Baking & Snack - February 2022 - 38

PARTNERS
" AUTOMATION ALLOWS US
TO BE IN PLACES WHERE
WE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN
BEFORE BECAUSE WE'RE SO
MUCH MORE COST EFFECTIVE
THAN IN THE PAST. "
Cara Figgins, Partners, A Tasteful Choice Company
and three packaging lines that generate about 11 million
kosher, gluten-free, organic, non-GMO and other types
of wholesome crackers and crisp flatbreads each day.
Moreover, sensing an impending workplace gap
shortage even before the pandemic hit, the company installed
labor-saving equipment. Most significantly, the
150,000-square-foot facility features two robotic systems
that tirelessly pick, place, stack and package crackers at a
much faster rate than dozens of people had done semiautomatically.
In all, the bakery now relies on eight people
to operate its packaging department compared with
40 at the previous plant.
" We have the equipment to grow and the space to expand,
and with only a few not-major investments, we
can increase the capacity over time, " Ms. Figgins said.
" It was a two-fold improvement. It added more capacity
and greater efficiency so we can make a larger amount of
products per person per hour but we can also produce
more overall volume. With this bakery, we can get up to
somewhere in the $100 million range in sales if we really
were pushing all of the areas we have for production. "
However, another reason for building the new bakery
involves a practical one that everyone understands.
" We do not want to move for a very long time, " said
Greg Maestretti, chief operating officer and Ms. Figgins'
brother, who had been designing and refining the bakery
of his dreams since 2014. " The goal for us was to
build a bakery big enough so that we would not have to
move from here. "
Partners for all occasions
Overall, the bakery produces five cracker sizes in more
than 20 flavors sold in at least six different packages. Ms.
Figgins noted that the square or rectangular products
are designed to be carriers that are a " perfect partner "
with appetizers and meals. In fact, that's how Ms. Harris
came up with the name for the company.
The top-selling flavors include Olive Oil & Sea Salt,
Traditional Butter, Olive Oil & Herb and a Roasted
Garlic & Rosemary variety. Sesame seeds also abound in
the popular product portfolio.
" Aside from the All-American brand, which is more
of a snack cracker that you eat out of the box, everything
else has been made to accompany other foods. We're not
a saltine or cracker with strong flavors, " Ms. Figgins explained.
" Our products are developed to go with dips,
cheeses, spreads or charcuterie. They're lightly salted
and lightly flavored with that intent in mind. "
Each brand has its own personality and product charSecond-generation
owners, Cara Figgins and Greg Maestretti,
carry on their mother's legacy by producing wholesome specialty
crackers and other foods using ingredients that are found in
everyone's kitchen.
38 Baking & Snack February 2022 / www.bakingbusiness.com
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - February 2022

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