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ing to market "differentiated" products, according to
Mr. Hetrick. "We believe products should have qualities
consumers are looking for: It should be experiential, taste
great and offer nutritional qualities - baked, all natural,
healthy inclusions, naturally low in calories, full flavor,
convenient and portable."
The biscotti facility in Ferndale, NY, was purchased in
late 2005. At that time, Nonni's was considering expansion at Tulsa when it discovered a competitor, Mamma
Says, with a new bakery in Ferndale that was not being
fully utilized. "Instead of expanding this plant, we made
an offer to purchase the company," Mr. Wiley noted. "We
bought it primarily for the capacity, which was needed
because of our significant growth in sales."
R&D RESOURCES. The lifeblood of bakeries is new
products, and Nonni's employs an R&D manager with
degrees from Kansas State University and American Institute of Baking. "She focuses on biscotti, labeling laws as
well as a few of the company's other products," Mr. Harris noted. "Jim Burns, the inventor and founder of the
bagel chip business, continues his tenure at the company
in part in an R&D capacity on the salty snack side."
New products focus on trends such as health and wellness. "Most of our products have always been natural,"
Mr. Hetrick said. "We are promoting that, along with applicable health claims. New packaging for our Old London brand helps call out some of the attributes the brand
has had for decades that are still in tune with today's
health-conscious consumer - low calorie, satisfying,
whole grains, high end quality, texture and taste." Two of
the company's plants are certified organic facilities.
Most melba toast varieties are now whole grain. Recent variety additions include contemporary flavors of
Rosemary, Roasted Garlic, Three Pepper and Sourdough.
Melba Toast represents a great bread replacement while
Melba Snacks now deliver great snack flavor in each chip,
Mr. Hetrick noted.
Updated packaging for all the company brands includes more graphics promoting the health value and a
more contemporary look to attract young and older consumers alike. Several cartons now feature a window so
consumers can see the value they are purchasing.
The company also just made a major change to Nonni's
club store packaging by redesigning the container. Previous
containers were a straight-walled jar made of heavy-gauge
polyethylene terephthalate (PETE No. 1) - inflexible, unnestable with excessive headspace. "The new plastic tub is
an advantage from the old as far as environmental issues
are concerned in several ways," Mr. Wiley said. "The tub itself is still made of thin-gauge PETE No. 1 material, which
is more easily recyclable, and it weighs significantly less
than the current jar. The lid is now also made of PETE No.
1. It used to be made of polypropylene No. 5. So now our
entire package is recyclable. And inbound freight fuel is
BAKING & SNACK / September 2008

ᮡ Precision cutting at just the right temperature after the initial bake ensures
clean cuts and minimal crumbs.

Chips, Crisps and Sticks
According to Tim Harris, president of Nonni's, bagel
crisps were invented by Jim Burns and Gary Ricker
in the 1980s as a way to use day-old product in
their New York area gourmet shops. Popularity
grew, and they branded their products as Burns &
Ricker. A competitor was spawned, the New York
Style bagel chip company. In conjunction with the
Nonni's purchase in 2004, Wind Point Partners also
acquired both bagel chip businesses and merged
them under the New York Style brand.
Product offerings have expanded to include
Panetini oven baked Italian toast, which is sliced,
seasoned and toasted; Pretzel Flatz; pita chips; and
its newest introduction, Focaccia Sticks. "This is
unique and a first in the snack industry," Mr. Harris
said. "We have high hopes with the Focaccia Sticks
because not only are they top quality, they are also
unique and represent incremental sales for retailers. It's really a new product category that does not
compete with other products."
Fully-baked focaccia bread is sliced, seasoned and
toasted. The product comes in three flavors: Roasted
Garlic & Herb, Quatro Fromagio and Rosemary &
Sea Salt. According to Mr. Harris, the company is currently purchasing pre-baked French baguettes and
focaccia breads from another bakery.

Baking & Snack - September 2008

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