Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - November 2008 - (Page 12)

2008 Executives of the Year Continued from page 10 ment offered greater versatility to produce a wider variety of products. “We were very creative in how we set up the production lines, to streamline and give the rebuilt plant greater ﬂexibility,” Schieldge notes. “And we were still able to increase our overall output.” The plant now includes state-of-the-art, automated production lines that provides not only increased capacity, but also enhanced product quality with greater consistency. With the greater output of production, Snak King’s sales team expanded to seek out new growth opportunities, Papiri notes. And so what started out as the operation’s well-planned response to a disaster enabled it to come back in better shape than ever before. ROYAL FAMILY Shortly after the roof of its plant collapsed in 2004, the employees of City of Industry, Calif.-based Snak King Corp. resolved to achieve one goal — rebuild its kingdom. Chunks of roof disrupted the tortilla lines, but the company refused to let the ﬂoodwater and debris get in the way of producing quality snack products. “I have to say, our team was incredible. People spend a lot of money to go on team-building activities, where you climb ropes and hang upside down and blindfold and trust each other,” says Barry Levin, the company’s chairman and CEO. “[But] we had a team-building experience like no other, with everybody pulling together and ﬁguring out whatever needed to be done and get it done.” After three years of continuous construction and upgrades, the renovated operation houses state-of-the-art production lines and newly reﬁned processes to turn out products that are better than ever. It took patience, persistence and a little help from their friends. “I think our philosophy has always been to help other people, and I guess it was our turn to be helped,” Levin says. “We could have easily just said, ‘Hey. let’s take that insurance money and walk away and close the doors.’ But with all the people who were relying on us to support their families, we really didn’t even think about anything but getting up and rebuilding.” Crowning Achievements While resolving internal issues and adapting to what had become an ever-changing operation, the management team also had to stay abreast of shifting consumer and retail trends in the snack industry. Snak King is no stranger to being on the cutting edge of what consumers want. Its family of brands — El Sabroso, Jensen’s Orchard and Granny Goose — has done anything but falter in the wake of tragedy. The El Sabroso line, consisting of pork rinds, tortilla chips, cheese snacks and nuts with a traditional, full-ﬂavor, Mexican-inspired taste, continues to expand. It is best known for its innovative seasoned tortilla chips, such as Guacachips with the real ﬂavor and ingredients of guacamole right in the chip, Salsitas with real salsa cooked into the tortilla chip and Jalapeñitos with real jalapeños for a real nacho cheese experience. The Jensen’s Orchard brand provides innovative and natural snacks such as Veggie Chips, Bruschetta Chips and Spinach and Artichoke Chips, to consumers looking for new snacks that meet their changing demands. Additionally, the Granny Goose line is made up of value-positioned snacks and is owned and marketed by Snak King. At the end of the day, Jones says, Snak King products have to cater to consumer tastes that have become more sophisticated over the years. Shoppers are more demanding than they used to be about the ingredients that go into products, and snack foods still need to taste good. Additionally, Levin says, changing demographics such as the growth of the Latino population are driving Snak King’s sales. These consumers place a greater focus on healthier and more natural snacks. Moreover, the consumers’ continual quest for new and interesting snacks and ﬂavors has been fueling the company’s business, Levin says. Despite keeping up with what’s hot and what’s not, Papiri acknowledges that the company is selective about what trends it wants to pursue. Overall, the health and wellness trend is one that the company keeps an eye on, Papiri says. Whether it’s organic, Continued on page 14 12 Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - NOVEMBER 2008 www.snackandbakery.com http://www.snackandbakery.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - November 2008

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - November 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Cover Story: The Comeback King Royal Treatment Let Freedom Ring New Products The Heat is On Engineering Management Going in New Directions Warm Up with Cold Treats The Final Word

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - November 2008

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