Baking & Snack - March 2020 - 110

featured innovation center

PURATOS: MOVING LOCAL TO MOTIVATE
Buildings have stories to tell, and Puratos, which offers ingredients and application expertise, used the historical background of a
Chicago facility to help bakers tell their own. Opened last August,
the company's new 6,668-sq-ft innovation center is located in the
city's Pilsen district, strategically near two major airports. More importantly, Puratos wanted the site to be part of a stimulating area.
"Local is in our corporate DNA," said Andy Brimacombe, president, Puratos USA. "We're looking forward to paying homage to
Midwestern cuisine and taste preferences through this centrallylocated, Chicago-based innovation center, and we're excited to witness the concepts that spring forth."
At one time, the building was used as a lumber warehouse
by Foster Munger Catalog Co., then after that by the World's
Columbian Exposition fair in 1893. Later, it went on to headquarter Chicago businesses. The facility's historical architecture is a rare
feature among Puratos' innovation centers, according to Alejandro
Tovar, vice-president of marketing, Puratos, and this was important to uphold during renovation.
"Puratos' objective was to preserve the original brick and lumber character from the building and, at the same time, provide the
highest hygienic standards in the demonstration areas," he said.
"We maintained the openness of the space and maximized natural
lighting with glass facades and external walls."
The company invested $1.5 million in the center, which allows
bakers to create prototypes of bakery, patisserie and chocolate

110 Baking & Snack March 2020 / www.bakingbusiness.com

products. Depending on a customer's needs, there is a 1,650-sq-ft
bakery and a 725-sq-ft patisserie and chocolate room in which to
take inspiration - whether locally or foreign-inspired - and turn
it into a reality.
"This new facility will welcome professionals from any size
operation, from individual artisans and entrepreneurs to industrial manufacturers or retail operations interested in honing their
skills," Mr. Tovar said. "Specialized training enables participants to
improve a current product range, develop new recipes or benchmark products compared to their competition."
The building will bring Puratos' US innovation center count to
six and its overall number to 89. Each global operation contains
regional ingredients and flavors. But no matter where a center is
located, the equipment selection is similar, which provides access
to the same methods for product development.
The bakery in the center has a full range of Koma retarders and
proofers; Rondo semi-automatic sheeters; Esmach spiral mixers
with 120-lb capacity, baguette moulders, dividers and rounders
and bread slicers; and Miwe rack and deck ovens that monitor
the phases of the baking process and include a gas booster for increased heat.
The patisserie and chocolate room includes a Koma blast freezer, Selmi continuous tempering machines for chocolate applications and Traulsen refrigerators. Additionally, the entire facility is
temperature- and humidity-controlled.

http://www.bakingbusiness.com

Baking & Snack - March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - March 2020