Gold Standard Baking has ramped up throughput and quality since the Pleasant Prairie, Wis., plant opened a few years ago.

A 2,000-lb horizontal mixer turns out four 1,700-lb batches per hour to feed the high-volume production line.

In a temperature-controlled room, the makeup line provides lamination, cutting, bending and pinching of croissant dough pieces.

Flour is evenly brushed across the dough sheet on the high-speed croissant line.

After an initial reduction or gauging station to reduce its thickness, the sheet is folded over butter or margarine spread evenly down the middle.

After curling, croissant pieces glide through the bending unit, then to a pinching unit where the end tips of the pieces come together.

Dozens of freshly baked croissants exit the 140-foot, direct-fired tunnel oven.

From left: Tom Barry, Wisconsin bakery director; Charles Nichols, maintenance manager; Chearise Young, FSQA manager; Jeff Dearduff, president and chief executive officer; Linh Chrastka, manufacturing manager; Alex Kaparos, training; Juan Rogel, shipping and sanitation supervisor; and Wally Quednau, vice-president, organizational development, focus on continuous improvement at the Pleasant Prairie bakery.