Joy Baking Group Scoops up Expansion Project
The selection and implementation of robust and reliable equipment is fundamental to meeting demand and maintaining the highest levels of quality. GEA has played a significant role in the Joy Baking Group’s evolution for some time, and GEA Bakery and Joy Baking Group have been collaborating allowing for more variety of cookies. Joy’s commitment to producing the highest quality products is in direct alignment with GEA’s mission and goals allowing for the best final products for our customers.
The Joy Baking Group, headquartered in Hermitage (Pennsylvania, US), operates multiple manufacturing sites in the US and Mexico. Proud to be an independent, 100% employee-owned business, the company is the market leader in the baking of cones, wafers, cookies and inclusions for the retail, food service, and industrial markets. Founded in 1918, Joy recently announced a strategic expansion at its Hermitage, PA cookie plant.
Like all manufacturers, the selection and implementation of robust and reliable equipment is fundamental to meeting demand and maintaining the highest levels of quality. GEA has played a significant role in the Joy Baking Group’s evolution for some time, having originally — as GEA Bakery — supplied a rotary moulded cookie line for the production of cookies and crème inclusions to BoDeans in 2012. The GEA relationship continued in 2017, a year after Joy acquired BoDeans, when an additional line was procured and installed in the new Hermitage facility. As a result of these installations, GEA Bakery has been collaborating with Joy on an expansion project announced for the Hermitage site, which will include an additional line for the production of cookie and crème inclusions.
“Back in 2010,” notes Larry Tomasiello, Technical Services Manager, “we had two wafer lines in Le Mars and ample volume capacity … but we wanted to expand into cookies. Some of our customers were asking us to provide sandwich and wire-cut chocolate chip cookies and, as such, we needed to boost our machinery portfolio.”
“To be able to see the equipment in action, we traveled to South America and Europe and visited a number of production sites. We also met the manufacturers and looked for comparable US-based suppliers. I think the decision was made after we saw the equipment running in both Brazil and Italy … and knew that this was the right way to go,” continues Tomasiello.
“We realized that GEA had a certain level of expertise in this field, and the company’s equipment was definitely the right choice for us.”
“What was important was that we were partnering with someone who could supply reliable machinery, was familiar with the market, and who we were comfortable collaborating with. Running ovens of those sizes, we couldn’t afford to have downtime or processing issues. Minutes are worth thousands of dollars on those lines, so that was a key consideration.”
With any project, there are always hurdles to overcome. At the Le Mars site, for example, space was an issue. “There were some design challenges right from the start,” comments Tomasiello, “just getting the ovens, dough processing equipment and wire cutters to fit. Not only did GEA come up with a solution that worked, but it’s also still working today.”
“At Hermitage,” Tomasiello continues, “we had the luxury of designing a new building around the line. So, we had a lot more space and flexibility. However, our on-site staff were not familiar with cookie production equipment. We needed to implement a training program very quickly.”
“The commissioning engineer from GEA did an excellent job in that area; he showed the operators and mechanics exactly what needed to be done in terms of setting the equipment up, getting it running and keeping it maintained. The two weeks he spent with us after the commissioning stage was incredibly valuable.”
Brent Fisher, Director of Operations, adds: “We were looking for state-of-the-art, high speed, high output ovens. For example, at Le Mars, we have a 1.2-meter oven that’s 140 feet long. At Hermitage, the oven is 240 feet long and 1.5 meters wide, which increased production by more than 30%.”
The outcome of the project has meant that Joy is positioned as a market leader in the industrial inclusion sector.
“Considering the dynamic shift in consumer habits that occurred during COVID, along with supply chain constraints and businesses taking a serious look at their portfolio, the reliability and output of the GEA ovens has enabled us to take advantage of the somewhat chaotic conditions and ensured we can fulfil the business needs of our customers,” said Fisher.
“Not only has this project positioned us as a market leader,” continues Fisher, “it has also provided a foundation upon which we can expand our capabilities to meet the growing demands of this sector. We’re continuing to build on our reputation of delivering products on time and at a fair price, which is directly related to the performance of the partners we do business with.”
Katelyn Sump, Plant Manager at Hermitage, adds: “From a production perspective, the quality of the equipment is, perhaps, the more impressive aspect. We have a talented group of maintenance technicians within our organization, and they often refer to GEA ovens as the gold standard. I hold their opinion in high regard, and they've been very satisfied with the equipment.”
“GEA sincerely appreciates the collaboration and business conducted with Joy during the past decade,” acknowledged Riccardo Piscolla, NAM Bakery Market Manager. “Their commitment to producing the highest quality products is in direct alignment with GEA’s mission and goals, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate long into the future.”
Offering the final word, Fisher comments: “Sourcing equipment from outside the United States often comes with a certain amount of stigma or, at least, trepidation regarding the availability of parts or access to a support engineer. Working with GEA, those fears have been completely assuaged because, quite frankly, the ovens just run! The worries about having to constantly import components never came to fruition. Of course, we have a spare parts list but haven’t used it. I can’t say enough positive things about the robustness, reliability and performance of the GEA equipment we have in our organization.”
High capacity rotary molder for processing soft dough biscuits and shortbreads
