31-year company veteran.
[ Cold Plant Operations ]
RESER’S NATIONAL OPERATIONS NETWORK Portland, OR Salem, OR
Salt Lake City, UT
Delphos, OH Topeka, KS
Cleveland, OH
Halifax, NC Vista, CA
Oklahoma City, OK
Fort Worth, TX
Reser’s legacy food plants New locations, formerly Vaughan Foods
Honolulu, Hawaii
New locations, formerly Orval Kent
Linares Mexico
Reser’s employs nearly 3,700 people at 20 food plants in the United States and Mexico. (Note: Some locations have multiple facilities.)
programs, people and process technologies. Here’s a look at each area. Programs: Kunis says Reser’s is committed to global Safe Quality Foods (SQF) certification, which requires a comprehensive implementation of food safety and quality management systems. All Reser’s plants have earned SQF Level 2 status and two sites already have achieved higher Level 3 certifications, says Kunis. The goal is for every plant to achieve a Level 3 rating. “SQF is a campaign that has to engage all employees to be
successful,” Kunis says. “That is our strategy. Moreover, it’s recognized by the food industry and can help improve our processes. Our general managers’ preventive maintenance and quality control teams are fully engaged with SQF and went through extensive training to become SQF certified.” People. Employees are a source of strength for Reser’s, particularly at its legacy operations where many associates have 20, 30 and even 40 years of service. “People who stay with us say they like our family-friendly
New Topeka, Kan., distribution center has 160,000 square feet of freezer, cooler and dry storage with 33 bays for inbound, outbound freight.
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods January 2012 33
[ Cold Plant Operations ]
CARBON FOOTPRINT: WHAT’S OUR SHOE SIZE?
M
any foodservice and private label food suppliers aren’t in the sustainability spotlight like their public CPG counterparts. Even so, a big company such as Reser’s knows it has a big responsibility for protecting the environment. That’s why one of Reser’s largest 2011 projects did not grab headlines – although it did drive internal company discussions. “We are publishing our first report on sustainability and efforts to measure our own carbon footprint,” says Dave Lakey, vice president of marketing. “We supply some of the nation’s largest foodservice operators and retailers and we want to be more proactive in sharing our reduction goals with them.” Here are a few of Reser’s sustainability activities involving … … packaging and material reductions s 2ECOVER ORGANIC WASTE MATERIALS SUCH AS POTATO PEELS AND sell them as animal feed to local operators; s 3ELECT PLASTIC PACKAGING WITH POLYMERS THAT ARE PRIMARY TO curbside consumer waste recycling programs s 3HIFT TO MORE THIN WALLED CONTAINERS THAT MINIMIZE TOTAL packaging mass s 3PECIFY ENERGY REDUCING PACKAGING PRODUCTION PROCESSES wherever possible s )NSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT PLANT LIGHTING INCLUDING 4 LIGHT BULBS
environment, the opportunities to learn and advance, and our extraordinary health care programs,” says Kunis. “We want to better promote Reser’s as a great place to work. We strive to be the ‘employer of choice’ in all the communities where we have operations.” Process technologies. Reser’s has continued investing throughout its operations network – in addition to money
34
s )NCREASE USE OF POST CONSUMER 0%4 PLASTIC TARGET IS ABOVE percent s #ONSIDER PAPERBOARD SUPPLIERS TO COMPLY WITH 3USTAINABLE Forestry Initiative guidelines s 2ECYCLE PAPER AND CONTAINERS IN ALL PLANTS ADMINISTRATIVE offices … energy, water and air management s 2ESERS INVESTED MORE THAN MILLION TO BUILD NEW WATER pretreatment facilities in Topeka, Kan. This operation serves a FOUR PLANT CAMPUS s 2ESERS BUILT A SIMILAR SYSTEM IN (ALIFAX .# ITS LARGEST SINGLE OPERATION 2ELATED TECHNOLOGIES THERE LET 2ESERS DIVERT OIL and grease for possible biofuel use. s 2ESERS INSTALLED ENERGY EFFICIENT REFRIGERATION PIPING IN 4OPEKA … fleet and supply chain operations s 2ESERS FLEET OF MORE THAN TRACTOR TRAILERS JOINED %0!S federal SmartWay Transport Partnership. SmartWay Partners agree to assess freight operations, calculate fuel consumption and carbon footprint and track annual fuel efficiency and emission reductions.
spent against acquisitions and new construction. Kunis mentions a $2 million remodel / renovation project at the one company’s Topeka locations. “We are putting more automation in the plants every year so we can more precisely tune the hundreds of recipes and products we make every day,” says Kunis. “We’re striving for a salad plant capable of running more than 100 different sal-
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
ads, sauces and or deserts in a single day. Our automation is set up to produce a variety of packaging sizes, from 3-ounce cups to 30-pound containers and all points in between.” Kunis notes that customer shelf life guarantees drive Reser’s business. “Most of our products are produced on one day and delivered during the next three days. We have to be very flexible in
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[ Cold Plant Operations ]
SAY “OLÉ”
D
ID YOU KNOW THAT 2ESERS IS A LEADING NATIONAL -EXICAN FOODS SUPPLIER )T HAS FOUR PLANTS NATIONWIDE PRODUCING HUNDREDS OF SHELF STABLE REFRIGERATED AND FROZEN -EXICAN ITEMS FOR RETAIL C STORE AND FOODSERVICE customers.
Here are a few more facts and figures. k Responding to retail customers’ interest in a national tortilla supplier, 2ESERS BUILT A MILLION TORTILLA PLANT IN (ALIFAX .# ADJACENT TO ITS DELI SALAD OPERATION THERE 4HE NEW SQUARE FOOT FACILITY CAN PRODUCE DOZENS OF TORTILLAS AND WRAPS VARIETIES EACH DAY 4HE COMPANY SELLS FLOUR CORN AND SPECIALTY TORTILLAS PRIMARILY under the Don Pancho brand. “We are supporting a national brand strategy for tortillas from an operations perspective,” notes Tony Kunis. “Since our ACQUISITION OF $ON 0ANCHO IN THE 7EST OUR LARGER CUSTOMERS WANTED COAST TO COAST AVAILABILITY AND QUICK TURNAROUND !FTER rebuilding the Oregon plant a few years ago, we knew how to make a competitive tortilla baking facility [in the East].” k !S MEASURED BY .IELSEN 2ESERS NATIONAL BRAND TORTILLA RETAIL AVAILABILITY GREW PERCENT IN THE LAST YEAR k 2ESERS SAYS IT IS A PREFERRED NATIONAL SUPPLIER OF FROZEN BURRITOS FOR SOME OF THE NATIONS LARGEST C STORE CHAINS AND HAS MADE STEADY PROGRESS IN + SCHOOL PROGRAMS kReser’s processes and distributes Baja Café refrigerated salsa nationwide.
our manufacturing processes to be sure we can Reser’s R&D team member Farzaneh Turk weighs spices according to product formula needs.
quickly and efficiently deliver consistent products daily. Each recipe – of the hundreds we produce – might be run as often as three times a week and could end up in 15 to 20 different sizes of packaging.” Looking ahead, Kunis admits that he still has quite a bit to do. For starters, Reser’s will need to study, synchronize and otherwise consolidate (or integrate) its acquired companies’ operating software platforms, product recipes, packaging, labeling and vendors. And whereas most of the former Orval Kent plants and product lines (aside from fresh-cut fruit) are similar to Reser’s, Vaughan’s fresh-cut produce plant in Moore, Okla., presents an entirely different scenario. “Fresh-cut produce requires different lead times and delivery times,” says Kunis. “We literally take orders in the afternoon and then produce the products all night for departure in a 500-mile radius the next day. “So we have to work with a one-day shipping deadline from the time we take the order to the time the product ships,” he says. “We’re very excited to learn about this and expand the fresh-cut choices for all of our customers”
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
www.RFFmag.com
Booth #4639/B Hall
We’re taking our Technical Training program to IPE Attend free mini-seminars on portioning, slicing, coating, frying, cooking and freezing. Where: Booth #4639/B Hall
When: All three days of IPE. January 24, 25 &26
What: Technical Training dedicated to Basic Cooking, High Volume Portioning, New Coating Technologies, Frying and Freezing. How: Enroll now at www.jbtfoodtech.com/ipe Space is limited so sign up for one or more seminars now! If you don’t plan to attend IPE: Come to the Tech Center in Sandusky, OH or we’ll bring our technical training team to your location. Contact John Arnold, Technical Training Manager, at 800-653-0304 or
[email protected] for more information.
When it comes to education and innovation, we’re with you, right down the line.™ www.jbtfoodtech.com
2012 INNOVATIONS AND UPDATES A number of new products and services will be introduced in 2012. Be sure to ask your JBT FoodTech representative for more information: NEW Stein Heritage Breader DSI high volume portioning GYRoCOMPACT® II-600 Spiral Oven UPDATES Frigoscandia freezing technology Stein frying and filtration Aftermarket programs
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[ Cold Plant Operations ]
Doorway to innovation
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.EW MULTI MILLION #USTOMER 2$ #ENTER EQUIPPED to please foodservice operators, retailers.
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EED A NEW SIZZLING SIDE DISH OR SALAD (OW ABOUT AN APPETIZING ENTRÏE 7HEN IT CAME TIME TO step up its research and development capabilities, Reser’s knew it had to put its money where its mouth is … so to speak. That’s why the company spent millions in 2009 to renovate a SQUARE FOOT PORTION OF ITS "EAVERTON /RE HEADQUARTERS 4HE RESULT 4HE COMPANYS NEW #USTOMER R&D Center features a development lab that mimics major restaurant chains, CUSTOMER PRESENTATION ROOMS BENCH TOP product development tools and common appliances found in most consumers’ homes. “This is where ideas become a reality,” says Barbara Jordan, director of R&D AND QUALITY ASSURANCE h-ANY RETAILERS ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO OFFER A RESTAURANT LIKE EXPERIENCE IN THEIR IN STORE DELIS And many foodservice operators want TO ENTICE BUDGET CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS BACK INTO RESTAURANTS WITH UNIQUE MENU items and greater value. In our R&D Center, we have the tools, culinary EXPERTISE MARKET LEADERSHIP AND PASSION to help customers achieve these, and other, business goals,” !S AN 31& CERTIFIED COMPANY 2ESERS says it also provides a deep bench of regulatory, safety and scientific technical resources.
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods January 2012 39
Photos courtesy Reser’s Fine Foods
Cold Food Safety
“We embrace the latest steps toward Global Food Safety Initiative and Safe Quality Foods Level 3 certifications. We want to improve our capabilities related to raw material and ingredient traceability. We also want to maintain robust employee training programs.” – Brad Pacey
Certified safe Reser’s Fine Foods Quality Assurance Director Brad Pacey talks about food safety at the nation’s largest refrigerated salads and side dish company. Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: What were a few big projects last year? Brad Pacey: It is not really just one thing. Rather, I’d say we’ve focused on long list of items that are critical to providing safe, consistent, quality products. First, we strive to introduce and implement industry best practices in each of our facilities. This means we embrace the latest steps toward Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and Safe Quality Foods (SQF) Level 3 certifications. We want to improve our capabilities related to raw material and ingredient traceability. We also want to maintain robust employee training programs. Secondly, we continue to work with and encourage our vendors to also pursue GFSI certification. Thirdly, we evaluate factors that contribute to any reoccurring in-plant issue. Then we establish new work processes and 40
work flow patterns that make doing a task correctly and safely – the easiest way to do that task.
RFF: You’re promoting GFSI certification to your vendors. How about other supplier initiatives? Pacey: We have done a lot of work on the food safety, quality and consistency attributes for Reser’s new Main St. Bistro Baked brand. There is really nothing else like this [technology, producing a baked texture from the microwave] in the industry right now so we have involved some suppliers from the beginning of this project. We had to start from the ground floor and dig into every detail so ensure that we produce this product safely, consistently and efficiently. RFF: How does your group interact with Reser’s R&D and sales when it comes to new products?
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
Pacey: Reser’s QA and plant operations groups help determine how to produce new foods in a safe, consistent and efficient manner – while matching a product developed by R&D. We have what we call an “Intensive Care” program during a new product’s launch phase. We ensure that the product is being produced correctly and matches expectations held by R&D and the customer.
RFF: What you think of high pressure processing? Pacey: I think high pressure processing has a high potential to increase food safety and shelf life in some products. It’s proven and provides good results as long as products remain sealed in the unopened, original packaging. It’s also very expensive on a per-pound basis – making it difficult to justify for lower-priced foods such as salads. www.RFFmag.com
Cold Food Safety
That said, I think there is a need for consumer education. Shelf life references most likely are based on a product inside a sealed, intact package. However, once a product is removed from the original packaging and exposed to the environment, it may not last until the “use-by” date on the packaging.
RFF: What are a few of your 2012 goals? Pacey: Our ongoing goal is to identify best practices – from within Reser’s as well as the wider food industry – and implement them at each facility. We’re looking at every factor affecting food safety, consistency and quality. It’s important to take the best programs, policies and practices and make sure we consistently implement them in all facilities. We stay up to date on best practices by learning from industry organizations, such as the Refrigerated Foods Association and the Grocery Manufacturers Association. We also talk to customers, regulators, GFSI and SQF certification personnel and third-party auditors. Another 2012 goal is to ensure that Reser’s is prepared when federal Food Safety Modernization Act provisions take effect. RFF: What industry issues trouble you? How can Reser’s address that problem? Pacey: One thing that troubles me is our customers’ increasing interest in “natural” formulations for refrigerated food products. The trend is good in many ways. However, there are hidden technical and food safety concerns that are poorly understood by many buyers. Behind the scenes, we have a series of proven food safety barriers that start with formulation and that have been in place for years. More natural products make handling and storage practices – both at the plant and by the consumer – much more www.RFFmag.com
important. It also means everyone – particularly consumers – must adhere more strictly to shorter shelf life and “use-by” dates for these products. Reser’s has solutions for natural [product] requests but to keep
them safe, our ingredient costs are higher. Also, our customers’ logistics procedures must bear more responsibility. Consumers’ proper product handling becomes much more critical as well.
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012 41
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[email protected]
Photos courtesy Tippmann Group / Interstate Warehousing
Cold Energy Management
Warehouse operators say LED lights perform well, save energy in cold environments.
Spend to save Cold warehouse operators say LED lighting makes dollars and sense. att’s up? Having heard so much about light emitting diode (LED) industrial lighting, Refrigerated & Frozen Foods was interested to learn if cold storage warehouse operators indeed found cold, hard cash returns in this new technology. The answer is “yes,” say executives at the Tippmann Group / Interstate Warehousing, Ft. Wayne, Ind.; and United States Cold Storage, (USCS), Voorhees, N.J. Mike Lynch, USCS vice president of engineering, says his company already has spent about $2.7 million to retrofit and install LED lighting at nine warehouses. “During the past 24 months, we have tested numerous LED fixtures
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from a variety of manufacturers,” says Lynch. “The energy savings – coupled with available utility incentives – made 2011 an opportune time to make this investment. In fact, USCS plans to make additional investments in 2012 thanks to the continued availability of utility incentives and the continued reduction in LED costs. Meanwhile power costs continue to increase.” Lynch notes that LED lighting has other advantages beyond power savings. It requires less wattage – resulting in less heat emitted into the freezer. He says LED’s provide infinite dimming capabilities (0 to 100 percent) and they can turn on instantly at temperatures as low as -20˚F. Lynch says USCS selected its first nine
retrofit locations based upon the best projected internal rates of return. To evaluate the best options, he says USCS engineers consider a warehouse’s hours of operation, utility costs and available utility incentives. USCS expects to convert another four to seven warehouses to LED lighting in 2012. One USCS project involved new lighting in the company’s 88,000-square-foot warehouse expansion in Hazleton, Pa. In that instance, USCS partnered with Groom Energy Solutions, a Salem, Mass., energy efficiency consulting firm and a Digital Lumens (technology) reseller. Groom and USCS say the new lighting system costs 3.5 cents per square foot per year to operate, compared to 46 cents per square foot for
Make the call Before you begin a lighting project, contact your local utility – either directly or through your energy efficiency consultant. You’ll want to learn about applicable rebates and incentive programs. You may find a variety of opportunities for simple lighting upgrades as well as larger incentives for integrating controls. If your kWh savings are significant enough, you may be eligible for additional project rebates. You should know, however, that it’s key to contact utilities before a project starts. Many utilities will not provide incentives if they come in midway through a project.
42
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
www.RFFmag.com
Cold Energy Management Courtesy Tippmann Group / Interstate Warehousing
Interstate Warehousing electric costs, LED lighting payback Facility
Electricity Cost
Annual Savings
Payback Period
Grand Rapids, MI
$0.088
$57,424
1.36 Years
Joliet, IL
$0.090
$70,644
2 Years
Murfreesboro, TN
$0.077
$71,518
2.18 Years
Cincinnati, OH
$0.072
$182,523
2.51 Years
Franklin, IN
$0.077
$53,645
2.73 Years
Indianapolis, IN
$0.067
$128,161
3.54 Years
Newport News, VA
$0.065
$24,154
7.04 Years
traditional alternatives. Digital Lumens also says that with its low kWh consumption, the LED generates 93 percent less CO2 than traditional systems. The partners say USCS could expect a return on investment within 14.6 months. Once USCS awards a lighting retrofit project to a supplier, it takes approximately 30 to 45 days to procure and mobilize and another 30 to 45 days to install (depending on size), says Lynch. Post measurement and verification periods typically range from six months to a year. He concludes, “We don’t yet have a full year’s worth of operational results from these projects but the initial data shows LED lights appear to be provid-
ing the level of savings we anticipated.” When Interstate Warehousing expanded its Franklin, Ind., facility in 2010, it installed LED lighting (also involving Groom Energy and Digital Lumens) in the addition. “We made this decision after extensive research into the efficiency, cost and payback,” says Steve Tippmann, an executive vice president for both Tippmann and Interstate Warehousing. “Many power companies also are offering significant incentives for people to use more of this technology. The end result is a win-win situation for everybody. We’re using significantly less energy and our utility bills have dropped dramatically.”
Tippmann says Interstate Warehousing will install LED lighting in each of its seven facilities – while it removes older technologies. In fact, the company already has estimated its retrofit costs and paybacks (see chart, above). Interstate Warehousing forecasts an investment payback in as little as one and a half to two years – especially at locations where its energy costs are high (such as in Joliet, Ill., near Chicago). “Facilities that operate on a 24/7 schedule can realize even faster paybacks because they don’t have the opportunity to completely turn off their old, metal halide lights,” notes Tippmann. “In our Franklin facility, we’re tracking the specific usage of the new lights and we are finding that – even when the warehouse is busier than normal – the LED lights are only turned ‘on’ between 5 and 15 percent of the time.”
FIELD REPORTS
Millard and Groom Energy announced in December that they completed a LED lighting retrofit at Millard's public refrigerated warehouse in Allentown, Pa. Covering more than 629,000 square feet and using nearly 800 LED high bay fixtures, officials say the project is one of the nation’s largest LED deployments. Millard said it expects the project (1) to cut 3.5 million kilowatt hours in lighting and cooling system operation and (2) eliminate more than 1,700 tons of related CO2. Millard, Omaha, Neb., is one of North America’s largest public refrigerated warehouse and distribution service providers with 36 regional facilities. Cold storage and distribution services giant Americold, Atlanta, selected SmartWatt Energy for a LED lighting retrofit at Americold’s cold storage facility in Russellville, Ark. The August 2011 project was the seventh such collaboration for the two companies. Officials said they expected the effort to generate higher quality lighting while reducing overall lighting-related energy consumption by 690,000 kWh – equivalent to removing more than 95 cars from Arkansas roadways. Americold owns and operates more than 182 temperature-controlled warehouses in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, Argentina, and Canada.
www.RFFmag.com
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012 43
Cold Energy Management
LED lighting: Be an informed buyer. Suppliers say several organizations promote energy-efficient lighting and hold manufacturers to consistently high standards. These groups include utility representatives, lighting academics, industry experts, U.S. Department of Energy representatives and other interested parties. These groups form a common framework to educate customers and review vendor claims. Whether you’re considering plain LEDs or intelligent LED lighting systems, be sure the any product meets the following criteria: UÊ1`iÀÜÀÌiÀÃÊ>LÀ>ÌÀiÃÊ1®Ê ÃÌ}Ê– Any LED product should be UL listed for the entire fixture – not just the power supply. Don’t hesitate to ask for proof. UÊ iÃ}}
ÌÃÊ ÃÀÌÕÊ ®Ê +Õ>vi`Ê*À`ÕVÌÃÊÃÌÊ– The Energy Star™ program rates many
products including residential LEDs. When it came to industrial high-bay LEDs, Energy Star partnered with the DesignLights Consortium (www. designlights.org) to develop a rigorous set of evaluation criteria. When products meet the critieria, they are added to the DesignLights Consortium’s Qualified Products List (QPL), which is used by numerous utilities nationwide as primary eligibility for project rebates. The DLC certification process requires lighting manufacturers to provide documentation, including the product’s rated and measured data for various properties including photometric, electrical and lumen depreciation. Required data comes from the LM-79, LM-80 test files, as well as full IES files and UL 1598 certification. (Note: vendors should be willing
to share this data with you, as well.) The DLC represents a collaboration of utility and state energy efficiency programs from across North America, NEEP (Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships), the Lighting Research Center, and regional energy efficiency organizations. By providing a rigorous set of evaluation criteria for prospective vendors, DLC promotes high-quality, energy-efficient lighting standards in all commercial lighting market sectors. UÊ}
Ì}Ê>VÌÃÊqThis Department of Energy initiative ensures consistent product labeling. Lighting Facts is a program designed to teach customers about this new technology because solid state (LED) lighting is measured in light output levels rather than wattage.
Energy Assessments and Turn-Key Energy Efficiency Installations in 650 Million Cubic feet of refrigerated/ freezer space across the United States, Canada, the UK and Australia. Lighting (LED/HIF) Variable Frequency Drives/Motor Upgrades Refrigeration System Optimization Demand Response/Demand Control Energy Procurement Backup Generation Enterprise Smart Grid (Sub-metering, Measuring, & Monitoring)
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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods JANUARY 2012
[email protected]
www.RFFmag.com
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Hinds-Bock Corporation
Since its founding in 1976, EVAPCO, Inc. has become an industry leader in the engineering and manufacturing of quality heat transfer products around the world. EVAPCO’s mission is to provide first class service and quality products for the following markets: s )NDUSTRIAL 2EFRIGERATION s #OMMERCIAL (6!# s )NDUSTRIAL 0ROCESS s 0OWER EVAPCO’s powerful combination of financial strength and technical expertise has established the company as a recognized manufacturer of marketleading products on a worldwide basis. EVAPCO is also recognized for the superior technology of their environmentally friendly product innovations in sound reduction and water management. EVAPCO is an employee owned company with a strong emphasis on research & development and modern manufacturing plants. EVAPCO has earned a reputation for technological innovation and superior product quality by featuring products that are designed to offer these operating advantages: s (IGHER 3YSTEM %FFICIENCY s %NVIRONMENTALLY &RIENDLY s ,OWER !NNUAL /PERATING Costs s 2ELIABLE 3IMPLE /PERA tion and Maintenance With an ongoing commitment to Research & Development programs, EVAPCO provides the most ADVANCED PRODUCTS IN THE INDUSTRY n 4ECHNOLOGY FOR THE &UTURE !VAILABLE 4ODAY
(INDS "OCK #ORP IS DEDICATED to meeting the needs of the baking industry with high-quality piston depositing equipment, pumps, icers/glazers and cake slicers. The company’s equipment ranges from small tabletop muffin depositing to high-volume industrial lines, which include tray and papercup denesters, pan oilers, large intermediate hoppers, dry ingredient depositors for toppings, SERVO DRIVEN CONVEYORS AND 0,# CONTROLS (INDS "OCKS ENGINEERING STAFF DESIGNS CUSTOM EQUIPMENT USING THE LATEST CAD 3D modeling systems to meet specific customer needs. In-house technicians and engineers provide on-site installation and turnkey start up support FOR CUSTOM DESIGNED EQUIPMENT )N ADDITION TO PISTON DEPOSITORS (INDS "OCK manufactures servo driven pump fillers for high speed depositing and spreadING OF PRODUCT (INDS "OCK ALSO MANUFACTURES SERVO PISTON DEPOSITORS FOR automatic depositing and spreading of icings, fruits, batters and sauces. (INDS "OCK MANUFACTURES STANDARDIZED AND CUSTOM PISTON FILLING AND DE positing machines and systems as well as piston transfer pumps. This equipment ranges from single piston fillers and simple air-powered transfer pumps to turnkey, custom multi-lane, conveyorized, computer controlled, high-speed production systems. Many options are available including heated or cooled machines, hopper agitation, diving, traveling or orbital spout movement and pressure fed machines for extremely viscous products. In-house technicians and engineers provide on-site installation and turnkey start-up support for custom designed equipment and systems. We maintain complete documentation on every machine we build and support those machines with a thoroughly stocked parts department. We have a test facility to run customer provided samples of products to evaluate filling characteristics and determine agitation and spout requirements. Tests are typically videotaped so that customers can observe the DEPOSIT CONFIGURATION &ROZEN