Refrigerated & Frozen Foods March 2011

MARCH 2011 |

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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

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VIEWPOINT COLD FOOD SAFETY Its time has come Food safety concerns and equipment advances make high-pressure processing more appealing to refrigerated food processors.

13 COLD ENERGY MANAGEMENT

of the

Changes – inside and out Regulations, new technologies keep insulated metal panels in step with green energy efforts, sanitation demands.

15 COLD SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS Executive insights Exclusive interview with Michael Welker, vice president of customer service and logistics / material management at Rich Products Corp. It’s not easy being green Want no-cost, low-cost energy savings? It takes an operational “tune-up” says one expert.

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20 COLD TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE Showcase on food formers and profiles of new industry equipment, materials and supplies.

27 COVER FEATURE Cutting-edge performance Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2010 Food Plant of the Year honorees demonstrate industryleading best practices in environmental achievement, worker safety and process technology.

15 REFRIGERATED & FROZEN FOODS (R&FF) REFRIGERATED & FROZEN FOODS is a supplement to FOOD ENGINEERING.

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REFRIGERATED & FROZEN FOODS is published seven times annually, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, 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 Bleuchip International, P.O.Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to REFRIGERATED & FROZEN FOODS, P.O. Box 1080, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Gisele Manelli at (847) 405-4061 or [email protected].

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VOL. 22, NO. 2 PATRICK YOUNG Publisher

New industrial age

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EDITORIAL BOB GARRISON Editor-In-Chief

(574) 935-3724 [email protected]

PRODUCTION

ow does the saying go? Isn’t it “Absence (of capital projects) makes the heart grow fonder?” This is Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 11th annual “Food Plants of the Year” feature. Interestingly enough, I must say that I’ve loved this year’s research and writing more than perhaps any time in the past. Yet I am not quite sure why. Actually, I suspect there are two reasons: capital spending and creativity. Let’s face it. It is more fun to write about growth and new capital projects. I think that absence – the recession’s freeze on capital projects – makes the heart grow fonder. After several years of relative quiet, it’s great to see companies invest in greenfield operations. Moreover, it’s been rewarding to profile three new facilities belonging to Gonnella Frozen Products, Kettle Creations (a start-up company, no less) and ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston. I’m equally captivated by engineering and process creativity (which does not reside in my brain). I wrote about it last year – with pieces on how Gill’s Onions converts onion waste to usable energy; and how ConAgra Foods’ Council Bluffs, Iowa, plant uses pure statistical process control steps to realize meaningful production and quality gains. This year brings more interesting storylines about worker safety, energy reduction and environmen-

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tal waste reduction. These General Mills, Cargill and Sara Lee operations do so much more than product supply. They’re applying several industry-leading technologies and techniques. Bottom line, it feels as though we’ve entered a new industrial age with food plant design and continuous improvement (involving brownfield sites) practices. And for the moment, there’s even a brighter near-term forecast. Industrial Info Resources (IIR), Sugar Land, Tex., projects food and beverage processors have more than $3 billion second quarter expenditures allocated for capital and maintenance projects at U.S. and Canadian food processing plants and / or distribution centers. Said IIR, “The need to alleviate capacity constraints and expand capacity to meet growing demand, combined with favorable economic conditions, will drive spending plans in 2011. Investments in new facilities and plant expansions are projected to gain momentum as the year progresses and the post-recession trend in consumer spending remains upward.”

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

Profiling you in 2012? R&FF invites industry suppliers and processors to submit "Food Plant of the Year" recommendations to Editor Bob Garrison at (574) 935-3724 or, by e-mail, at garrisonr@ bnpmedia.com

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Cold Food Safety

"9"/"'!22)3/.s[email protected]

Its time has come Food safety concerns and equipment advances make high-pressure processing more appealing to refrigerated food processors. Sandridge Food Corp. uses high-pressure processing to kill bacteria in further prepared side dishes and entrees.

Photo courtesy of Sandridge Food Corp.

up to 600 MPa / 87,000 psi for a few seconds to a few minutes. Suppliers and food processors say another benefit appeals to today’s consumers. Because HPP kills spoilage bacteria, processors do not need added preservatives or extra acidic (bacteriafighting) ingredents. That means it’s easier to develop an all-natural item and a food with shorter, simple nutritional label with ingredients that consumers recognize. ou’ve heard about an idea whose time has come. Here’s a technology whose time has finally come. Did you know high-pressure processing (HPP) technology dates back to the late 1800’s and early 1900’s ? Scientists wanted to kill spoilage bacteria in highly perishable foods such as milk and meat. To do this, they packaged and placed those foods in specialized water cylinders and then increased the vessel’s hydrostatic pressure. Bottom line. These researchers realized that pascalization (named after 18th century physicist-inventor Blaise Pascal, who studied the effects of pressure on fluids) could work. Because the pressure is transmitted uniformly (simultaneously, in all directions), food can retain its shape, even at extreme pressure. And because no heat is needed, the process maintains a product’s sensory characteristics while it kills harmful bacteria. Bacteria are inactivated at levels of 58,000 to 87,000 psi in cold water (at less than 45˚F). A century later, today’s refrigerated food processors are not as concerned about mere food preservation.

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“Food safety is not just a top priority – but a responsibility – for us,” says Mark Sandridge, chief executive officer at Sandridge Food Corp. A private, familyowned company, Sandridge spent millions in 2009 and 2010 to renovate a portion of its Medina, Ohio, plant and install an HPP system for refrigerated side dishes and entrees. “HPP is a game changer,” Mark Sandridge continues. “We believe this new equipment not only represents the future four our company – but for the entire fresh food industry. It enables us to make higher quality products without preservatives and it allows us to use a wider array of ingredients. It also helps us approach our goal of ‘bacteria-free’ foods. There’s absolutely no room for food safety issues in our industry’s future.” It was during the 1980’s and 1990’s that suppliers and researchers developed process equipment that could consistently generate, control and handle the rigors of HPP. Today’s equipment subjects food – packed in flexible, water-resistant packaging – to a high level of hydrostatic pressure (pressure transmitted by water)

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

Equipment innovations The industry’s principal equipment suppliers are Avure Technologies Inc., Kent, Wash., and Europe’s NC Hyperbaric in Burgos, Spain. Avure says it traces its history back to Sweden’s ASEA group, which worked in the mid-1950s on isostatic pressure technology commercialization (linked to U.S. research in Columbus, Ohio). ASEA became part of the ABB Group, Zurich, in 1988. A little more than a decade later, in 1999, the United States’ Flow International Corp. acquired ABB’s high pressure technology business and created the Avure trade name. Avure then became a private, stand-alone company in 2005. Today, Avure says it has as many as 100 HPP installations worldwide involving ready-to-eat whole muscle and sliced meats, processed fruit and vegetables, fresh juices and smoothies, deli salads and dips, and shellfish. The company supplied some of the first widespread U.S. HPP applications (in the mid ‘90s) involving Wholly Guacamole maker Fresherized Foods, Saginaw, Texas; and processed  meats giant Hormel Foods, Austin, Minn. www.RFFmag.com

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Cold Food Safety

Tech Talk HPP: Want to try it? Global Leading Foods, Coppell, Texas, (GLF) opened a high-pressure processing (HPP) facility last October in the Dallas / Ft. Worth Metroplex. Officials say their operation offers the technology on a contract basis and is ideal for anything from ready-to-eat meats to wet deli salads and sauces. “By expanding the opportunity for the use of HPP by providing contract processing services, we are bringing all these Visit us at AMI, April 13-16, booth 2320 benefits to a much larger segment of the marketplace,” says GLF Partner Rick DeHerder. “Our facility offers processors the opportunity test market new products or to produce large production volumes.” DeHerder and other GLF partners, Tim and Kelley Battles (father and son) say they have a combined 51 years experience in worldwide food and beverage operations, sales and marketing. GLF’s operation is co-located in a multitemp cold storage and distribution center owned by Castle & Cooke. DeHerder notes that GLF also offers a range of value-added services such as labeling, kitting, packaging, and shipping — while maximizing distribution efficiencies, even for complex products. For the record, GLF has complimentary product storage and handling privileges with Castle & Cooke, in addition to eight dedicated dock doors. GLF’s dedicated HPP facility uses Avure Technologies’ high-capacity model QFP 350L-600 HPP system. Officials say the unit has a working capacity of 350 liters per cycle, which is equivalent to about 25 million pounds of product per year. “Together (with Avure), we can offer This is our second decade on the joint product development assistance Let Our Customers Tell You! forefront of elimination of food borne services to processors to create new food The vast majority of HPP pathogens through high pressure applications,” says Kelley Battles. “We see food products available technology, offering you the broadest consumer preferences for more healthworldwide today are created range of HPP equipment and services ful products with less sodium and fewer using Avure HPP equipment to bring successful HPP products chemical ingredients . . . We also believe and technology. But don’t retailers will continue to push for a safe to market. take our word for it! Hear actual customers supply chain and will increasingly look for discuss how they created sustainable advantage We are proud of the Avure QFP 350L, the with Avure HPP. HPP product as a condition of listing.” most popular high production HPP food Battles says GLF addresses many food Go to www.responsetrack.net/secret11 processors’ top technology concern. system worldwide. Our Avure QFP 215L is “The cost of entry into HPP can prohibit the most successful vertical press available. And the recently released QFP 100L has many companies to moving their product already become the most widely accepted mid–range system ever offered. So, it's to the technology. With that – and along not surprising that Avure continues to lead in horizontal, vertical with the lack of strategically located HPP and laboratory systems and total HPP solutions. toll-processing services – we felt that we could offer a cost-effective solution for With the capacity, reliability and low operating costs of our many companies.” equipment, unmatched food science knowledge and lab Battles says GLF aspires to become a full services, and a growing network of HPP contract services business partner with a select group of food providers, Avure is uniquely positioned to help YOU companies. Long term, he says, GLF would

deliver successful HPP products.

open other regional HPP sites.

© 2011 Avure Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. 800.959.1135

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Cold Food Safety NC Hyperbaric began in 1999 as a spin-off of the Nicolas-Correa Group, a publicly traded European leader in milling machinery. Although NC Hyperbaric now is an independent company (controlled by the Nicolas-Correa family), both companies’ headquarters are in Burgos, Spain. NC Hyperbaric says it has 64 HPP equipment installations worldwide (primarily in North America). Since 2005, the company’s North American partner has been Gridpath Inc., Toronto. Officials say Gridpath offers peripheral equipment to integrate the high pressure technology along with service and support for NC Hyperbaric installations. Profiled last December by Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, Sandridge is using NC Hyperbaric equipment. Asked specifically about his HPP equipment requirements, Mark Sandridge ranked his top four concerns, in descending order: volume capacity, overall footprint, cost and equipment shape. Those points certainly aren’t lost on industry suppliers Jaime Nicolas-Correa is NC Hyperbaric’s U.S. commercial manager “Volume has always been the biggest concern in the U.S. food market,” he says. “At the beginning, the technology was not as fast and the production rates were not as high – which made the technology more expensive per pound. We have minimized those concerns by developing larger and faster machines.” NC Hyperbaric says its latest new HPP unit can process more than 5,000 pounds per hour using 420-liter canisters (which hold packaged food during the process). Nicolas-Correa adds that a new iWAVE option “integrates the (pressure) intensifiers above the machine to reduce its footprint to 52 feet long by 13 feet wide.” Providing another market perspective is Glenn Hewson, Avure’s vice president of global marketing. Hewson says U.S. food processors also have been concerned about HPP’s initial purchase price, operating costs and uptime. He adds that there’s been a general widespread “lack of knowledge on how to develop HPP products.” For its part, Avure says it has addressed these concerns across several fronts. www.RFFmag.com

“We have worked hard to lower the initial entry and operating costs of HPP equipment and we are proud to say that Avure HPP systems offer the highest throughput, highest uptime and lowest cost per pound/kilo of any HPP equipment vendor,” says Hewson. “Today’s third-generation equipment has approximately the same fully burdened cost of us-

ing chemical preservatives. Because most customers are either able to eliminate or greatly reduce the use of chemicals, HPP does not become an additive cost and processors are able to price a premium on an all-natural product.” Avure says it formed an Avure HPP Contract Services Network, a worldwide group of companies that provide high 

High performance in a small footprint. The latest addition to the SORTEX E range, the SORTEX E1D offers a high performance sort in a small footprint. It has been designed to bring the benefits of larger sorters to smaller processors while delivering a high quality sorting in the freezing process. A combination of technologies and options allow for processors to tailor the sorter’s inspection system to their specific needs. It’s capable of inspecting product for discolored or misshaped product, subtle blemishes, FM or EVM, or any combination thereof. www.buhlergroup.com Buhler Sortex Inc. 209.983.8400 [email protected]

The small footprint aids installation in areas with limited space Double sided viewing allows an even detection of subtle defects from two sides Advanced PROfile technology enables removal of defective material by viewing the product using shape characteristics Stainless steel open construction design ensures high hygiene standards and easy cleaning The UHMW PE chute feed system delivers frozen product to the optical vision system efficiently Consistent performance without daily calibration ensures a low maintenance requirement High quality color sorting permits both gross and subtle color blemishes to be removed

Safe Food. Clean Food. 

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 11

Cold Food Safety

Photo courtesy of Fruity-Line bv / Avure Technologies

Holland’s Fruity-Line bv installed this Avure 100L HPP system in Ochten, Holland. Avure says small to mid-size food processors can use the 100L unit for production rates of 28,000 pounds (13,000 kilos) during a 20-hour workday.

pressure processing services. Hewson says these third-party operators offer largescale production, new product testing and other services. Back in Washington, Avure also has an HPP food lab where its food technologists assist customers with recipe and process development, microbiological testing, packaging recommendations, HACCP plans and, where required,

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regulatory approval. Hewson says Avure’s most popular model is a horizontal 350L HPP system. Last year saw the company introduce a mid-range, horizontal 100L unit for smaller operators. “From a fully burdened cost perspective (purchase price, depreciation, labor, utilities, etc.), depending upon system

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

choice and product being produced a typical cost would be between 2 and 8 cents per pound,” Hewson notes. He concludes, “Last year, 2010, was the best year ever for HPP equipment sales. We estimate that processors ordered approximately 35 new systems in 2010 – more than double the orders of 2009 and 2008. “Consumers want fresh, preservativefree products, the government wants low sodium and retailers want fresh but with shelf life,” he says. “Because these demands remove the traditional weapons (heat, preservatives, sodium) that processors use to create food safety and shelf life, HPP becomes one of the only viable options to meet these demands.”

www.RFFmag.com

BY KEVIN DUFRESNE

Cold Energy Management

Photo courtesy of Stellar

Changes – inside and out Regulations, new technologies keep insulated metal panels in step with green energy efforts, sanitation demands. Materials expert says insulated panels support sustainability, provide “excellent” thermal envelope.

ecent changes to Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) mandate about industrial gases have served as a “call to action” for insulated panel manufacturers. In turn, we see these manufacturers – important partners in energy savings – working to improve their product quality, durability and environmental standards. For the record, we believe that insulated metal panels – installed on a building exterior – providing an excellent thermal envelope. In contrast to other envelope assemblies, insulated metal panels more effectively reduce thermal bridging. With the industry continually striving to build more sustainable designs, insulated wall panels are by far the best and most thermally efficient product available today. We also believe that an insulated metal panels (a single-component system), increase project build speed, minimize delays and decrease the need for multiple trades. Their solid, lightweight nature makes them easier to maneuver and position. Builders can install them in all weather conditions and they perform effectively in seismic zones. What’s happened in the industry? Legislators have developed new regulations for “carbon footprint” issues. Specifically, EPA required all insulated panel manufacturers to convert their manufacturing processes from using

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hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC’s) to hydrofluorocarbon (HFC’s). This forced many suppliers to upgrade equipment, processes and practices. For instance, manufacturers shifted from a stacked cooling system (for new panels) to a toaster rack method that facilitates quicker cooling due to greater air flow between panels.

Looking back, ahead When it comes to insulated metal panel trends, we saw more operators using more 2B 304L stainless steel for interior facings in 2010. These applications involved those coatings located in processing areas that required chemical wash downs. Interestingly, when it came to a ceiling application in a similar area, building operators preferred Kynars, Flurothanes and other heavy mill coatings without stucco embossing. Exterior building structure attachments require a thorough understanding of the regulatory authorities, building codes and insurance providers. For example, Factory Mutual Approval Standard 4881 (2008) requires stringent attachment requirements and safety factors, which may result in increased support steel, fasteners and installation. The new year is bringing change in regard to exterior coatings (in regard to durability, color and finishes). We also are seeing (1) a shift from silconized

polyesters to full-strength 70 percent PVF2 fluropolymer (Kynar) finishes, (2) upgraded warranties from 20 years to 35 years and (3) new colors (other than white) ready for use on thermal projects. One of the biggest insulated panel trends actually does not involve energy savings – as much as sanitation and maintenance. Facility owners are requesting more sanitary design details, finishes and repairs because clients prefer insulated metal panel finishes that can be easily washed and can withstand harsh chemical (caustic) cleaning. Because inside plant panels often are damaged, facility owners want easier repair solutions that can be completed in a cosmetically appealing and hygienic manner. These operators also want improved sanitary details located at floor and curb levels. Kevin Dufresne is divisional vice president of Stellar’s Thermal Construction Division. Stellar, Jacksonville, Fla., is a fully integrated firm focused on construction, design, engineering and mechanical services worldwide. Readers may learn more at www.stellar.net

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Cold Supply Chain & Logistics

Executive insights Refrigerated & Frozen Foods talks with Rich Products Corp.’s Michael Welker, vice president of customer service and logistics / material management. Rich, Buffalo, N.Y., is a diversified processor supplying all channels. Its frozen product line includes bakery foods (desserts, sweet goods, bread and rolls), pizza products, barbeque meats, non-dairy toppings and icings (Rich’s), appetizers (Farm Rich), prepared shrimp and seafood (SeaPak) and Italian specialties. R&FF: How is your North American supply chain-logistics department structured? Michael Welker: Our team looks at the entire North America business as one service requirement, not by division. This allows us to balance and optimize volume and service and manage costs across the entire group. It helps that there’s a natural seasonality for various sales divisions. They tend to be at different times and that helps balance the volume we manage at any one time. We are excited about our recent acquisition of Celebration Foods (a New Britain, Conn., ice cream cake processor). This company has a world-class plant, products and associates. They also have an extremely efficient direct store distribution (DSD) system. Moving forward, we will look to identify synergies across our supply chain so we can enhance customer service and value. R&FF: How do you handle warehousing and transportation? Welker: Rich’s does not own any warehouses, unless they are attached to a manufacturing location. These locations facilitate high-volume consolidation and truck-load order business. The company does use a network of 3PL providers to support regional needs. We also use additional warehouse locations to support customer programs or added regional services. Here in Buffalo, Rich’s has a great group of associates to help manage transportation. We also work with Lean Logistics, Holland, Mich., for its transportation management software. We primarily transport product with asset-based carriers because our volume involves truckload and multiplestop truckload activities. R&FF: What were a few successes last year? Welker: We had several successes last year. First, the team worked extremely hard to improve costs – primarily through better load utilization and on-time delivery. We exceeded expectations in both areas. We’ve seen an escalating increase in rate requests. Our team worked through many of them by aggressively bidding our lane business and changing routing guides. This area saw more change in 2010 than in past years, so I’m proud that our associates responded quickly and diligently. www.RFFmag.com

MEET MICHAEL WELKER Background: Almost a 30year company veteran, Welker began in customer service and logistics before moving into operations (Rich’s Buffalo, N.Y., non-dairy facility). Then he held materials management staff and leadership roles. After assisting with Rich’s enterprisewide transition to SAP, Welker helped optimize supply chain processes and ERP rollout to additional plants. He later served as a leader in Rich’s global procurement. Welker also assists with acquisition diligence and integration leadership. Education / training: Bachelor’s degree (Industrial Technology), State University of New York at Buffalo. R&FF: What were a few big challenges? Welker: Our biggest challenge involved customer requests and expectations as a result of the struggling, inconsistent economy. This forced our associates to think differently about service and cost. We addressed service and cost issues by aggressively managing truck capacity in some areas. Our associates also rolled up their sleeves and went out into the market to build new, lasting carrier relationships. I don’t think this challenge will go away anytime soon, so we need to continue to pursue opportunities that help us provide even better customer solutions. R&FF: What are a few calendar 2011 goals? Welker: Our goals include increased turns and investment in the right inventory – to best serve our customers. We also have goals related to product obsolescence and/or spoilage and we want to exceed our targets (for reductions in both areas). R&FF: How about a few frozen business transportation goals? Welker: First and foremost, we need to maximize truck shipments to highest practical levels. This is a challenge for because we have such a large portfolio of products to fit such a variety of customer needs. We also will look to optimize Celebration Foods’ DSD system. Last but certainly not least, we’ll strive to reduce mileage to offset escalating fuel costs. R&FF: In your opinion, what will be the frozen food industry’s most critical logistics challenge in calendar 2011? Welker: The biggest obstacle will be to manage through regulatory changes that will significantly impact our business. As I mentioned earlier, fuel costs will continue to be a challenge in 2011 and we also face obstacles in other service and cost arenas. Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 15

Cold Supply Chain & Logistics "9"/"'!22)3/.s[email protected]

It’s not easy being green Want no-cost, low-cost energy savings? It takes an operational “tune-up” says one expert. ind yourself longing for ‘80s fashion and music? Maybe not. But don’t you miss that decade’s industrial energy prices? Although he might not use the same phrasing, Marcus Wilcox will soon put the same question to public refrigerated warehouse officials. The president of Cascade Energy Engineering, an independent consulting firm, Wilcox will address an annual conference and expo hosted in late April by the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) and World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO). “Climate change is not a dinnertime topic at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Yet that legislation is coming and pushing industrial refrigeration users to focus on sustainability,” he says. “Ten years ago, most of our customers did not even have a corporate sustainability policy or a ‘green’ plan of action.” For that matter, Wilcox also has been learning along the way. While working on a Master’s in mechanical engineering at Oregon State University, Wilcox says he became one of the first students assisting the U.S. Department of Energy’s newly created “Industrial Assessment Center.” The job had him perform approximately 50 energy efficiency audits at industrial sites throughout the Northwest. With a self-described “love for ammonia refrigeration,” Wilcox later co-founded Cascade Energy Engineering, Walla Walla, Wash., in 1993. Wilcox says the energy landscape itself has changed dramatically since the early ‘90s. The past two decades have seen cost increases across all basic energy fronts. Meanwhile, overall customer load growth and demand stretched most utilities’ infrastructure and generation capacity. Wilcox notes that utilities were not accustomed to promoting energy conservation – let alone incentivizing users for reducing load. Likewise, it’s only been recently that utilities have included

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

energy efficiency alongside more traditional energy resource strategies, such as from coal and hydroelectric dams. Wilcox credits industry technology providers and even utilities for a new generation of equipment, materials, software, and strategies to help large industrial refrigeration operators better conserve energy and/or reduce energy. He says new refrigeration controls, variable frequency drives, warehouse lighting and other technologies can reduce energy use by as much as 10 percent to 30 percent in brownfield cold warehouse operations. Meanwhile, greenfield sites using these technologies – combined with the latest doors, battery chargers and more – can reduce energy use and cost by as much as 50 percent compared to traditional designs. Then again, Wilcox says he realizes most IARW-WFLO convention attendees (top warehouse executives) will be interested in more low- or no-cost energy savings options. For that reason, this muscle car enthusiast says he plans to talk about the importance of a facility “tune-up.” “We offer a ‘Kaizen Blitz,’ which is intensive, multiday review of a system or facility and our goal is to help operators cut energy use by 10 percent to 20 percent by addressing low- and no-cost opportunities,” says Wilcox. “It typically includes rethinking your system capabilities and limitations, retro-commissioning the system and reviewing maintenance practices. All key parties are involved in the process – from your in-house staff to your preferred contractors . . . It’s based on the premise that it’s difficult to improve performance until you’re measuring it.” Cascade is the corporate energy management firm for foodservice distribution giant Sysco Corp. Wilcox says Cascade helped develop Sysco’s energy management strategy with a program that leverages web-based tools and included  an initial tune up at all 108 Sysco distribution centers. Caswww.RFFmag.com

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cade tracks more than 500 electric and gas utility bills and monitors approximately 150 near real-time power meters. At any time, Sysco personnel can track individual facility performance or companywide benchmarking metrics. In addition, Cascade supports Sysco’s corporate project managers when they consider new construction or expansion upgrades and refine corporate bid specifications. Since introducing a companywide energy management plan in 2006, Sysco has reduced companywide energy intensity (kWh per cubic foot) by one third, says Wilcox. Note that facility tracking mechanisms also can help operators more quickly identify and correct a problem.

“Perhaps there’s been a change in staff, a new contractor or a piece of equipment that’s not right. What matters is whether you can identify the problem and turn it around,” says Wilcox. Wilcox also recommends that facility owner-operators … … see the true cost picture. “There’s a big difference between becoming more efficient versus simply reducing your cost of electricity per kilowatt hour,” he says. “A warehouse can sign a contract for cheaper energy but that does not mean the facility is going to be more efficient in using that power.” … enlist an “energy champion.” A senior level official should consistently champion energy savings evaluations, strategies and/or technologies.

… communicate on the front lines. “You need buy-in from engine room operators,” Wilcox notes. “Any party – a supplier, a contractor or engine room operator – could innocently alter a few key set points and neutralize a great energy savings program. These operators need to know exactly what’s happening.” … remember equipment and systems are inter-related. “Almost every system is more energy efficient and has more capacity when it runs better,” he says. “A lighting or door retrofit (to more energy efficient models) can help reduce the refrigeration load. If you fine tune equipment or correct performance issues, systems are more efficient and have more capacity.”

LEED CERTIFICATION FOR COLD WAREHOUSES The U.S. cold storage industry is, without a doubt, big. U.S. Department of Agriculture officials estimate that there’s a total 94.75 million square feet of general refrigerated storage. Of this space, approximately 72.5 million square feet is public general refrigerated warehouse space. As a result, the cold storage industry can have a significant impact on the environment. The International Association for Cold Storage Construction (IACSC) and International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) say they want to help members learn to measure and reduce carbon footprint. Accordingly, an IACSC-IARW Construction/Codes Committee formed a Green Project Scorecard subcommittee to develop an applicable Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for the cold storage industry in cooperation with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system managed and implemented by USBGC. Officials say they want to develop a set of recommendations to present to the USGBC to adapt current LEED ratings to cold storage buildings. They note that some criteria in the current generic LEED rating system do not apply to the cold storage industry. For example, LEED currently provides credits for selecting a site close to densely populated urban areas with access to public transportation. Often, though, cold storage facilities are intentionally located away from urban infrastructure. The subcommittee has identified this and other areas of conflict between green cold storage construction strategy and current LEED credits and their intent. IACSC says USGBC already has addressed similar projects with the hospitality industry and schools, which have their own rating systems (recognizing the unique nature of buildings in those sectors). Clayco’s Anthony Johnson leads the IACSC / IARW Green Project Scorecard subcommittee. Other members include Eric Smith, International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration; Chuck Toogood, M&M Refrigeration; Jake Stefan, ARCO Design/ Build; and Ron Vallort, Ron Vallort and Associates. Subcommittee members say they will develop a energy optimization baseline to catalog energy use by the average cold storage facility. Then the subcommittee will consult USGBC about how to address other credits that may not currently align with this product type. Industry executives will discuss the LEED cold warehouse initiative, green building and design at the 2011 IACSC Conference & Expo, November 3-6, 2011, at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Visit www. iacsc.org to learn more.

18

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

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%$ Cold Technology Showcase FOCUS ON: FOOD FORMING EQUIPMENT Continuous former Heat and Control’s Nugget Former continuously forms naturally-shaped meat and poultry nuggets for pizza toppings, soup ingredients, fillings and other applications. The Nugget Former accepts a continuous supply of meat from most pumping systems. It forms and evenly distributes nuggets across the width of any oven’s infeed conveyor belt. Operators can choose among five different nugget shapes and a variety of lengths. Water mist prevents nuggets from sticking to the cut-off paddle. Built to USDA specs, the unit is easily disassembled for thorough cleaning. – Heat and Control (800) 227-5980 / www.heatandcontrol.com

Fast, flexible forming Speed, product consistency and versatility are key to NuTEC Manufacturing’s 710 Forming Machine. The 710 provides excellent weight control and gentle product handling for a variety of products from beef to vegetables. It can form hamburger patties (up to 3,600 per hour), meatballs, skinless sausage links and many more items. The 710 Forming Machine operates with minimal wear and maintenance. NuTEC supports the machine with factory direct service and a one-year parts warranty. Like all NuTEC equipment, the 710 is operator-friendly and easy to use. – NuTEC Manufacturing (815)722-2800 / www.nutecmfg.com

Versatile Vemag Reiser’s Vemag is an incredibly versatile machine that combines the highest levels of forming and portioning accuracy, speed and product quality. It is the perfect solution for all types of food forming applications that require exact-weight portions. A single machine, Vemag uses different attachments to produce various products. Changeovers from one attachment to another are very quick and easy, making the Vemag the most versatile machine in your plant. Vemag food formers can produce patties, nuggets, meatballs, meat loafs, cheese blocks, cheese slices, cookie shapes, fish sticks, crab cakes, energy bars, churros and more. – Reiser (781) 821-1290 / www.reiser.com

Get “Maxum” performance Formax introduces the Maxum700® forming system with production rates up to 10,000 (4536 kg) per hour, along with Ultra26® with servo knock-out drives. Formax’s advanced technology enhances product quality and texture through the various mold plate actions and eliminates product variations for burgers, chicken, sausages and more. Come see it for yourself this April at Provisur Technologies’ AMI Expo Booth #1013 in Chicago. – Provisur Technologies Inc. (708) 479-3500 / www.provisur.com 

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

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Cold Technology Showcase Conveyor accessories

Need help in China? We’re there! Vilter’s new Shanghai, China, location produces Vilter single-screw compressors, packaged refrigeration systems and industrial heat pumps. Vilter single-screw compressors are known to operate at high pressures and high temperatures. Now, food processors in China and elsewhere can use Vilter heat pumps to tap into their existing refrigeration systems as a source of renewable heat energy. You can generate significant cost savings and protect the environment. – Vilter Manufacturing, subsidiary of Emerson Climate Tech. (414) 744-0111 / www.vilter.com

Got the app? Kingspan Insulated Panels’ new Path to NetZero,™ is a mobile app to help industrial facility builders simulate the process of achieving high-performance and net-zero buildings. The new app instructs users to select one of four cities, a building type (school, office or warehouse) and a baseline building designed to ASHRAE 90.1.2004. Users then choose a Kingspan insulated roof and wall system and compare savings. Tool benchmarks match the Dept. of Energy’s Commercial Building Initiative and USGBC LEED 2009/3.0 requirements. -- Kingspan Insulated Panels North America (877) 638-3266 / www.kingspanpanels.us

www.RFFmag.com

Dorner offers accessories for its stainless steel AquaPruf and AquaGard food grade conveyors. New offerings include drip pans, chutes and hoppers, flared guides, hinged guiding, mounting blocks and photo eye brackets. When applying accessories and add-ons to food grade conveyors, a safe design is critical. This is why all our accessories are made of stainless steel and/or UHMW sanitary material. These new accessories make cleaning easy and eliminate areas where potentially harmful bacteria and other pathogens can collect and grow. – Dorner Manufacturing (800) 397-8664/ www.dornerconveyors.com

Compressed air controls Ingersoll Rand’s new X-Series System Visualization lets users monitor critical system and equipment parameters, drill down to individual compressors to view operational status and be alerted to any alarm messages. This helps determine where you can reduce operating costs or where reliability issues may exist. Complete compressed air system viewing is accessible from a local or remote PC. Users can see critical parameter monitoring and fault notification, parameter graphing and trending, system performance reporting and operating summaries and equipment maintenance scheduler. – Ingersoll Rand (704) 655-5009 / www.ingersollrandproducts.com



Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 21

rigeration Ref Improve your food-processing facility's design. engineering architecture

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Hygienic design Hinds-Bock Servo Pump Fillers are designed with sanitation in mind. All flat surfaces are angled. Round tubing replaces square; and all overlapping or recessed surfaces have been redesigned, eliminating the pooling of water. Hinds-Bock Servo Pump Fillers handle a wide variety of flowable products. The servocontroller makes it quick and easy to change over from one size container to another – without change parts. Our sanitary pumps are CIP (Clean in Place) and they sanitize themselves. Even front cover plates are hinged for rapid swab testing. – Hinds-Bock Corp. (877) 292-5715 / www.hindsbock.com

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22

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

Compact loader Kliklok-Woodman’s innovative new Cascade Loader System (CLS120) is a compact, stand-alone unit complementing our wide range of endload and topload cartoning equipment. We also can retrofit the CLS120 to virtually any model and make of endload cartoner. CLS120 uses fully adjustable three-stage vertical rotor timing to provide collation, stacking and transfer of bags, sachets and even pizzas. It features stainless steel construction, compact design and an Insight color HMI for ease of operation. – KliklokWoodman (770) 981-5200 / www.kliklokwoodman.com

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Cold Technology Showcase Cryogenic exhaust The Quickdraft Venturi Exhauster is an excellent solution for cryogenic exhaust applications. We have supplied numerous Venturi Exhausters venting Nitrogen or Carbon Dioxide gasses having temperatures as low as –250°F (-156°C). Our Venturi Exhauster eliminates problems experienced with in-line exhaust fans such as ice build-up on the impeller, which leads to and lost productivity. Our Exhauster is a Venturi design. The exhaust gas is pulled into and through our eductor tube (Venturi) which has an unobstructed flow path. The fan assembly is completely out of the exhaust air stream. – Quickdraft (330) 477-4574 / www.quickdraft.com

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Munters’ Integrated Custom Air Handler (ICA) dehumidification system simplifies the complex task of integrating a desiccant dehumidifier with other air conditioning components. Users can customize ICA to multiple configurations. It offers 10 rotor sizes, seven desiccant options and a range of standard components engineered for maximized performance. ICA incorporates many advanced features including an innovative double-wall construction with superior no-through metal design in either 2.5- or 4-inch wall thickness. – Munters (800) 843-5360 / www.munters.us

Freezer doors Dynaco knows that demanding cold storage applications require special doors. That’s why the new Freezer M2 Door combines the tightest seal, optional insulated curtains, high speed and an advanced defrost system. The Freezer M2’s soft curtain technology provides user safety while automatic re-insertion eliminates maintenance and downtime. The door features a 96” per second opening speed. It also comes with fully programmable high velocity / volume air curtains to reduce defrost and convective energy loss. – Dynaco (800) 459-1930 / www.dynacodoor.us

www.RFFmag.com

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 23

Cold Technology Showcase Better spiral belt The Intralox Series 2800 Spiralox GTech belt outperforms other belt designs in spiral proofers, freezers and coolers. Made in 36-inch modules, it features fewer seams to enhance sanitation. With more consistent open area for cooling and increased airflow, the Spiralox GTech also reduce energy costs. Ultimately, it delivers the best of modular plastic belting (lighter weight, low-tension operation, no contamination from metal or lubricants) along with increased beam strength, better airflow and tighter transfer capability. – Intralox LLC USA (800) 535-8848 / www.intralox.com

Save packaging film Prepared foods processors can save up to $35,000 a year on packaging film with the eco-cut film feeder technology on Orics’ S-30 fully automated tray sealer. The USDA- and FDA-approved S-30 is a linear-motion heat sealing machine suited for wash-down environments. With an AC Servo drive, the S-30 is ideal for medium-speed applications, operating at up to 30 cycles per minute. Cups or trays are placed manually in the carriers. At each index containers can be filled, sealed and automatically discharged. An automatic in-feed system can be added for consistent product flow. Film is cut in between each container, leaving absolutely no waste of film. – Orics Industries Inc. (718) 461-8613 / www.orics.com

Tough strapping machine Dynaric’s DF117S automatic strapping machine has side-seal design, a stainless steel cabinet and corrosionresistant parts. This provides maximum protection in harsh meat, poultry, seafood applications. Ideal for lower conveyors, the DF117S’s side-seal design is perfect for strapping applications where a bottom seal is not practical or recommended. Users can integrate DF117S into an existing conveyor system. It has a cycle time of 1.6 seconds and can strap up to 37 packages per minute. – Dynaric Inc. (800) 526-0827 / www.dynaric.com

Stronger, easier to clean Ashworth’s new Omni-Pro® conveyor belts feature patented Zero-Tension, 360˚ Buttonless Welds, which are stronger and easier to clean than conventional bridge-welded belts. By eliminating traditional bridge welding with the Zero-Tension 360˚ Buttonless Weld, all Omni-Pro® belts can withstand the highest loads in their class. Unlike a traditional bridge weld, the Zero-Tension 360˚ Buttonless Weld is free from surface imperfections and crevices, eliminating bacteria entrapments and improving cleaning characteristics. – Ashworth Bros. Inc. (800) 682-4594 / www.ashworth.com

Make artisan pastas DEMACO’s new Criterion Series pasta extruders combine artisan pasta processing with highly advanced hardware and software specifications. Criterion addresses growing interest in optimized dough processing to protect the starch protein matrix with very lowest dough temperatures and minimal mechanical shear. Combining this with our ultimate high precision, tight tolerance extrusion unit creates a pasta machine that is capable of producing artisanal pasta at industrial volumes with very high reliability. Made to USDA-MID specifications for prepared food plants. – Demaco (321) 952-6600 / www.defranciscimachine.com 

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

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Cold Technology Showcase Save film, reduce waste Your source for custom food processing and packaging equipment, Raque now offers a Vacuum Film Removal feature that helps processors save as much as 22 percent of their packaging film and reduce waste by up to 65 percent. Raque can offer this feature on tray filling and sealing lines with volumes up to 400 trays per minute – with no web breakage stoppages. This results in packaging cost savings year on year, reduced packaging storage requirements, less downtime and reduced landfill waste and costs. – Raque Food Systems (502) 267-9641 / www.raque.com

Better floor, more uptime Fricks’ FSC Advantage™ shrinkage compensating concrete floors provide durability for 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

Cook soups, sauces Blentech’s new scraped surface horizontal blender cookers can replace hemisphericalstyle kettles for applications from soups, salsas and sauces -- to slurries of all types. New Classic Line cookers have a unique agitator design and wrap-around heat transfer jacket to reduce cook times as much as 50 percent and to improve blending and particulate suspension. Classic Line cookers are competitively priced and are ideal for chilled and frozen soups. – Blentech Corporation (707) 523-5949 / www.blentech.com

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Advanced compressor oils As food plant conditions become tougher, so must the equipment that runs your operation. Your compressor oils must be tough enough for today’s wet and humid environments, high air throughput, hot discharge temperatures and start-stop operation modes. Petro Canada’s new and improved Purity FG compressor fluids are advanced food grade lubricants fortified with specially selected performance additives for even better resistance to oxidative breakdown. Purity FG compressor fluids also meet the highest food industry purity standards and fit all HACCP and GMP programs. – Petro-Canada (888) 284-4572 / www.petro-canada.ca

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CUTTING-EDGE PERFORMANCE AND THE AWARD GOES TO… To choose this year’s “Food Plants of the Year” honorees, R&FF solicited nominations from industry experts and observers, industry suppliers and the editors of sister publications such as The National Provisioner, Food Engineering, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, Dairy Foods and Dairy Field Reports. Plant performance was evaluated against one or more of the following criteria: ; Worker Safety ; Community Involvement ; Food Safety ; Environmental Initiatives ; Process / Packaging Innovation ; Productivity R&FF then selected one plant from each of six refrigerated and frozen food processing sectors (regardless of sales channel). Want to be featured in 2012? Industry suppliers and food processors may submit nominations to Editor Bob Garrison at (574) 935-3724 or, by e-mail, at [email protected].

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These food plants demonstrate industry-leading best practices in environmental achievement, worker safety and process technology. By Bob Garrison ad enough of winter? It wasn’t long ago that the landscape for greenfield food plants looked just as bleak. That’s when a weak national economy forced cold food processors to freeze all capital projects. Then it was just a matter of time before a thaw in consumer and corporate spending. So here’s a metaphorical look at springtime in the food industry. Three of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ “Food Plant of the Year” honorees are entirely new facilities that came online during the past three years. Meanwhile, R&FF is just as pleased to showcase three existing operations’ efforts to improve environmental performance, worker safety and productivity.

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READ ON FOR CATEGORY-BY-CATEGORY PROFILES OF: ENTREES: Sara Lee Corp.’s Zeeland, Mich., plant makes its name for worker safety; supports a growing Jimmy Dean breakfast business. MEAT & POULTRY: Cargill Inc. plants in Beardstown, Ill., and London, Ont., make noteworthy improvements to benefit the environment and workers alike. FRUIT & VEGETABLE: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston builds the world’s first LEED Platinum certified frozen food plant in Delhi, La. DAIRY: General Mills picks its Methuen, Mass., Yoplait yogurt plant for the company’s first solar energy project. BAKERY: Chicago’s Gonnella Baking Co. invests in the latest technologies for its frozen dough plant in Hazle Township, Pa. SNACK, APPETIZER & SIDE DISH: Kettle Creations uses its new Lima, Ohio, plant and skilled employees to meet refrigerated side dish demand.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 27

of the

Photos courtesy of Sara Lee North American Retail

MEAL & ENTREE

Michigan site spans 500,000 square feet with about 900 employees.

JUST THE FACTS Company: Sara Lee North American Retail Food plant(s) honored: Zeeland, Mich. Selection criteria: Worker safety, environmental initiatives Employees: Approximately 900 Facility size: N.A. Products: Processed refrigerated meats, frozen breakfast entrees

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Rise and shine Sara Lee’s Zeeland, Mich., makes its name for worker safety; makes its mark in the freezercase.

ake no mistake. Everything about Sara Lee Corp.’s processed meat plant in Zeeland, Mich. – is

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BIG. A flagship in Sara Lee’s North American Retail business, Zeeland is a 500,000-square-foot operation on a 123acre site. It employs as many as 900 people and produces more than 200 million pounds of processed meats for nearly every Sara Lee’s retail and foodservice brand. Perhaps not surprisingly, Zeeland also has been a big contributor to Sara Lee’s Jimmy Dean breakfast business. When company officials wanted to push brand growth in frozen bowl breakfast entrees, they selected Zeeland (in southwest Michigan) and renovated a portion of plant for frozen food processing.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

Zeeland has helped fuel a growing business. Sara Lee has expanded the Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls line to seven items since the product’s 2006 debut. Officials say the latest offering, a new Jimmy Dean D-Lights Ham Bowl, offers 21 grams of protein per serving, contains just 220 calories is ready in less than three minutes. Sara Lee says those popular new items – coupled with creative promotion – have propelled the brand to a 55.7 percent market share in the frozen protein breakfast category, according to Information Resources Inc. data (12 weeks ending Jan. 9, 2011). Plant Manager Ross Myers says no one could be more proud of Jimmy Dean’s success than Sara Lee’s Zeeland employees. “For Sara Lee to put its breakfast bowl

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S U C C E S S

S T O R I E S

HOW A VEMAG SLICE DEPOSITOR

eliminated HAND -L AB O R a n d i n c r ea sed SANDWIC H SAL E S A TRUE STORY: A sandwich maker came to Reiser at a tradeshow lamenting how much labor was required to make a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich for commissaries and vending machines. The problem was that the peanut butter needed to be spread onto both slices of bread to prevent the jelly from leaking through and “staining” the bread. Reiser put its engineers to work and they developed the Vemag Slice Depositor. This system automatically deposits a clean, even, exact-weight covering of peanut butter directly onto the bread. Now making sandwiches was a snap. The customer then determined that the same technology could be applied to cheese slices, and then tuna salad, chicken salad and other sandwich fillngs. The sandwich maker’s sales took off and Reiser had earned another customer’s loyalty.

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Leading the food industry in processing and packaging solutions.

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Yes, We Can. Pride Inside: Jimmy Dean first- and second-shift team members.

Chilled processors have paid top dollar for single LTL shipments — or ran the risk of having their cooler products loaded onto bulkheaded frozen trailers. Now, there’s a better option: Hanson Velocities™ Multi-Vendor Temp Controlled Warehousing and Distribution. We consolidate cooler products on trailers set to hold 34˚ to 38˚F. That means your quality refrigerated items ride with creamer and fresh prepared, not with ice cream and frozen vegetables. Different temperatures. Different loads. Velocities™ Multi-Vendor Temp-Controlled Warehousing and Distribution is your cost-effective — high quality — pipeline to the nation’s top retailers, including Walmart. Sailing from Chicago ... on time ... on temp. Give your chilled product distribution to the pros: Hanson Logistics.

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

line here was exciting for all us. It represented a big investment,” says Myers. “When it came to designing the new line, Sara Lee also sought input from those employees who would be running, maintaining and cleaning it. It was fun to take it from a concept and make it a reality.” Meanwhile, Zeeland employees also have much to be proud of. Sara Lee recognized the facility as “Meat Plant of the Year” during fiscal 2009 (for achievement against internal key performance indicators). Sara Lee also honored Zeeland last year as the company’s top distribution center. Myers says the plant (certified at SQF Level 3) recorded “perfect scores” across a multitude of criteria including worker safety, on-time delivery and cost. Last but not least, the American Meat

Institute also gave Zeeland a 2 0 1 0 Wo r k e r S a f e t y Recognition Award for employee safety and health performance. Myers notes that Zeeland’s recordable losttime accident rate (as of February 2011) is less than 0.5 on a year-to-date basis. And again … remember Zeeland has nearly 900 employees. Myers says Zeeland embraced Lean Manufacturing in 2003 and says – eight years later – its workers now adhere to a behavior-based safety program. Zeeland’s goal, he says, is to train every employee and involve them cross-functional, self-directed safety teams. In this context, he says co-workers help their peers identify and correct any potential issues. “It’s all about employee buy-in,” says Myers. “To be

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MEAL & ENTREE

leaders in safety, employees have to be the ones who make things happen. It’s clear that they take pride in what they do.” For that matter, Zeeland employees likewise can point to several environmental achievements involving…

… packaging and transportation. Myers said Zeeland employees helped corporate engineers design the Jimmy Dean breakfast bowl entrée line and even the bowl itself. Together, they eliminated handles that were fixed into the original bowl. Not only did this make line filling operations more efficient but the change also slimmed down the package – resulting in more cartons per case and more cases per truck. Officials say the slimmer package represents a paperboard savings of 74 metric tons per year and a reduced shipping case for corrugate savings of 34 metric tons per year. Plus, because Zeeland could add one more case to each pallet load, it saved an estimated 236 truckloads, 161,834 liters of diesel fuel and 431 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, they say.

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… energy. Zeeland converted two older product mixers from hydraulic power to electric power. Myers estimates the shift “saves us the equivalent energy used to power as many as 150 homes.” … wastewater. Zeeland converted from a traditional brine chill system to a cold water chilling alternative. By eliminating salt in its chiller systems, Zeeland reduced overall chloride levels in its discharged water by as much as 50 percent, says Myers. While Zeeland does its part, corporate officials in nearby Downers Grove, Ill., continue to do more to build Jimmy Dean and other brands. “We’re all proud when Jimmy Dean does anything – from a line extension to a new product,” says Myers notes. “And that goes for everyone here. We regard everything we do as a crossfunctional team effort and it involves everyone from management to our hourly employees.” Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 31

DAIRY FOODS Photos courtesy of General Mills

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Yoplait plant reduces process steps, saves energy while product line grows.

AT A GLANCE Company: General Mills, Yoplait Food plant(s) honored: Methuen, Mass.

General Mills picks Methuen, Mass., yogurt plant for its first solar energy project.

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recognized among the nation’s top 10 states offering solar energy rebate programs at home and commercial levels. Although it did not disclose the Methuen’s plant’s financial details General Mills said it partnered with both state and local government officials to finalize the project. A Massachusetts supplier, Nexamp Inc., North Andover, designed and installed the solar panels. The three-month installation was completed last July. Seven months later, Dulski remains quite pleased. “The solar panels are on target to supply nearly 80 percent of our power needs in the summer and 40 percent for the rest of the year,” he says. “The panels now provide power to our facility on a daily basis. Using renewable energy has been a win-win

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

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Selection criteria: Environmental initiatives Employees: N.A. Facility size: N.A. Products: Refrigerated yogurt

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When life gives you sunshine… ou’ve heard about turning a bad situation into something good (“When life gives you lemons …”). Yet how about when life gives you a good thing? In one instance, General Mills is using sunshine to make refrigerated yogurt. Last year saw General Mills’ Yoplait dairy in Methuen, Mass., become the company’s first U.S. operation to install and use solar panels. Ed Dulski is Yoplait’s Methuen plant manager. “Although a northern state like Massachusetts may seem like an unlikely place to install solar panels, the sun shines an average of 202 days per year here,” he says. “That makes it an excellent location for generating solar power.” For that matter, Massachusetts is widely

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for us. It helps reduce our footprint on the environment and save money on utility bills. We’re proud to be General Mills’ first U.S. facility to produce its own electricity.” Specifically, officials estimate Methuen’s solar panel array will provide a year-round average of 55 percent of the annual electricity consumed by the plant’s warehouse building. They say the panels generate enough electricity (110.7 kilowatts) to power approximately 12 average Massachusetts homes every year. Finally, they estimate that the solar power will offset more than

112,000 lbs of carbon dioxide annually (equivalent of taking 10 cars off the road). For the record, Yoplait is a $1.5 billion business for General Mills. Although the company declines to say much about its U.S. dairy operations profile, Methuen and its sister facilities (including a growing Murfreesboro, Tenn., site) have been busy. Last year saw the brand introduce several new products and lines, such as 100-calorie Yoplait Delights yogurt parfaits, Yoplait Greek yogurt, Yoplait Splitz yogurt parfaits for kids and an all-natural version

of Yoplait in larger containers. It’s here that Dulski adds an important note about in-plant efficiency – an achievement connecting production to Yoplait’s finished products. “General Mills has been taking a Holistic Margin Management (HMM) approach to each product and business line,” he says. “As part of that effort, we are identifying ways to reformulate specific products and improve manufacturing efficiencies. “For example, a change in the product formulation of Yoplait Thick & Creamy yogurt has allowed us to

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DAIRY FOOODS Solar to account for 80 percent of yogurt plant’s summertime energy demand.

streamline production,” he continues. “This product is now made with a unique process that eliminates a production step, which saves energy and increases our manufacturing capacity – all while it maintains the product taste and quality consumers love.” Back in Minneapolis, General Mills continues talking openly about the importance of green programs. In its corporate social responsibility report last November, the company reviewed its activities involving energy, greenhouse gases, water and solid waste generation.

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Jerry Lynch is General Mills’ chief sustainability officer. “General Mills has been making steady progress on improving our environmental footprint for several years,” he says. “But from a sustainability perspective, we made considerable in 2010 by way of the following company ‘firsts.’” - E n e r g y f r o m o a t h u l l s . “ We brought online a new unit that burns leftover oat hulls to provide 90 percent of the steam to operate our Fridley, Minn., plant,” says Lynch. “This site makes the oat flour for

Cheerios and other products.” - Energy from the sun. “Our first U.S. facility to produce its own electricity via solar panels came online at our facility in Methuen, Mass.,” Lynch says. “We also installed a second bank of solar panels at our main office in Minneapolis.”

- Environmentally friendly buildings. “Our first LEED-certified buildings opened their doors,” he notes. “These include a distribution facility in Georgia and an existing building in Minneapolis that was upgraded to meet LEED specifications.”

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 35

Photos courtesy of ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston

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LEED-certified inside and out; equipped with state-of-the-art machinery.

AT A GLANCE Company: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston Food plant(s) honored: Delhi, La. Selection criteria: Environmental initiatives, process innovation Employees: Approximately 275 Facility size: N.A. Products: Frozen sweet potato products for foodservice, retail channels.

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Sweet thing (of beauty) ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston builds the world’s first LEED Platinum certified frozen food plant.

t’s one of those of rare cases when trendy facts and figures add up to bricks and mortar. ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, TriCities, Wash., has processed and marketed sweet potato items for about a decade. Then, four or five years ago, officials say something changed. “Sweet potatoes are generating a big buzz in the foodservice and retail industries and the category is growing at an incredible rate,” says Andy Johnston, Lamb Weston’s vice president of marketing. “They have a tremendous nutritional profile. They are interesting and different. Even kids think they’re cool because they’re orange and taste great. “Today, sweet potatoes are no longer seasonal or regional,” he concludes. “We

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

realized that they have absolute staying power.” Rising consumer and customer interest had Lamb Weston officials talking in 2007 about a new, dedicated facility. Determined to go where the crop was, Lamb Weston stepped out of its familiar Northwest region and looked to the Southeast. After a lengthy site process, officials picked a 138acre site in the northeast Louisiana town of Delhi. The company broke ground in September 2009 and produced its first case of product just one year later, last September. For the record, this $150 million plant will eventually process more than 20 foodservice and retail SKUs of sweet potato items under brands such as Sweet Things (foodservice) and Alexia (retail). The oper-

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FRUIT & VEGETABLE

ation brought jobs to an estimated 275 people in a heavily agricultural area once known for cotton, sweet potatoes and paper mills. “We had an opportunity to build something from scratch and set out to build a great sustainable plant because it was right for the business and who we are as a company," says Rick Martin, vice president for manufacturing. “We’ve been producing sweet potato products for the past 10 years, which allowed us to bring the best of what we’ve learned during this time to the design and construction of the Delhi plant.” Although they cannot share details, Lamb Weston officials say Delhi features several sweet potato process innovations. Meanwhile, one thing they can discuss is Delhi’s sustainable design. Martin and Doug Beyer, senior director of engineering, say Lamb Weston was committed early to U.S. Green Building Council guidelines for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Beyer led Delhi’s construction and start-up and says Lamb Weston officials soon realized they could construct the world’s first LEED Platinum frozen food plant – simply by working harder to source and transport at least 75 percent of plant construction materials from within a certain radius. Even so, there are many more features. Just consider that … … the entire plant is climate controlled to increase worker productivity, safety and comfort. Climate control in such a hot, humid environment reduces condensation build up and water on the floors, reducing slip and fall and hazards. Materials, such as low VOC (volatile organic compounds) carpeting, cleaning products and paints, are used in the inte-

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rior of the plant to reduce occupant exposure to airborne pollutants. … energy-saving equipment is projected to save 40 percent of the annual energy consumed at a comparable plant. By identifying and recovering potential wasted energy within the building systems and processes, energy demand is greatly reduced. … biogas, produced by treating process waste water, is piped back to the plant boilers to produce steam. This process is expected to offset approximately 20 percent of the annual natural gas demand of the plant, and prevents

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methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, from entering the atmosphere. … more than 100 acres of the property will be maintained as open space, including protected wetland areas, ponds and restored native vegetation. Water is conserved outside the building by landscaping with native plant species that require no irrigation once established. A 28-year Lamb veteran, Beyer moved to Louisiana to handle plant construction and start-up. He notes that Delhi’s story still goes well beyond its sustainable appeal.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

“This project represented a tremendous investment of dollars and sizeable risk for us – to go to a new part of the country and try some new [processing] things. Ultimately, you can have a beautiful facility but if the quality isn’t there, it hurts your reputation,” he says. “That’s why people make all the difference.” It can’t be overlooked that those valuable people relationships extend deep to area communities and farmers who never have considered such a sizeable field planting commitment for commercial grade sweet potatoes

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FRUIT & VEGETABLE Facility will process 20 sweet potato SKUs for foodservice, retail channels.

(required by Lamb Weston). Beyer credits Louisiana State University AgCenter Research & Extension representatives for their sweet potato research, grower outreach and field-planting strategies. Company officials also wanted to attract a “quality workforce,” those people willing to consider Lamb Weston

Delhi for a career. For that reason, Beyer says Lamb We s t o n s e t a n aggressive pay and benefits package. It also worked closely with Louisiana Economic Development and its “FastStart” program to train new employees in quality control and in such “soft” but critical areas as teamwork and leadership. “This is our chance to develop a great initial culture. You only start once and your first impression is what

endures,” says Beyer. “We talked with our employees about the start-up process at a new facility, knowing there would be some frustrations. But we all work together to fix the problems. A year from now, we can look back and laugh at the tough things we worked through. “Most of all, I’m proud of what we’ve done to engage employees here,” he concludes. “We’re lucky to have found a workforce that’s so excited and passionate for what we’re doing.”

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Photos courtesy of Cargill Incorporated

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Cargill reclaims methane from the wastewater lagoons and converts that methane into biogas to fuel plant boilers. Biogas now replaces up to 30 percent of natural gas demand at 11 meat plants.

AT A GLANCE Company: Cargill Incorporated Food plant(s) honored: Beardstown, Ill.; London, Ont. Selection criteria: Environmental initiatives Employees: N.A. Facility size: N.A. Products: Fresh and processed beef, pork and poultry

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Thinking outside (and inside) the box New technologies, creativity and partnerships help Cargill push environmental, energy achievements.

aste not, want not” is the time-tested admonition. Yet what are meat and poultry processors supposed to do when so many daily production activities create waste? The answer: Don’t waste that by-product … particularly if you can reduce, re-use or recycle it. And chances are your good deeds won’t go unnoticed. When quick-service restaurant giant McDonald’s Corp. published its 2010 Global Best of Green sustainable supply chain report, it recognized Cargill Incorporated’s North American meats business for its waste recovery and reduction achievements. McDonald’s credited Cargill Pork’s Beardstown, Ill., plant, which eliminated 95 percent of waste that previously

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went to a landfill or land application. McDonald’s also commended a Cargill Meats Canada poultry facility in London, Ontario, which reduced daily freshwater use (by 28 percent) and started recycling all other chilled water – not once but twice. Environmental improvements are literally a big deal for Cargill, a $108 billion global giant with 32 North American beef, pork and poultry operations. Recognizing its corporate responsibility, this private company talks quite openly about activities in five “cornerstone” areas including environmental and energy practices. “McDonald’s is one our largest customers and we partner with them in every area from menu development, to restaurant operations and risk management solutions,” notes Scott Hartter, vice president

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Cargill’s London, Ont., poultry plant known for water reduction, recycling efforts.

of Environment, Health and Safety for Cargill’s Animal Protein group. “Understandably, McDonald’s is very passionate about sustainability,” he continues. “It’s one of their cornerstones and – at their first U.S. sustainability conference – they challenged suppliers about best practices in this area. We sit on their sustainability leadership committee and believe that this is a non-competitive issue where it’s important to be transparent and share our ideas.” Hartter says he leads a global team that just set aggressive five-year improvement metrics across every environmental and energy area. He notes Cargill’s commitment to the Chicago Climate Exchange (a 2007 pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions 6 percent by 2010) as well as ISO 14001 Certification (whereby all Cargill processing locations, feedlots and farms adhere to a strict environmental management system governing efficient water use and reuse). Cargill likewise has detailed goals and programs for responsible energy use, greenhouse gas reduction, water reduction and waste reduction. Many of those efforts caught McDonald’s eye and the foodservice operator chose to honor … …Beardstown, Ill. Cargill Pork Beardstown constructed a site to compost all agricultural waste from its plant – combining it with other cellulose material – to create a valuable compost material. This helped Beardstown eliminate 95 percent of its land-applied and

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landfill waste materials. Other Cargill Meat plants have adopted this practice and reduced Cargill animal protein’s direct land application and landfill volumes by more than 75 percent during the past five years. …London, Ont. In its primary, slaughter area, this Cargill Meats Canada poultry processing plant uses fresh water to prepare birds for further processing. The system to chill these birds to their proper temperature uses approximately 71,000 gallons of water per day. The facility also evaluated using recycled water a second time from the HVAC system to pre-rinse empty chicken crates. Cargill London installed a rotary screen process to filters out solids from the chillers’ overflow water system. This reduced the amount of solids going to the wastewater treatment plant. London now pumps that chilled water to a make-up air unit in the primary area (cooling the room for employees). Then, it pumps the same water to a booster pump at the crate washing area. This helps create high pressure water which employees use to remove large pieces of material before crates go through a fresh water and sanitizer spray. Cargill says this improvement reduced London’s freshwater consumption by 28 percent during the past 24 months. Moreover, literally 100 percent of all the chilled overflow water is being recycled twice. Employees now work in a cooler environment during summer months and London has eliminated fresh water use at the crate washer

MEAT

entrance. For his part, Hartter is just as excited about even more environmental achievements involving …

…the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef. Cargill co-sponsored the fall 2010 conference with McDonald’s, the World Wildlife Fund and a handful of other companies. Cargill described the event as a forum to review current sustainability practices and build alignment around key impacts (both positive and negative) within the beef system. The conference featured tracks dedicated to science and research, better management practices and dialogue among all supply chain members.

…methane recovery at all large facilities. Cargill invested millions to install anaerobic reactors at all of its largest beef and pork processing plants. Here, Cargill reclaims methane from the wastewater lagoons and converts that methane into biogas that fuels plant boilers. That biogas now replaces up to 30 percent of natural gas demand at 11 meat plants. Cargill estimates that this already has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1.3 million metric tons in the last four years. “I call this a ‘triple bottom line,’ win-win-win proposition,” says Hartter. “It reduces pollution, increases our renewable energy and cuts cost. We are very proud that one out of every five cattle processed is done so with 100-percent renewable energy.”

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 41

SNACK & SIDE DISH

Photo courtesy of Kettle Creations

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Front row (left to right): Kate Calvelage, factory account manager; Sally Bash, director of quality; Dave Klausing, plant manager; John Sarka, plant engineer. Back row (left to right): John Klausing, CFO; Keith Stoll, COO; Don Klausing, president; and Jim Stuteville, director of sanitation.

AT A GLANCE Company: Kettle Creations LLC

Growth on the side New plant, skilled employees helps Kettle Creations hit the ground running to meet refrigerated side dish demand.

Food plant(s) honored: Lima, Ohio Selection criteria: Process innovation, environmental initiatives, food safety programs Employees: 68* Facility size: 103,000 square feet Products: Approximately 25 SKUs of refrigerated mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese in retail 16to 32-ounce mircrowaveable trays as well as five-pound bags *As of January 2011

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ant the recipe for success? Believe it or not but the formula doesn’t require too many ingredients – just the correct ones. Kettle Creations is an example. This Lima, Ohio, refrigerated foods processor supplies foodservice, contract and retail private label accounts. Visitors can see that the plant uses very few ingredients – such as fresh, real potatoes, dairy items and macaroni – in it its refrigerated mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. Likewise, Kettle Creations President Don Klausing says there weren’t many additives to his family’s new business startup in 2008. It was simply a matter of supply and demand. “The demand for refrigerated side dishes has been exploding – particularly in the

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

retail meat department,” he says. “Although there are many foodservice [refrigerated side dish] customers, there were few retail market suppliers. So, we felt our timing was good. The market was taking off, capacity was limited and we had the experience to come in and set up a new business.” Experience indeed. Klausing and Kettle Creations’ other founders (including two brothers and one sister) came with decades of experience from I&K Distributors in nearby Delphos, Ohio. Klausing’s father, Ronald, co-founded I&K in 1966 after buying the Yoder’s deli salad business. I&K later expanded into mashed potatoes and broader retail product distribution. Having once presented refrigerated sides to meat departments, the Klausings recog-

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nized market opportunity. That led them to approach Chief Operating Officer Keith Stoll, an I&K veteran with operations expertise; and another 30-year veteran, John Sarka, as director of engineering. Klausing says he hired an initial group of 20 workers who already had an average of 20 years experience in refrigerated prepared food processing. Meanwhile, Klausing invited Stoll and Sarka to design and equip a state-of-the-art refrigerated side dish plant. Constructed by September 2009, the 103,000-square-foot facility was operational in time for the fall side dish season. The plant also has a second 26,000-square-foot production room prepped for future items such as green bean casserole, scalloped apples, broccoli and rice and sauces. Back on the completed side, Kettle Creations’ facility features some of the industry’s latest ideas in …

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

… process innovation. Officials say Kettle Creations uses one-third less process water than traditional manufacturers of similar potato products. The cooking process – one of the largest energy consumers – utilizes a newly designed process for recapturing steam normally exhausted. That steam then plays an important role in potato cooking. Kettle Creations then fills product into a customer’s requested packaging. Next, the company uses a water chilling spiral system – instead of a traditional air chill process – to cool containers to below 40˚F. Klausing says the chilled water approach effectively reduces energy consumption by using a “medium” temperature of water supply vs. a lower temperature traditionally coupled with an extended retention dwell time. Kettle Creations’ production line can produce 50 million pounds of side dishes each year. Officials say a second line – scheduled to start up this fall – will add another 39 million pounds of annual capacity. … sustainability / environmental impact. Kettle Creations says it uses LEED compliant geothermal technology to heat and cool offices and work areas. Its system captures chilling process heat and uses it to heat floors. The facility also uses T5 lighting fixtures in combination with a comprehensive building management system that controls all facility lighting (Kettle Creations’ employee cafeteria features skylights). Inside the plant, Kettle Creations employs reusable bulk service containers for liquid milk, butter and margarine (this eliminates pallets, cardboard totes and strapping materials). The company also captures organic waste (potato peels) at the production line and pumps it directly to outside holding tanks. Third-party operators use this material for animal feed or methane gas production. Last but not least, the packaging area uses lasers (rather than ink) to apply code date and product information. … food safety and quality. Klausing notes the weak economy actually helped Kettle Creations afford to fit the entire plant with all stainless steel equipment – from raw materials receiving and handling through production and packaging. Behind the scenes, the plant’s radiant heat systems use PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) tubing instead of copper pipe. Officials say PEX provides better insulation and ultimately keeps the plant dryer because it inhibits mold and mildew growth. The facility also features controlled room air flow technologies. Meanwhile, Director of Quality Sally Bash manages a robust track-and-trace program and is leading Kettle Creations’ Level 3 SQF certification audit this June. www.RFFmag.com

SNACK & SIDE DISH Mashed potatoes en route to spiral chilling system.

Photo courtesy of Coastline Equipment

“It’s rare that you get an opportunity to start with a clean sheet of paper to design and build a plant,” Klausing concludes. “… We’ve planned for long term with this new facility and we believe we have a distinct advantage when it comes to food safety, food defense and future regulations. “We started with a clean slate as far as our facility but we are building upon an established foundation when it comes to our employees,” he says. “Ultimately, we all will contribute to our success and the future looks bright.”

www.RFFmag.com

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 45

Photos courtesy of Gonnella Frozen Products

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New facility produces about 100 frozen dough breads and rolls. Optimum layout, synchronized machines deliver greater “uptime.”

AT A GLANCE Company: Gonnella Frozen Products, division of Gonnella Baking Co. Food plant(s) honored: Hazle Township, Pa. Selection criteria: Productivity, sanitation Employees: Approximately 90 Facility size: 110,000 square feet Products: Approximately 100 SKUs of frozen dough breads and rolls

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Better baking Gonnella Frozen Products designed optimum production into its Hazle Township, Pa., dough plant.

ew York newspaper icon Horace Greeley was well known, in part, for the phrase, “…Go West, young man.” On the other hand, get to know Chicago’s Gonnella Baking and you’ll hear the phrase: “We bake to differ.” Moreover, Gonnella, a 125-year-old company in its own right, has been pushing east. This private family-owned company began a storefront bakery and grew into a Chicago-based supplier of fresh baked buns and rolls to metro area retail and foodservice accounts. After entering the frozen dough business in 1975, it purchased a suburban Schaumburg, Ill., plant in 1980 to produce as many as 50 different types of frozen dough and frozen fully baked items for in-store bakery, foodser-

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

vice and co-packing accounts. In 2006, Gonnella Frozen Products LLC, a division, broke ground in Hazle Township, Pa., (about 100 miles north of Philadelphia) for the company’s second dedicated frozen dough plant. That facility officially opened in January 2008. “Gonnella Frozen Products had reached capacity in Schaumburg, we already had an East Coast customer base and we wanted to expand our reach there,” explains Meg McDonnell, vice president of sales. “We picked the Hazle Township location knowing that 25 percent of the nation’s population is within 300 miles. The location also put us in close proximity to major ingredient suppliers. These were all important considerations in an overall cost-containment program.”

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BAKERY

Production room, controls are dust free, wash-down friendly.

Then again, Vice President of Manufacturing Kent Beernink says he had a rare opportunity to think about best practices – rather than dollars and cents – when designing a new 110,000-square-foot frozen dough operation. “Hazle Township is the culmination of all the experiences and lessons learned in Schaumburg,” he says. “First, we laid out the production lines the way we would if there were no constraints. Then we wrapped the supporting processes and building around them.” So everything was right in the world? Not exactly. “It was challenging to achieve consistencies between production formulations at the two plants,” Beernink admits. “And we were managing this expansion while facing unprecedented flour and energy price increases . . . Our first big success simply was the ability for both plants to produce products that mirror each other precisely in quality and consistency.” Today, however, Beernink shares many more achievements. For starters, he notes that the American Institute of Baking certified both Gonnella Frozen plants last year for “Superior” food sanitation and good manufacturing practices. Likewise, both facilities

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earned Kosher certification recognition. Perhaps most importantly, Hazle Township not only appears to be hitting its stride – but it is running faster and more efficiently than expected. “ We h a v e s e e n a 4 0 p e r c e n t increase in our pounds per labor hour compared to last year,” says Beernink. “This puts us as much as 25 percent above production goals.” In part, Gonnella literally designed greater productivity into its new bakery. “Most of the process equipment was designed to allow for continuous running with on-line backups – in some areas – in case of equipment jamming or failure,” notes Beernink. “Downstream, we also designed it so blast freezers even have sequential defrost features, to ensure 24/7 operation without loss of capacity.” Beernink says Gonnella likewise is tapping into new software technologies (a “line performance system” and “manufacturing execution system”) to better synchronize process equipment operations, optimize entire lines and produce real-time machinery performance and quality data. Gonnella also incorporated several sanitation-friendly features into the new frozen dough plant.

“Our process area is designed to be easily cleaned and to keep all the flour dust from migrating throughout the plant,” says Beernink. “All electrical panels are mounted remotely – outside the production area. This makes it easier to clean the equipment and keeps the flour out of the panels. “Every piece of processing machinery has a single lock-out point on it,” he continues. “This feature not only controls the electrical and pneumatic energy sources, but monitors them to e ns ur e the y have be e n pr operl y removed from the equipment.” Officials say these kinds of new features help take care of so many daily details – while they strive to add more overall volume. “Gonnella’s frozen business continues to grow by attracting new customers and expanding our offerings,” says McDonnell. “Meanwhile, by adding capacity, it’s clear that we’ve positively helped our efficiency.” For his part, Beernink also says he’s ready for growth. “We designed Hazle Township’s infrastructure to be doubled both in size and capacity,” he says. “The building pad is ready to go. Our electric, gas, water, sewer, and refrigeration systems also allow for easy extension into the future.”

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 47

If leading edge manufacturing and automation technologies are your priorities, save the date for the food industry’s PREMIER CONFERENCE in 2011.

SAVE the DATE APRIL 3-6, 2011 The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, Florida

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:  O Vice Presidents of Operations  O Plant Managers  O Vice Presidents of Engineering  O Plant Maintenance Managers  O Plant Engineers  O Directors of Engineering  O Owners and Presidents

FEATURED SPEAKERS INCLUDE: KEYNOTE > Carlos del Sol, Vice President Global Engineering Systems, Campbell Soup Company; Peter Hock, Senior Director of Continuous Improvement, ConAgra Foods; Al Koch, Director of Engineering—Global Biscuit, Kraft Foods Nabisco; Peter Monkeiwicz, Vice President of Operations, Kayem Foods, Inc.; Bob Palczewski, Engineering Director, Celebration Foods; Alex Posada, Project Engineer, Campbell Soup; Diane Wolf, Global Vice President, Safety and Environmental Sustainability, Kraft Foods; Ed Delate, Vice President Global Engineering and Corporate Social Responsibility, Keystone Foods

 O Sustainability Directors

ALL NEW AGENDA FOR 2011 TO INCLUDE:  O Project Economics: Getting Paybacks on Your Plant Automation Projects  O Overall Equipment Effectiveness Across the Enterprise  O Implementing a Powerful Corporate Social Responsibility Plan  O Developing Quality Systems in Food Plant Operations  O Quantifying Your Energy Inputs  O Improving Packaging Line Efficiency Via Robotics, Machine Control and Changeover Speed

PRODUCED BY

WWW.FOODAUTOMATIONCONFERENCE.COM

INT’L ASSOCIATION OF REFRIGERATED WAREHOUSES SHOW PREVIEW ADVERTISEMENT

Americold

EVAPCO Inc. 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:

Americold is the global leader in temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics to the food industry, offering the most comprehensive warehousing, transportation, and logistics solutions in the world. Americold owns and operates 182 temperature-controlled warehouses in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, Argentina and Canada with the largest cold storage network offering a total capacity of over 1.1 billion cubic feet of storage. Americold’s warehouses are an integral part of the supply chain connecting food producers, processors, distributors, and retailers to the end consumer.

Americold’s capabilities include: s$ENSESTNETWORKINTHE5NITED Sates allowing customers to reduce transportation costs s'LOBALEND TO ENDTEMPERATURE controlled supply chain solutions s"EST IN INDUSTRYTRANSPORTATION capabilities s)NDUSTRYLEADINGINVENTORYMAN AGEMENTSYSTEMI 0, s3UPPLYCHAINOPTIMIZATIONTO support our customer’s needs for an efficient, agile supply chain

Contact: Americold 'LENLAKE0ARKWAY Suite 800, South Tower !TLANTA '! 4ELEPHONE   &AX   www.americoldrealty.com [email protected]

www.RFFmag.com

s)NDUSTRIAL2EFRIGERATION s#OMMERCIAL(6!# s)NDUSTRIAL0ROCESS s0OWER 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(IGHER3YSTEM%FFICIENCY s%NVIRONMENTALLY&RIENDLY s,OWER!NNUAL/PERATING Costs s2ELIABLE 3IMPLE/PERA tion and Maintenance With an ongoing commitment to Research & Development programs, EVAPCO provides the most ADVANCEDPRODUCTSINTHEINDUSTRYn4ECHNOLOGYFORTHE&UTURE !VAILABLE4ODAY


Contact: EVAPCO, Inc. Ph: 410-756-2600 &X   www.evapco.com

See us at the IARW Show Booth # 400 Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 49

INT’L ASSOCIATION OF REFRIGERATED WAREHOUSES SHOW PREVIEW ADVERTISEMENT

Hanson Logistics

Rite-Hite Doors, Inc.

Hanson Logistics provides end-to-end temperature-controlled transportation, warehousing and supply chain services, including multi-vendor consolidation services to the nation’s major retailers. As one of the largest refrigerated providers in the US, the company operates a growing refrigerated transportation fleet and 8 facilities in the central states, totaling 37 million cu. ft. with more than 200 Hanson teammates. Hanson Logistics 14,500,000 cu. ft. temperature-controlled Chicago Consolidation Center supports the growing demand for order mixing, freight consolidation and shared truckload delivery to retail and food service distribution centers. The company’s Velocities Multivendor Consolidation program offers separate frozen and well as exclusive refrigerated distribution. By utilizing both asset and non-asset transportation, Hanson offers greater flexibility, faster response to changing demands and improved efficiency across multiple lanes.

The FasTrax® Clean high-performance door from Rite-Hite Doors, Inc. is specially designed to withstand the rigors of harsh washdown environments – while at the same time – allowing users to easily and cost-effectively maintain the highest level of cleanliness in virtually any operation where sanitation is paramount.

Hanson Logistics emphasizes excellence through: s %STABLISHINGSTRONGRELATIONSHIPS with hundreds of carriers and supply chain oriented solution providers. s 3ELECTINGINDIVIDUALhBESTINCLASSv components from all associated companies to build the best supply chain logistics program for the customer.

s -AKINGCUSTOMERSERVICEEXCELLENCETHESTANDARD

From the upper track to the side frames to the door fabric, every part and every component of the FasTrax Clean door is engineered for clean environments. The door, which is fully USDA- and FDA-compliant, also offers easy, safe and thorough cleaning – minimizing areas where unwanted materials can be trapped. Additionally, FasTrax Clean combines a simple design with a host of technological advancements to speed productivity and ensure optimal door uptime.

Contact: Hanson Logistics 2900 South State Street St. Joseph, MI 49085 0HONE FAX www.hansonlogistics.com [email protected]

Contact: Jon Schumacher, Director of Marketing Rite-Hite Doors, Inc. 8900 N. Arbon Drive Milwaukee, Wis. 53223 0HONE   &AX   [email protected] www.ritehite.com/ark/rhweb/rhprod.nsf/id/FasTrax+Clean

See us at the IARW Show Booth #

See us at the IARW Show Booth #108

s ,EVERAGING(ANSONSTOTALVOLUMETOPROVIDETHEBESTPRICINGANDBEST value to the customer. s 3TARTINGATTHEBEGINNING ANDFOLLOWINGTHROUGHTOTHEENDWITHOUTMISSING a step. s 0ROVIDINGDEDICATIONANDCOMMITMENTTHATISUNRIVALEDINTHEINDUSTRY

50

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

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INT’L ASSOCIATION OF REFRIGERATED WAREHOUSES SHOW PREVIEW ADVERTISEMENT

Stellar As North America’s leading food and beverage facilities development firm, Stellar has been creating value for food processors for more than two decades. A privately held design-build firm, Stellar serves the industry by providing the highest levels of quality, food safety and worker safety, while maximizing return on capital investments, usually under a fast-track delivery schedule. Services specifically focused on the food industry include: s3ITEEVALUATION SELECTIONACQUISITION s0RODUCTSTUDIESPRODUCTIVITYANALYSIS s&EASIBILITYSTUDIES BUDGETESTIMATIONPLANNING s-ASTERPLANNINGPROGRAMMING s/PTIMAL,AYOUT0ROCESS&LOWS s,ATEST#ODE#OMPLIANCE "UILDING 53$! &$! %0! /3(! s!RCHITECTURE ENGINEERINGCONSTRUCTION s0ROCESSENGINEERINGERGONOMICS s-ATERIALHANDLING AUTOMATIONPACKAGING s03- ONLINE ONSITEVIRTUAL s3UPPLY#HAIN-ANAGEMENT ,OGISTICS-ODELING s)NDUSTRIALREFRIGERATIONENERGYMANAGEMENT s)NDUSTRIALREFRIGERATIONPARTSSERVICE s0OWER5TILITIES 3ANITATION3TUDIES s"UILDING MECHANICALOPERATIONSMAINTENANCE /THERSELF PERFORMANCECAPABILITIESINCLUDEINDUSTRIALREFRIGERATIONAND THERMALSERVICESROOFING INSULATEDMETALPANELS SPECIALTYDOORSANDSPECIALTY DUCTWORKAPPLICATIONS FORFOODBEVERAGEPROCESSINGANDDISTRIBUTIONENVIRON ments. Stellar has more than 700 employees, and has designed and built many processing facilities throughout North America since 1985. Stellar’s project management team consists of construction management professionals who directly impact a project’s success through a hands-on approach to safety, quality, cost, and schedule.

Tippmann Group / Interstate Warehousing Tippmann Group offers more than 50 years of experience in the refrigeration industry, specializing in construction and management OFREFRIGERATEDFROZEN distribution centers. )NTERSTATE7AREHOUS ing, a Tippmann Group company, owns and operates 8 public refrigerated warehouse facilities, with more than 73,000,000 cubic feet of storage space strategically located THROUGHOUTTHE534IPPMANN'ROUPSCONSTRUCTIONDIVISIONPROVIDESA FAST TRACKDESIGNBUILDOPTIONFORCONSTRUCTIONOFANEWDISTRIBUTIONCENTER or expansions and renovations to existing distribution facilities. Tippmann ALSODEVELOPEDTHE1&2:ONE»1UICK&REEZE2ACKING:ONE AMOREEFFI cient alternative to traditional blast freezing, which can save warehouses up to 50% on their blast freezing related expenses.

QFR Zone™ Highlights s Cut blast freezing related utility costs as much as 50% s %ACH1&2:ONEISDESIGNEDTOYOURFREEZINGAPPLICATIONWITHTHE flexibility to freeze virtually any palletized products s Significantly improved airflow s $RAMATICALLYLOWERLABORCOSTS s Faster product turns s %ASYACCESSTOPRODUCTWHENFREEZINGISCOMPLETE s All product on a pallet is frozen at the same speed s Continuous freezing capabilities, no more batch cycles

%ACHYEAR %NGINEERING.EWS2ECORDMAGAZINECONTINUESTORANK3TELLARAS one of the top contracting firms, global contractors, and a top design-builder INTHE53

Contact: Todd Allsup, Kurt Wilson, Greg Camp Stellar 2900 Hartley Road | Jacksonville, FL 32257 904-260-2900 www.stellar.net

Contact: Steve Tippmann %XECUTIVE6ICE0RESIDENT 4IPPMANN'ROUP)NTERSTATE7AREHOUSING 9009 Coldwater Road &ORT7AYNE ).      FAX www.tippmanngroup.com [email protected]

See us at the IARW Show Booth #401

See us at the IARW Show Booth #200

www.RFFmag.com

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 51

Classified Network

Suzanne Sarkesian • [email protected] • 248-786-1692

EMPLOYMENT

CO-PACK MANUFACTURING SERVICES

FREEZER SALES SPECIALIST

Contact Us for Fast Flexible Production & Culinary Solutions.

GEA, a global leader in freezing equipment, seeks two sales professionals, one for our West Coast & one for our Rocky Mountain regions. Candidate must have proven experience in the food processing industry and capital equipment sales. Please send all inquiries to: [email protected]

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Terlotherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchanger Typical applications include (EATINGs#OOLING #OOKINGs0ASTEURIZATION

(856) 241-9970 www.terlotherm.com

Large company process. Small company flexibility. We combine the capabilities and capacity of a large company – rigid food safety standards, culinary ideation, trend identification and stringent quality assurance – with the personal responsive and flexible approach of a small company. Manufacturing Capabilities

• Kettle Production Sauces and Soups • Tray Lines • Rheon® Technology (up to 4 oz. shapes) • Hand Rolled Line • Breading Line • Enrobing (Bake/Par-Fry) • Proofing/Baking • Multi-Component Fill

Packaging Capabilities

• Drop-In Pouch Enclosure • In-House Pasta Blanching • Fully Integrated In-House

• Aluminum Tray (3 to 10lbs.) • Dual Ovenable/Microwavable Tray (10 to 44 oz.)

• Boil-In-Bag • Gusseted Multi-Component Bag/Film • Steamable Bag/Film • Tray In Carton • Eat Out Of The Box • Bulk Pack

Component Processing • Vegetable Blending • RTE • USDA/FDA Certified • HCCAP Program • X-Ray Scanning • Metal Detection

Please visit us at www.ardenculinary.com or www.bellisiofoods.com or call 800-368-7337 for more information on production capabilities and culinary services.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Refrigerated Containers Practical

Now Renting

Inexpensive

Quick

We sell world wide. Privately owned and operated for over 40 years Kelly can handle your freezer / cooler needs. Ground level, dock height, lighting, walk in doors, insulated rollup doors and custom features available.

20’x8’x8’6" & 40’x8’x8’6" Three Phase 230/460 volts 50-60 HZ Temp range -15F+40F

Used carriers starting at $9500 New BOHN Coolers/Freezers starting at $10,500 Blast Freezers starting at $34,500

Toll Free: 866-713-6307 • FAX:860-668-2871

www.kellyfreezer.com 52

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011

www.RFFmag.com

248-786-1692 • [email protected] • Suzanne Sarkesian

Classified Network

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Cryo-Jet® Cooling Fan • Faster cooling of hot food products using ambient air. • Reduces build up of frost/ice in continuous freezers.

E-mail: [email protected] www.foodesign.com Phone: 503-685-5030 Fax: 503-685-5034 PO Box 2449 Wilsonville, OR 97070

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods MARCH 2011 53

ADVERTISING

ADINDEX Advertiser

Americold Logistics

Page

E-mail/Website

2

www.americoldrealty.com

Patrick Young Publisher & District Sales Manager

Ashworth Bros., Inc

9

www.ashworth.com

600 Willowbrook Lane, Suite 610 [email protected]

Atlas Copco

33

www.atlascopco.us/bobusa

Avure Technologies

10

www.responsetrack.net/secret11

Buhler Sortex Inc.

11

www.buhlergroup.com

West Chester, PA 19382 Tel: 610-436-4220, ext. 8520; Fax: 248-502-2123 Mid-Atlantic Territory: CT, Eastern PA, NJ, NYC and LI, VA, MD, DE, Washington DC

Paul Kelly District Sales Manager

Cablevey Conveyors

35

www.cablevey.com

Coastline Equipment, Inc.

45

www.coastline-equipment.com

Delkor Systems

26

www.delkorsystems.com

Demaco

23

www.defranciscimachine.com

Evapco Co.

3

www.evapco.com

1050 Illinois Rte 83, Suite 200 Bensenville, IL 60106-1048 [email protected] Tel: 630-694-4336; Fax: 248-502-1017 Midwest and Northeast Territory: Northern IL, WI, MN, IA, KS, MO, SD, ND, CO, WY, NE, TX, OK, NM, AR, NH, VT, MA, RI, ME, Saskatchewan

Brian Gronowski District Sales Manager 13973 Meadowlark Ln. Newbury, OH 44065

Exopack

17

www.exopack.com

H & M Bay

21

www.hmbayinc.com

Hanson Logistics

30

www.hansonlogistics.com

Ontario, Quebec

Jacobs

22

www.jacobs.com

Wayne Wiggins, Jr.

[email protected] Tel: 440-564-5732; Fax: 248-502-2088 Midwest and Southeast Territory: OH, IN, WV, KY, TN, MI, NY, Western PA, FL, GA, NC, SC, AL, Southern IL, MS, LA,

District Sales Manager

Kliklok Woodman

31

www.kliklokwoodman.com

NC Hyperbaric

12

www.nchyperbaric.com

Orics Industries, Inc.

38

www.orics.com

7, 19, 43

www.osigroup.com

454 Funston Avenue San Francisco, CA 94118 [email protected] Tel: 415-387-7784; Fax: 415-387-7855 West Coast Territory: AZ, CA, OR, WA, AK, UT, ID, HI,

OSI Group

British Columbia

Suzanne Sarkesian Internet and Classified Sales Manager

Raque Food Systems, Inc.

5

www.raque.com

Reiser

29

www.reiser.com

Request Foods

39

www.requestfoods.com

Richmond Cold Storage

34

www.RichmondCold.com

Rytec

44

www.rytecdoors.com

The Fricks Company

25

www.thefrickscompany.com

Tippman Group

37

www.tippmangroup.com

Back Cover

www.uscold.com

United States Cold Storage, Inc.

[email protected] (248)786-1692

READER & MARKETING SERVICES LETTERS Bob Garrison Refrigerated & Frozen Foods 155 Pfingsten Road Suite 205 Deerfield, IL 60015 [email protected] BACK ISSUES Hallmark Data [email protected] (847)763-9534 SINGLE COPY SALES Gisele Manelli [email protected] (847)405-4061

REPRINTS Jill Devries [email protected] (248)244-1726

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods 155 Pfingsten Road, Suite 205 Deerfield, IL 60015 Phone: (847) 405-4000 | Fax: (847) 405-4100

Also publishers of: Food Engineering, Food Master, Food Automation and Manufacturing Conference and Expo and ProcessTechnologyXchange

LIST RENTAL For postal information, contact Rob Liska at 800-223-2194 x726 For email information, contact Shawn Kingston at 800-409-4443 x828

Calling All Sustainable Plants Food Engineering’s 3rd Annual Sustainable Plant of the Year Award Now is the time to prepare your entry for Food Engineering’s Sustainable Plant of the Year Award. This competition continues Food Engineering’s commitment to recognizing best-in-class manufacturing. The award will be presented to the most outstanding energy-efficient and sustainable food or beverage manufacturing plant project completed in North America during 2010. Submission Deadline is June 1, 2011. th Plant of stainable ing Co. u S 9 0 0 2 rew evada B Sierra N

e Year:

Enter your green plant project in Food Engineering’s Sustainable Plant of the Year Award competition today. Contact Joyce Fassl, Editor-in-Chief for entry forms and more information at 610-436-4220, Ext 8519 ([email protected]). Visit www.foodengineeringmag.com and click on Sustainable Plant of the Year call for entries.

e Year: lant of th P le b a stain g Co. 2010 Su m Brewin iu lg e B New

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USCS Lake City - Proud to announce a 5.2 million cubic feet, state-of the-art, ultra modern facility with a highly trained and dedicated staff ready to customize a program to fulfill your storage, handling and transportation needs. Strategically located and designed for high-volume distribution through the region. Please contact us for more information about our refrigerated logistics services.

Lake City Facility: 386.438 COLD (2653) Headquarters: 856.354.8181 National Sales: 510.471.1703 [email protected] · www.uscold.com The Logistics Network that Works for You