When bakers are planning a greenfield bakery, process, functionality and flow are top considerations in addition to figuring out what products, and how much of them, will be made down the road.
“Process, process, process: That’s the top consideration,” said Jim Kline, president, The EnSol Group. “You want to have the greatest efficiency you can in your process and not be constrained by the building. The building, therefore, should not be constrained by the site. What layout do you want to work with? Are you building so the building can be expanded in the future? In which case that lends itself to a certain type of layout with the process in the building.”
The facility must be functional and the flow of products through the building must be efficient, said JD Boone, vice president, A M King.
“One of the most frequent questions we are asked is, ‘How can the building be designed for future growth and flexibility?’ ” he said. “This is a great question because it gives our design team the opportunity to work with the client on master planning.”
Failure to spend the money necessary to anticipate the future or to make adequate plans for five to 10 years down the line can create problems in the bakery, said John Tippmann III, executive vice president, Tippmann Group.
“We’ve done several master plans where you do the inline plants and you’re able to expand it every time, and you build it into your greenfield site,” he said.
He said bakers want to set up their plants to receive raw materials on one end, produce and package their products then ship goods at the other end.
“That’s that inline approach we are talking about,” Tippmann said. “It makes it super easy to expand.”
Preparing for the future includes regulatory compliance and making room for new technology.
“Bakers should ask potential builders about their experience with similar projects, their knowledge of food safety requirements and how they manage project timelines and costs,” said Pablo Coronel, senior fellow, food process and safety, CRB Group.
Dave Watson, food, bakery and snacks engineering subject matter expert, The Austin Co., suggested that sanitary design is one of the first factors bakeries should be thinking about when designing a new plant.
“The beauty of a greenfield plant is the ability to design an optimal flow, which includes process, people and material flow. You have adequate space to access the equipment, get materials in and out of the line, and the line can be cleaned easily,” he said. “Maintenance folks have easy access to the ovens and packaging equipment. That’s all about the importance of proper flow during the early design stage.”
When hiring an engineering and construction partner, bakers should be asking about the extent of their experience.
“Does the firm have all engineering disciplines in house, meaning do they have the ability to do all your electrical, structural, mechanical engineering in house, or do you have to go outside for some of those disciplines? Also, consider firms that can provide a design/build approach. This can eliminate much finger pointing during execution of the project.” Watson asked.
Once bakers have established a cost for the facility and a budget, Dan Myers, chief executive officer, Pineville, NC-based Carolina Foods, suggested they do some value engineering to see if there’s anywhere they can save money.
“Invariably, there will be trade-offs and concessions made, but having a clear alignment about what is most important will serve the business well,” he said.
He also suggested meeting the team members of the firms working on the project.
“Your team is working with their team every day,” Myers said. “It’s not enough to align yourself to work with a good organization; you really need to meet the team that is being assigned to the project. What subcontractors do they have access to? Working through the contract is extremely tedious. If your team hasn’t been through it before, I highly recommend engaging an attorney who can walk you through the finer points.”
He also recommended breaking down the project into phases, which will help bakers focus on one part of the project at a time.
“If you can execute it in phases, you can get your arms around it, and it doesn’t become this enormous, amorphous project,” Myers said. “Make sure the project is fully funded with adequate contingency for changes and escalation. The project will rarely reduce in maximum price as you’ve negotiated it with your contractor, and change orders are always more expensive from a subcontractor than from a competitive bid scenario.”
Robb Raney, principal and project director for food and beverage, Burns & McDonnell, said firms need to have the overall capabilities and technical expertise to build a facility that satisfies the needs of the baker’s process. He also mentioned that once a larger group of stakeholders gets involved with the project, it can expand in scope and budget, something he called gold plating.
“It starts to contain a lot of wants (rather than needs),” he said. “Picking a partner who has a keen eye for that and really being an agent for the owner to help navigate through that stakeholder expansion that happens as the project starts to progress is critical. I’ve seen those things really sidetrack a project.”
Watson urged bakers to consider using an experienced local civil engineering firm that understands the local regulations and business environment. This firm can help with zoning, variances and land planning. They know the local permitting, which can help avoid problems in these areas.
Companies can make confidential inquiries, too. Even if they want to remain anonymous, they can find the information they need from the communities they are considering building in, Kline said.
“You have to go in and talk to them and find out if you’re going to be welcome,” he said. “That’s essential just like the realtor you’re working with.”
Bakers should tap into the economic development communities where they are considering building as a variety of incentives may be available.
“As baking and snack manufacturing brings considerable capital investment and job creation to the local community, these operations typically qualify for a host of incentives to support their development investment,” said Courtney Dunbar, director, site selection, Burns & McDonnell. “Programs range from state-level, statutory programs to local-level abatements, workforce training and utility rate concessions.”
Bakers have myriad decisions to make when building a new plant. Those who plan carefully — especially at the beginning of the process — and hire partners who can help them execute their vision will find success.
This article is an excerpt from the December 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Design & Build, click here.