Proven heritage, prosperous future

How Dacon helped Bake’n Joy meet rising demand

Driven by convenience and accessibility, the US bakery products market is projected to grow 4.8% annually through 2025. The American lifestyle, reflected in the growth of out-of-home consumption of instant and high-quality products, continues to fuel revenue increases.

Historically in the baked goods industry—and true to today— bread remains the key economic driver, followed by pastries and cakes. Muffins continue to demonstrate rapid growth as a popular breakfast and snack food in America, contributing $812 million to the sector, of which 81% of sales consist of convenient four-pack clamshells. It must be remembered that food ingredients are commodity-driven which surpluses and wanes with supply.

Photography by Alison F. Kidder

Few consider its economic weight, yet within America the wholesale baking sector imparts a distinct influence, generating 764,000 jobs and $154.2 billion in revenue. Between COVID-related labor shortages, transportation, raw material price increases and short supply of critical sub-ingredients, the baking industry faces unprecedented challenges heading into 2022.

Rising brand

Struggle is no stranger to the baking industry. Independent bakeries became a commonplace entity within American communities during WWII. Paradoxically this new-found convenience challenged wartime practicalities, a time when pre-sliced bread was banned briefly as a means for food conservation by the War Foods Administration. It is amid this economic climate that Bake’n Joy began. Abraham Ogan saw an opportunity to help the rise in corner bakeries by creating bread and donut mixes for them using one blender. With an attenuation to consumer preferences, Abraham was an early proponent of taking innovative risks. He subsequently expanded product lines into mixes and bases for donuts, muffins and Danish pastries while increasing distribution through supermarket and foodservice channels. Now within its 81st year, the firm has traversed several historical benchmarks. Notably among these, the firm addressed the labor-intensive mix and batch method with thaw-scoop-and-bake frozen batters in 1980, followed by frozen pre-deposited muffin batters which are conveniently pre-portioned into baking liners in 2000. This strategic endeavor enabled professional bakers to reduce sales and waste, while minimizing skilled labor and ingredient costs.

A well-planned design for any manufacturing facility correctly configures interaction, energy use, business growth and long-term interest.

Additionally, in 2004 the firm produced the sector’s first PanFree® muffin. These muffin batters are pre-deposited into sturdy liners; only a baking sheet pan is needed thereby eliminating the need for muffin pans. In 2017, the firm introduced a line of clean label bakery products in keeping with consumer demand for a more wholesome approach with fewer, less complicated ingredients. With the evolutionally shift from dry mixes to scoop batter to predeposited muffins and PanFree®, the firm found it necessary to expand its existing manufacturing footprint to accommodate additional pre-deposited manufacturing lines. Now led by the third and fourth generation, Bake’n Joy’s portfolio spans pre-deposited frozen muffin and loaf cake batters, scoop batters, private label baked coffee cakes, as well as their original dry mixes for donuts, muffins, cakes, cookies, scones and traditional yeast breads.

Moreover, the firm’s acquisition of L&M Bakeries in 2021 expanded its product portfolio to include fully baked retail products such as Fruit Squares, Sliced Pound Cakes and Whole and Sliced Baked Loaf Cakes. These products complement the firm’s existing baked lines of coffee cakes, corn breads, whoopie pie shells and cupcakes. Bake’n Joy’s innovative product strategies address growing labor concerns among retailers, convenience and food service operators seeking consistent, high-quality baked goods, less skilled labor, stronger inventory and waste management cost control.

Bake’n Joy’s innovative product strategies address growing labor concerns among retailers, convenience and food service operators seeking consistent, high-quality baked goods, less skilled labor, stronger inventory and waste management cost control.

Proven culture

Product innovation remains the central operational axis for manufacturing industries. While Bake’n Joy’s heritage is characterized by

taking on innovation risk, their most valued asset is procuring human capital that sustains both business relationships and culture. The average employee tenure is more than 15 years, with some employees spending their whole career with the firm. Bake’n Joy has a unique ethos for hiring—while technical skills are considered, having heart supersedes the decision-making process. Bob Ogan, President and CEO, says customer demands necessitate a collage of caring, so Bake’n Joy assesses applicants for sensitivity and awareness as a primary character quality. “Our values are founded on the belief that taking care of people, our associates and customers, is at the center of everything we do—growth in productivity and corporate culture will naturally follow.” The vision of the company—Bake’n Joy will be living proof that caring, integrity, hard work and innovation across all levels creates success—is witnessed in associate engagement. Twice a year the firm shuts down for the afternoon to host employee recognition events. At the Associate Appreciation Day picnic, all employees travel to a nearby venue for a catered lunch and gifts. Additionally, each January the year is recapped with awards and bonuses. The resulting culture underscores the importance of customer focus, valued employees and product innovation.

Building growth

Manufacturing facilities represent a unique position within the architectural landscape for the need to create a definable and relatable corporate identity for employees amidst seemingly impersonal large-scale processes. The merits of manufacturing design require assessment from multiple viewpoints. Renovation versus new construction, expediency, product innovation and business expansion must all be considered holistically. In reconfiguring and building a customized environment for Bake’n Joy, high performance processes and safety fueled the design mindset. In addition to its headquarters and primary manufacturing facility, the firm owns and operates a materials warehouse just up the street, and in 2020 the company purchased the building adjacent to its primary operating facility. It was decided that the third structure would

be renovated, expanded and dedicated as a bakery. The paramount challenge was housing large scale, automated equipment in a sequenced design on a footprint tightly limited by zoning requirements and wetlands.This renovated facility had to be upgraded to comfortably accommodate offices, employee support areas, shipping/receiving docks, a cooler corridor and rooms for manufacturing, baking, engineering and conferences. After bringing the 1970s building to its original structure, it was extended to within one foot of zone limitations. The product journey was oriented from raw goods to mixing, then baking, followed by pan removal and automated placement onto a conveyor for freezing and packing. “Bake’n Joy’s new production space is fueled by entrepreneurship, correct support and direction,” says Daryl Carter, Director of Architecture for Dacon, the facility’s design builder. Buildability of the site was expanded to 47,000 square feet, enabling the production of existing baked products such as branded and private label coffee cakes, while maintaining ample capacity to integrate L&M Bakery’s baked goods as well as innovative new bakery products for years to come. A well-planned design for any manufacturing facility correctly configures interaction, energy use, business growth and long-term interest. While optimization often is connotated with cost cutting, intelligent design and space management aids in cost control without eliminating value. In a pandemic economy where steel prices have tripled, reconsideration and reuse have become vanguards for value creation. However, ultimately it must not be forgotten that the viability of any facility rests on employee productivity and a healthy culture. Bake’n Joy’s new baking facility, tailored by function—with compliance, environmental conservation, power, finished ceiling heights and loading capabilities all considered— exemplifies the merits of repurposing existing space for manufacturing. CK