Even the best-laid plans run up against problems when constructing a new bakery. 

“Insufficient planning can lead to mistakes when building a new plant, so allowing extra time in the initial plan to explore alternatives and the possibility of future expansion and flexibility pays off in the long term,” said Pablo Coronel, senior fellow, food process and safety, CRB Group. “The initial design must be improved with client and external experts’ input to maximize the futureproofing of the build.”

Schedules must build in extra time for unforeseen problems. Dave Watson, food, bakery and snacks engineering subject matter expert, The Austin Co., has seen companies fail to do this too many times.

“Deliveries can be late, especially if you’re bringing in equipment from overseas,” he said. “Sometimes deliveries can run longer even on building components and materials. Setting a realistic schedule with appropriate float is critical. Also building a budget that has enough contingency for unforeseen circumstances.”

He also suggested getting maintenance and operations teams involved early.

“It would be wonderful to get those folks involved in line selection and installation,” Watson said. “Getting employees engaged early on is critical to a successful startup. Hire your hourly staff early enough and provide enough training ahead of startup.”

Dan Myers, chief executive officer, Carolina Foods, Pineville, NC, said hiring good partners is important because many things can go awry.

“Permitting, inspections, weather, supply chains, cash availability, cost escalation, turnover in critical roles on the teams, the changing needs of the business, all these things could delay your project, and they have to be contemplated in your ultimate plan,” he said. 

JD Boone, business unit leader, A M King, echoed the sentiment of hiring the proper team for the job. 

“There are a lot of bad designers and builders out there, and clients should spend the time to vet each candidate,” he said. “This is probably the No. 1 reason projects experience delays and cost overages. A close second is the permitting process and state/local regulatory requirements.”

Having the right person in charge of the project can pay dividends, said John Tippmann III, executive vice president, Tippmann Group.

“Whenever we deal with an owner that has a particular point person in place that is educated in construction and understands the processes, the time it takes for us to get through engineering can vary dramatically,” he said. “If you have someone who understands construction and understands manufacturing and can tie it all together in a single point of contact who’s allowed to make decisions quickly, that engineering timeline goes from four months to three months. If you have four or five people making all the decisions and they’re disagreeing on those decisions, that timeline now goes out to six months.”

This article is an excerpt from the December 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Design & Build, click here.