Jordan Dambeck
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Improvement Opportunities Checklist
Discover the secrets to achieving the elusive trifecta of speed, cost-effectiveness, and quality in food processing. While the age-old business adage suggests it's impossible to have it all, many operators are defying the odds. By honing in on key elements of production workflow design and equipment compatibility, they're revolutionizing the industry. Learn how these strategies can transform your operations and enhance your products for tomorrow...
Ramping Up Cosmetic Production
With growth spurred by demand for “clean beauty” and “organic makeup” products and a rising focus on inclusivity, today’s cosmetics and personal care industries are being transformed by a wave of independent and start-up manufacturers. For many of these manufacturers, the migration from small-batch lab production to larger-scale processing can be a challenge.
Challenge Accepted: The Impossible Barbacoa Dream
Most of the equipment we build at Lee Industries fits into one of two categories. In the first category are projects where a customer comes to us with a pretty clear picture of the equipment they need. For example, they want a 200-gallon steam-jacketed vessel to cook soup using an agitation system gentle enough to protect the integrity of solid ingredients. Well, no problem! In the second category are...
Don’t Buy the Wrong Relationship on Your Way to Buying the Right Equipment
Gather a group of experienced processing plant managers and ask them to describe their focus when deciding which supplier to buy core equipment from and you’ll hear a range of different opinions—from construction quality and durability to equipment features and performance…and price. But one recommendation they’ll likely all share is this: evaluate the equipment manufacturer’s ability to help optimize your efficiency.
When Food Manufacturers Must Choose Between In-House or Contract Manufacturing
Most food producers—at some point in their product’s lifecycle—arrive at a fork-in-the-road moment where they must decide to make their product in-house or outsource production to a contract manufacturer. Whether that moment occurs at the onset of a commercialization opportunity, once demand exceeds in-house capacity or when the economics reach a trigger point, determining the right production strategy can be complicated.
Soup’s On: What to Consider When Adding Capacity for Soup Production
With a nod to a famous advertising tagline, more and more people around the world are agreeing that “soup is good food”. Even without the spike in demand caused by the pandemic in 2020, the global soup market was on a steady rise. So, it’s no surprise that researchers expect significant growth in the coming years, with global annual value reaching $20B by 2026 – a nearly 20% increase over 2020. This positive outlook – driven by a growing demand for healthy convenience food, mounting interest in global and ethnic culinary offerings and heightened popularity of fresh prepared/ready-to-eat and frozen foods – is leading many soup producers to evaluate their processing operations, to make sure they can consistently churn out enough product to meet demand.
The Earlier the Better: When Food Manufacturers Should Bring Processing Equipment Engineers into New Product Development
Chances are, if you are in the food manufacturing industry, you think a lot about new product development. Many food manufacturers consider it to be the driving force of their organic growth. They make great investments to develop new products that attract consumer interest and widen their revenue streams. Yet, despite the emphasis, it is not uncommon for manufacturers to limit their potential by setting up shortsighted or sub-optimized production processes to produce their new products.