Baking & Snack - March 2010 - 34

36
◀ Oven pans filled with
Krimpets cake batter make
their way to the thermal-oil
heated ovens.
methodically identify the
facts and analyze the data.
"We saw several key
drivers for a new plant,"
continued Ms. Bayles,
initially c.i.o., now senior
vice-president,
strategic
operations, with responsibility for all company
operations - manufacturing, distribution and supply chain. "Safety - both
employee and food - efficiency, product limitations and consistency were
all areas that needed to be
addressed for the company
to move forward. Capacity
was not an issue, but we
made sure the new plant
offers tremendous capacity as well as flexibility. We
also decided that, because
the company now mandates more relevancy in
the market and the longstanding relationship it has
with the Philadelphia community, going the extra mile on
environmental practices was a crucial element to consider.
This is why we decided to go for Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design ( LEED) certification on the design
and construction of the new plant."

Because the plant building is leased, the company
didn't have the burden of construction, although it did
work closely with the builder to identify and implement
appropriate construction materials, sources, waste recycling and other factors that allow for LEED certification.
"We registered and submitted all the information and are
waiting for determination of what level of certification
we qualify for," Ms. Bayles said. Mr. Pizzi added that the
company is looking into installing solar panels on the
roof, through a grant from the state of Pennsylvania, to
supplement its power needs.
"Tasty Baking looked at building a new plant at least
five times since I have been here," said Joe Carboy, a 25year veteran of the company and plant manager of Hunting Park and the new bakery. "However, those plans were
built on unrealistic ideas, and incentives and tax benefits were either not available or unknown to us at those
times." The company is currently running both facilities
while it ramps up production.
Through programs such as the Keystone Opportunity Improvement Zone (KOIZ) and others, as well as
local banks, the company was able to secure public and
private financing that made a new plant feasible. KOIZ
is an economic and community development program
that develops a community's abandoned, unused and
underutilized land and buildings into business districts
and residential areas that present a well-rounded and
well-balanced approach to community revitalization,
according to its Web site. It is a partnership between
state and local government in collaboration with the
Department of Revenue (state taxes) and the Department of Labor and Industry (Unemployment Compensation taxes). Philadelphia's Naval Yard was decommissioned 10 years ago and subsequently deemed a KOIZ.
Tasty Baking is one of the flagship corporations to call
the Naval Yard home.

"I think this is the most complex
and unique process any baking
company has ever tackled
because of the size, configuration
and technology differences and
unique products produced at a
single production plant."
- Joe Carboy, plant manager.

BAKING & SNACK / March 2010

Baking & Snack - March 2010

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