Any time a baking company changes hands, some workers may be lost to the change, but that hasn’t been the case at Carolina Foods. CEO Dan Myers said the company is keenly aware of the value of the institutional wisdom its employees have.
It is imperative that the site of the new construction be close enough to the South End bakery for the company’s 400 to 450 workers to move into the new bakery when the South End closes. A new facility also means new hires. Fortunately, a state-of-the-art, well-lit bakery with air-conditioning and high-tech automation makes hiring easy.
“We bring potential applicants to the new facility and they recognize that there are many opportunities to work at a facility like this,” Myers said. “We’re growing and I like to think that other people want to work for a developing company. »
When hiring, Carolina Foods looks for people with technical expertise, but cultural compatibility is key: the company is for people who are curious and work in a team. All team members receive a multi-week orientation with food protection and employee training. More technical roles, such as engineering and maintenance, are subject to ongoing training.
The corporate also prioritizes internal promotions when positions are opened. This allows workers to envision a long-term career at Carolina Foods.
“We have a lot of executives who are front-line employees,” said Sonya Yalla, director of quality assurance and R&D, who began her career at the company on the production floor.
To create a sense of unity, Stuart Smith, vice president of operations, said workers even spend time running around the production floor to be briefed on the ins and outs of honey buns as part of their training. This only connects them to what Carolina Foods is doing, but encourages empathy with hourly workers.
Highlights of IFT FIRST held July 14-17 in Chicago.