Baking & Snack - June 2023 - 30

DEWEY'S BAKERY INC.
our teardowns and rebuilds, just basic PMs to keep our
equipment running top-notch. "
Production schedules begin with a monthly sales and
operation processing meeting, which takes care of 80%
of the planning. There are also daily meetings that include
discussions about the previous day's schedule and
any issues that arose, along with that day's plan and if
production is keeping pace with expected output for
the week.
" We have a production meeting every week, but we
also talk about it every single day in our huddle, " Mr.
Catlett said. " We shoot for a 14-day lock on our schedule,
but it doesn't always work. There's often a curve ball
that's thrown. "
Because the business is growing so quickly, new requests,
such as a grocery chain wanting to add end caps
with Dewey's products, often crop up and require production
changes. Company leaders are eager to take advantage
of those new opportunities.
" One of our great strengths is our ability to actually
meet those interesting challenges that come up quickly,
especially in this environment where not every company
has been able to respond to that, " Mr. Senackerib said.
" We pride ourselves on our ability to do that. "
The company also takes pride in its R&D capabilities.
Vinnie Pellegrino, vice president of R&D, whips up three
to four product samples daily in a corner of the bakery.
New items are tested rigorously.
" The last thing we want to do is pitch a new item that
The Moravian
cookies are thin
and crispy but
carry a powerful
flavor punch.
someone wants to purchase, and then we don't have the
ability to run it, " Mr. Catlett said.
One opportunity the company has embraced each
year since 2012 is the chance to give back to its community
through Dewey's pop-up retail outlets. Charities
Shortbread cookies travel through the spiral cooler before heading
to packaging.
in the Piedmont Triad region, which includes WinstonSalem,
Greensboro and High Point, last year ran more
than 50 pop-up shops.
The pop-ups run for two to three months during the
holidays. Mr. Senackerib estimated that charities have
raised close to $5 million over the life of the program.
The company also works with schools that sell Dewey's
products to raise funds.
Increasing automation
As the bakery expands its distribution, it has been adding
equipment to automate more of its processes. The
Kimwell plant has two continuous production lines -
K1 and K2 - both with Polin Hybrid three-zone tunnel
oven systems. The 1.2-meter-wide system on K2 was
installed in March and makes shortbread cookies among
other items.
" We're in a really high-growth mode, so you need the
automation just to keep up, " Mr. Senackerib explained.
The K1 line primarily produces Moravian cookies.
The Jonestown plant also makes them, including a mini
version packed into stand-up pouches, which are increasingly
popular for retail and convenience stores.
" They come from the historical Moravian baking tradition
where they used to roll out super-thin dough but
highly seasoned and spiced in flavor, " Mr. Senackerib
30 Baking & Snack June 2023 / www.bakingbusiness.com
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Baking & Snack - June 2023

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