The first step in designing a food processing or distribution facility is gaining a deep understanding of the client’s business operations. This involves more than just knowing what products the client handles; it requires an in-depth review of their workflow, production processes, and long-term business goals.

“Every project begins with a conversation,” Mark Moore, President of CMC, explains. “We have to understand not only what the client is producing or distributing but also how they do it now and how they might be able to do it better in the future. That knowledge shapes the entire design process.”

This understanding is especially critical because food facilities vary widely depending on the nature of the client’s products. For example, a facility focused on processing ready-to-eat (RTE) foods requires especially stringent sanitation measures and separation between raw and finished products and processes. In contrast, a distribution center needs to be designed for optimal storage, efficient product retrieval, and smooth shipping operations. Both types of facilities have unique requirements that must be factored into the design process to maximize efficiency and safety.

Once the design team has a firm grasp of the client’s operations, the next step is conducting a feasibility study. This phase involves evaluating the practicality of different design options, from determining the appropriate site to ensuring that the facility’s size and layout meet the client’s needs.

“In some cases, clients come to us with a specific vision of what they want,” says Kent Johnson, Executive Manager of Business Development. “It’s our job to look beyond the immediate request and evaluate whether that vision is the best solution for their business in the long run.”

Feasibility studies often uncover opportunities for cost savings and/or identify potential challenges that may not have been immediately apparent. For example, a client may think they need a 200,000-square-foot facility, but a thorough evaluation of their production processes might reveal that a smaller, more efficient layout could achieve the same results at a lower cost.

During the feasibility study, several factors are considered, including, among many others, the location of the facility, transportation logistics, utility costs, and labor availability. The design team also assesses local regulations, such as zoning laws and tax incentives, to ensure that the project is not only feasible but also aligned with the client’s long-term business strategy.

Designing a food processing or distribution facility requires precision at every step. From the layout of production lines in processing plants to the configuration of storage systems in distribution centers, each aspect of the design must enhance efficiency while ensuring safety.

“Food safety is one of the biggest challenges in facility design,” Moore emphasizes. “Particularly in food processing plants, we need to make sure that raw and finished products are kept separate to prevent contamination. We also need to make sure that people and equipment do not cross between areas of raw and finished, open products without a proper sanitation step.”

In food processing plants, this often involves physically separating different areas, installing specialized HVAC systems to control air circulation, and implementing strict cleaning protocols. These measures ensure that high-risk areas, such as those handling raw materials, are kept distinct from areas where finished products are prepared and packaged.

In distribution facilities, the focus shifts to maximizing the flow of goods. The layout must allow for efficient movement of products from storage to shipping areas. Advanced product retrieval systems, such as automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), can help streamline operations, reducing labor costs and improving overall productivity.

One of the unique aspects of food facility construction is the early and ongoing involvement of subcontractors, especially in areas such as refrigeration, HVAC, and sanitation systems. These systems are critical to the functionality and compliance of the facility, so getting the details right is essential.

Johnson explains the importance of this collaboration: “We bring in subcontractors early in the process to make sure the design is feasible from a technical, constructability standpoint. Their input helps us avoid costly changes later in the project.” By involving subcontractors from the start, the design team ensures that all aspects of the facility, from plumbing to refrigeration, are integrated smoothly into the overall design. This proactive approach helps reduce potential delays and ensures that the project stays on budget.

A successful food facility project doesn’t end when construction is complete. Contractors who specialize in food processing and distribution facilities often maintain long-term relationships with their clients, providing ongoing support, maintenance, and potential expansions.

“Many of our clients come back to us for additional projects or upgrades,” says Moore. “It’s about building trust. If you deliver on what you promise, clients are more likely to turn to you again when they need to grow or adapt their facilities.”

This commitment to long-term client relationships is essential in an industry where operational efficiency and food safety standards are constantly evolving. By maintaining open lines of communication, contractors can help clients adapt their facilities to new technologies and best practices, ensuring that their operations remain competitive. Food facilities are continuously evolving, driven by technological advancements such as the increased use of automation and the shift toward more sustainable practices.

Automation plays a crucial role in addressing labor shortages and improving operational efficiency. From automated production lines to robotics in distribution centers, technology is helping food companies reduce their reliance on manual labor while increasing throughput. This shift requires facility designs that can accommodate advanced automation systems as well as the infrastructure needed to support them.

“We’re seeing more clients prioritize automation,” Johnson says. “It’s no longer just about cost savings, it’s about staying competitive in a fast-moving industry. In some cases, it is not about reducing labor; it is about filling the jobs left by holes in the labor market.”

Sustainability is another key focus, with many food companies looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, whether through energy-efficient HVAC systems, water-saving technologies, or the use of renewable energy sources. Some companies are pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, which requires facilities to meet strict environmental standards. “We have to think about the long-term environmental impact of these projects,” Moore adds. “More and more clients want to build facilities that are both efficient and sustainable.”

By incorporating automation and sustainable practices into the design of food facilities, contractors are helping clients prepare for the future while reducing costs and improving operational efficiency.

As the demand for food processing and distribution facilities continues to grow, contractors must balance expansion with a commitment to quality. Moore and Johnson emphasize the importance of controlled growth, focusing on delivering high-quality projects that meet the unique needs of each client. “Growth is important, but we never want to sacrifice quality,” says Moore. “Our reputation is built on delivering results, and that’s something we take very seriously.”

Ultimately, the design and construction of food processing and distribution facilities involves far more than just building structures; it calls for a deep understanding of the client’s business, precision in design, collaboration with subcontractors, and a focus on long-term relationships. As the industry moves forward, trends such as automation and sustainability will continue to shape how these facilities are built, ensuring that they remain efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly.

CMC Design-Build’s approach exemplifies the best practices in this field, emphasizing the importance of client-centered designs, forward-thinking solutions, and strong partnerships. As food production and distribution become even more integral to the global economy, the companies behind these facilities will play an increasingly vital role in driving efficiency, safety, and profitability in the industry.

The post The Art of Designing for Efficiency<p class="company">CMC Design-Build</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Achieving cleanliness in food manufacturing facilities, institutional spaces, and industrial areas means using quality equipment to achieve quality results. Providing premium cleaning equipment, the FOAMit team is known for durable machines, reliability, and outstanding customer service. Helping to reduce customers’ long-term overhead expenses in this way, the company, as a business-to-business partner, frees its clients to focus on better serving their respective markets’ needs.

FOAMit has a responsibility to bring reliable cleaning equipment to a range of industries, as its machines handle a variety of cleaning and disinfection suspensions like mists, sprays, gels, foams, and more. Sectors served include agriculture, food processing, breweries and wineries, property restoration, healthcare, aviation and travel, hospitality, and others. One of the most interesting outcomes of serving so many industries is that applications in one often lead to innovation in another, and so the company’s customers obtain value from the team’s entire reach.

As an innovator, FOAMit is prolific; in the past year, the company has introduced a generous selection of new equipment. These include its utility-free, airless, footwear sanitizing unit that comes in three models, of which one offers a boot scrubber option. The unit is easy to set up and works entirely mechanically, allowing users to implement it anywhere around food plants, poultry barns, and other areas. This unit sanitizes footwear of potential pathogens, preventing cross-contamination between food production zones.

The company’s new Equip Series battery portable units vastly improve on older iterations of a similar product, the unit’s new lithium-ion portable batteries allow greatly enhanced application and wider use. Operational ease and portability are just two of the benefits that these units provide. As part of FOAMit’s commitment to keeping customers’ production facilities operational by creating products that are simple and fast to maintain, these units are also easy to replace and repair.

Similarly, a new drum rinse system is designed to triple-rinse 55-gallon drums for reuse and recycling. “We are very excited about our [drum rinse system]. It’s easy to use and saves our customers labor and water for an otherwise labor- and resource-heavy—yet necessary—task,” says Marketing Manager Sam Carbaugh of the button-activated system that is transforming operations for many customers. The product also significantly contributes to the environmental sustainability of companies’ operations.

FOAMit products are also user-friendly. They are simple to use, and the company shares information and guidance that makes ownership a pleasure. Its website is full of useful resources covering every aspect of product operation and other information.

While datasheets and user manuals provide written guidelines, FOAMit’s instructional videos provide detailed, step-by-step, visual guidance on operating and handling the equipment. This includes instructions on replacing valves, air regulators, and other mechanical elements. And customers know that, should they need further support, the FOAMit team is just a phone call away, always ready to handle customer questions.

Focused on strategic growth, the company has taken the time to ensure that its systems and capabilities are developed in a way that supports expansion. To achieve this, its teams are continually innovating and adapting to market demand. “Our design team is always keeping an eye out for what the next needs are for our customers and how we can make those in ways that are durable and long-lasting, but also cost-effective,” says Carbaugh.

It comes as no surprise that the company is on a winning streak with its focus on innovation and excellent customer care. “We have a high level of customer service. Our response rates are, I think, leading in the industry,” says Laura Klaasen, Director of Sales. This enables its customers and end users to remain consistent, securing uptime and productivity, which of course reflects in everybody’s bottom lines.

Whether it means providing audit support or shipping replacement parts to customers on short notice, FOAMit is always there to provide whatever is necessary to keep customers achieving their goals. Moreover, the company emphasizes effective and meaningful communication, leaning in to understand customer needs. “We try to speak our customers’ languages. We really learn what’s important to them,” Klaasen adds.

Navigating customers ranging from small businesses to large corporate enterprises makes FOAMit the ideal partner. Understanding customers’ operational systems as well as cultures gives the team a fundamental understanding of how to serve them in a way that enhances overall operations. Naturally, this approach extends to supporting clients through difficult situations and to expanding its capabilities when customers need their machines to do more. By embracing these conversations, FOAMit is allowing its customers’ applications and work environments to guide its evolution.

This is a multi-generational company under second-generation leadership, and the third generation has already taken up its position. Founded in a garage, the company grew from small beginnings into a flourishing business, outgrowing four buildings in its time. Today, the company’s founder still maintains a garage at its current facility to continue innovating and creating.

FOAMit’s mission of ‘making it better’ reaches beyond supplying top-notch chemical equipment and service. The team contributes to charitable causes like organizations providing children with meals, helping those working with children in foster care, and many others. It also contributes to Habitat for Humanity and local community clean-up drives. FOAMit is also an active participant in the Free Wheelchair Mission, an organization driven to give physically and economically vulnerable people around the world desperately needed access to wheelchairs that may not otherwise have been available to them.

Ensuring that it remains relevant, the company implemented an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system four years ago that has led to expanding lean manufacturing protocols and improving efficiency and output. Against this backdrop, designing and developing products with the ideal value, ease, and cost of ownership in mind means gaining more customers while making life and business easier for end users. “We are focused on growth,” says Klaasen about the firm’s plans to continue expanding its market share.

The post Making It Better<p class="company">FOAMit</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Working with VTR Feeder Solutions means gaining a business partner for life. Collaborating with clients throughout the lifespan of their equipment—which can last over three decades in some cases—the company’s goal is to ensure that customers enjoy the same level of machine performance on the last day of operation as they did on the first day. In this way, VTR has earned a reputation as a customization expert known for fine craftsmanship. The result is long-lasting relationships and seamless customer operations.

“We really don’t have any true competitors in North America. We invest a lot of money in research and development,” says Sales and Marketing Manager, Ana Karenina. As part of the company’s commitment to excellence, all equipment undergoes extensive testing. High-risk equipment, in particular, receives a minimum of eight hours of testing and debug per unit, often exceeding OEM standards. Afterward, an eight-hour run is performed before clients arrive on site, and another eight-hour run is conducted with clients onsite where clients sign acceptance documents, followed by a short documentation run just before shipping and turnkey installation of standalone units.

The result is a strong demand for the company’s high-precision products and expertise. In turn, VTR only introduces about two new clients each year to ensure it maintains its gold standard. Using SolidWorks software for design and machining, the company takes pride in fabricating components that are 100 percent identical to the prototype and previous system.

Founded in 1995 by President Tom Davies, VTR Feeder Solutions grew from a one-man operation into a thriving firm “by hiring people smarter than myself,” Davies notes. “We always hired people who were highly skilled and at the top of their game in their respective fields. That’s what caused the company to grow,” he continues, emphasizing the importance of hiring people who care about their work and their colleagues.

With guidance from his mentor, Klaus Woerner, Davies learned that reliability in feeder system repeatability and performance would be the key to the company’s success. This drive for continuous improvement has been the cornerstone of VTR’s legacy.

Over the years, this commitment to improvement has led to significant expansion. From machined bowls and linear feeders to flexible feeding systems, VTR evolved from an artisanal fabrication shop to a fully engineering-based operation, with CAD-generated accuracy underpinning all of its designs. The company has outgrown three facilities, and its fourth, the largest to date, continues this trend.

With substantial capital investments in research and development, the company is confident its feeder systems will continue to meet modern market demands. Additionally, VTR is improving preventative maintenance performance through advanced drive-unit monitoring technology. This innovation will enable customers to replace springs and coils before they fail, preventing unnecessary downtime in customer operations. “Downtime costs money, and we don’t want our customers losing any profits,” says Karenina.

Today, VTR’s mission embraces modern technology, providing parts security to partners in industries where preventative maintenance and high-stakes uptime are essential. The company continues to supply clients with trustworthy parts on short notice, which can be installed by almost anyone with basic tools and an understanding of the machines.

“Tom has always said that… the products customers receive are going to work together for life. We get it on our shop floor for 25 to 50 weeks; they get it on their shop floor for 25 to 50 years,” says Jim Hills, Chief Executive Officer. “And we work with them all the way through.” VTR’s range of feeders—from single- to multi-lane and flexi feeders—simplifies integration for automated equipment builders. Additionally, the company offers robot and vision programming to further streamline the integration process.

Primarily serving the medical industry, VTR’s approach alleviates the pressure of flying specialist technicians to client facilities, where they would work against time to minimize downtime. It also ensures a cleaner repair and replacement process, as VTR leverages simplified sophistication in all its designs. “Now, they can just use a screwdriver, unbolt a couple of fasteners, pop in the new piece, and fire it up without any retuning or fine alignment requirements,” Karenina explains, noting that the company takes great pride in its repeat business.

While its feeders are designed to be easily serviced in the field, VTR still offers an extra layer of security with a field team available 24/7. This ensures its customers can run their operations three shifts a day, both in North America and abroad. The team has been known to dispatch service technicians to client sites as early as 2 a.m.

VTR employs industry professionals who understand how to transform their collective expertise into premium products. As a result, the company’s culture is as human-oriented as its technologies are systems-oriented. “Our culture is to enhance life. That’s our mission,” says Hills, emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive environment for both staff and customers. “We pride ourselves on the people who are here. Without the people who run it, we’re nothing.”

The company’s care for its people is more than just words. VTR actively supports industry-related continued education, and staff are typically reimbursed for courses. The team is close-knit, with a family atmosphere that extends beyond work. Staff often become good friends both on and off the job, helping each other out at work and in life. Whether facing an engineering challenge or a flat tire, the team pulls together to solve the problem.

Hills shares that most employees have stories of how VTR stepped in to support them during times of personal crisis. “There are 86 people in this company, and aside from those who have worked here only about six months, everyone has a story of how VTR has been there for them… and supported them.” Although not a family business, the company’s culture revolves around a family ethos. “It’s an incredible place to work,” he adds.

Looking to remain at the forefront of the industry, VTR continues to invest heavily in new feeder technologies. The company is also expanding its capacity to handle the growing volume of work passing through its facility. Linear feeding systems currently represent the largest portion of its work, and this line is expected to grow further in the coming years.

Additionally, VTR is expanding its machining and design capabilities. A small subsidiary in Florida continues to grow its machining and assembly capabilities for small cell feeding systems. Back in Ontario, VTR is expanding its service and sales divisions, along with machining capabilities such as routing plastics, laser cutting, and more. “We’re starting to do some outside manufacturing for people as we grow the business,” says Davies.

Looking ahead, the company’s 2026 projects will stimulate further growth through a return to small feeding cells in Canada and the U.S., bringing the total number of income sources to three, alongside supplying large medical fabricators and private clients. By continuously helping customers scale their operations while minimizing risks and maintaining quality, VTR Feeder Solutions is poised for a bright future. “We are committed to our customers for the life cycle of the products [and beyond],” confirms Hills.

The post Visionary to the Core<p class="company">VTR Feeder Solutions</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.