Baking & Snack - April 2018 - 46
PRETZELS, INC. (From left) Steve Huggins, coCEO of Pretzels, Inc.; Elizabeth Avery, SNAC International president and CEO; and William "Chip" Mann II, also co-CEO of the company, network at the association's Executive Leadership Forum in Colorado last fall. Reading Thermal Scorpion system to monitor and set the oven temperature and document a kill step for the filled pretzels. Mr. Schaum noted that a kill step requires an internal temperature of 365˚F for three minutes during the bake. After leaving the kiln, the nuggets travel up a Frazier & Son bucket conveyor to a ceiling conveyor that takes them 50 ft. over to the 75˚F temperature-controlled packaging department. Here, circulated air cools the nuggets as they move along a Heat and Control FastBack horizontal conveyor. Pretzels, Inc., worked with about a dozen Austin consultants to ensure the nuggets, which leave the oven at 260˚F, enter the baggers at about 105˚F. In the packaging room, Mettler Toledo and CEIA THS systems provide metal detection and quality control. The department also features Heat and Control vibratory conveyors and four Ishida scales. The various versatile packaging systems include Heat and Control vertical/form/fill/seal baggers and a PSG Lee ziplock system for the company's popular resealable pouch bags. Typically, the systems crank out 44 bags per minute. The department also packages pretzels in plastic barrels and even plastic-lined cartons for bulk customers. Operators manually load the bags into cases that are also sealed and palletized. Overall, the line produces about 25,000 lb of filled pretzels every 12 hours, according to Mr. Schaum. Mr. Mann noted Pretzels, Inc., plans to build another dedicated packaging room when the plant installs the SNAC International second line this summer. That will allow the operation to produce two different varieties of pretzels without cross contamination of allergens and a greater number of packaging formats at the same time. Running down a dream For Mr. Mann and Mr. Huggins, the Plymouth expansion represents a sustained investment in Pretzels, Inc., that dates back to when their fathers - Bill Mann and Bill Huggins - founded the company in 1978. "We have continually reinvested back in our plants with capital infusions," Mr. Huggins noted. "Over time, that's helped us be successful versus the smaller private label operators that have not made those key capital investments." "We were dark on the shelf with our filled pretzels, so there was a sense of urgency to rebuild as quickly as possible." William "Chip" Mann II, Pretzels, Inc. This January, for instance, the Bluffton facility installed a new RBS oven and upgraded an older system to bolster the line's capacity by 3 million lb. A significant investment over time has driven the potential for growth throughout the history of the company, according to Mr. Huggins. Mr. Mann added that's what makes Pretzels, Inc., destined to succeed. "We're adding capacity to better service the industry," he said. "We're one of the few, if not the only company, that continues to grow in the pretzel market and invest in its assets. We're excited about that. We're doing everything to make sure we're on top." Going forward, the company's filled pretzels, seasoned snacks and gluten-free or organic items are driving new product sales, according to Mr. Huggins. "We're looking to support entrepreneurs who want to create their own pretzel brands," he said. "That's what we do, and we're happy to look for new avenues for growth." For Mr. Schaum, a long-time veteran of the snack industry, the chance to orchestrate the rapid startup of the Plymouth facility - and guide its soon-to-be future expansion - is something that all operations experts hope to experience in their careers. "This is a dream plant," Mr. Schaum said. "You only get the opportunity like this once in a lifetime." * 46 Baking & Snack April 2018 / www.bakingandsnack.com
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