Building a new bakery is an exciting time. It represents a new start and a clean slate to improve upon designs of current or former facilities or fulfill a long-held wish list. The opportunity is rare for many bakers, so getting it done correctly takes a lot of thought and planning. Projects that come in on time and on budget are often the ones in which bakers put in the hard work needed at the beginning of the process.

 “You can’t put too much time into the planning in advance,” said Jim Kline, president, The EnSol Group. “That’s where you want to spend your time and resources. Doing it later is expensive. When you’re making changes in design or facilities, those costs add up very quickly. So, spend the money up front to perfect what you’re looking for and execute it quickly.”

Such preparation includes not only finding the best location for a new bakery, but it also means designing it to ensure the best production flow inside the plant as well as a smooth operation startup.

 “There are great startups and bad startups, and the good startups typically are those with a well-thought-out schedule and adequate money spent up front prior to project approvals to do an appropriate design,” said Dave Watson, food, bakery and snacks engineering subject matter expert, The Austin Co. “Getting the right vendors is critical. I can’t emphasize that enough. Get vendors who have strong technical support, that are reliable when it comes to deliveries and are going to be there for the long haul and provide you with ongoing support after startup.” 

When embarking on a greenfield project, bakers need to choose reliable partners for the job. Projects often take more time and money than what is expected, so assembling a competent team around you will make a big difference, said Dan Myers, chief executive officer, Pineville, NC-based Carolina Foods, which opened a new bakery earlier this year.

“Surrounding yourself with a highly capable team, one with positive energy and resourcefulness is probably the best way to ensure a good outcome, because you really never know what you’re going to encounter,” he said. “What you do need is a highly aligned team, know what the vision is and what the outcome should be at the end of the project. Then we can all work toward its desirable end.”

Carolina Foods found that choosing critical subcontractors early in the process helped them in the planning stages as well as later in the project.

“We engaged them in vetting the design and offering practical alternatives during the value engineering phase,” Myers said. “We got our electrical contractor, our MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) contractor, foundation, concrete and steel. We showed them the designs, and they offered suggestions from a practical perspective. You get that from your subcontractor when you go through the bidding and award process early to determine who your partners will be on the project.”

Companies sometimes try to do too much themselves.

“They should think early in the process of hiring the right engineering firm to help them up front,” Watson said. “Firms like Austin and others have expertise in this area that could help guide them early on. Obviously, things like utilities, easy access to major highways, business environment in the area where they’re looking, workforce and ability to tap into local and state incentives are all critical when looking for a new site.”

Location plays a major role in the success of a greenfield bakery.

“Companies should carefully consider how they prioritize aspects such as proximity to markets (for fresh bread), talent availability, proximity to raw materials, transportation routes and utility access,” said Pablo Coronel, senior fellow, food process and safety, CRB Group. “Local regulations and government incentives are another reason to carefully consider geography.”  

When choosing a new site, it’s important to understand the full costs of developing the land.

“The cost to bring new utilities to a site, level the topography, mitigate wetlands and find ‘good dirt’ all contribute to the initial investment needed before a facility can be constructed,” said JD Boone, business unit leader, A M King.

Companies must clearly define what they want in a new building by developing a set of functional specs, Kline said. That includes identifying all the critical aspects of the business and ensuring there are no obstacles.  

“One of the things we find that becomes wrong is the functionality of the facility if it’s not defined sufficiently before they get started,” he said.

He said he knew of one plant that was built before the owners found out that the area did not allow trucks to be run between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The company had to move the finished product before 11 p.m. to another site where it was shipped in the early morning hours.

Courtney Dunbar, director, site selection, Burns & McDonnell, said knowing what it takes to produce the goods being made in the facility and where those products are being shipped are important considerations in choosing the best spot for a new bakery. Each project is unique so identifying all the important information — taxes, incentives, labor, logistics, etc. — about what’s going into the project must be considered.

“In all of my years in site selection, I have never had a particular client that matched the critical factors and inputs of another,” she said. “It’s exceedingly important for the company to work with a team that can help them identify critical factors so that those are weighted correctly.”

This article is an excerpt from the December 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Design & Build, click here.