Baking & Snack - December 2023 - 18

OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
has seen in the past few years, with the company more
than doubling its business. With a commitment from
a major customer, Klosterman Baking Co. built a new
bakery in Hebron, Ky., that opened in 2019 and was featured
in the August 2019 issue of Baking & Snack.
" That was a huge feat, and I'm proud of each person
who contributed to the long days and hours, trials
Brent Taylor (left), COO
for Klosterman Baking
Co., will take on many
of the projects Kevin
Stevens has overseen
upon Mr. Stevens'
retirement.
Amy Schmitz
and errors, and pains of that startup, " Mr. Stevens said.
" While no startup is ever without problems, we got
through it, and the end result has enabled us to better
serve our customers while providing solid jobs in the
Cincinnati/northern Kentucky area. "
The 200,000-square-foot bakery houses three lines for
bread, buns and donuts, and soon will serve as the new
headquarters for Klosterman Baking Co. as the company
continues to grow. Such an immense project certainly required
an all-hands-on-deck mentality, but Mr. Easdon
notes that Mr. Stevens' experience, leadership and expertise
were critical to the success of the bakery.
" When you're investing the millions of dollars necessary
to build the Hebron facility for a strategic customer,
it includes the sourcing of equipment, leadership, a marketing
campaign, procurement, supply chain, the whole
scope of project management, " he said. " Hebron is a perfect
example of a project so large that it touches every aspect
of the company. It's a flagship bakery that Kevin can
be very proud of because he built it with all of his skill set. "
Since New Water Capital acquired Klosterman Baking
Co., Mr. Stevens has used that skill set to help get the
company's six bakeries fully optimized. The company's
new Chief Operating Officer Brent Taylor, whom Mr.
Stevens was fully involved in recruiting, will take over
these projects upon Mr. Stevens' retirement.
" We have many projects underway right now, things
that will improve and upgrade existing equipment and
product lines in many of our bakeries, " Mr. Stevens said.
" We are also working on a few larger projects that would
increase line capacity in multiple plants. "
As vice president of engineering, he has also worked to
pivot the company's maintenance mentality from a reactive
place to a proactive place. First, it was critical to ensure
the maintenance teams were fully staffed. Then Mr.
Stevens and his team could create maintenance programs
that were focused on using data to implement preventative
maintenance and keep lines up and running. He has
also implemented a zoning plan, where different maintenance
teams are responsible for different areas of each
bakery, so there's no question about ownership each day.
" The key has been getting the right people in place
Kevin Stevens will tell you the Hebron, Ky., facility startup was
a team effort, but opening the facility tapped into all of his
experience and skills.
Donald Phelps Photography
18 Baking & Snack December 2023 / www.bakingbusiness.com
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - December 2023
