Contract food processor adds second HPP line

The company reports that the installation is happening months earlier than it had intended. Sales growth exceeded expectations; the firm it hit volume targets more than a year ahead of its original plans.

Rapid growth​

Stay Fresh Foods, a contract processor, is the exclusive Certified Tolling Partner in the Northeastern US for Avure Technologies Inc. The company was founded in 2012, began HPP operations in February of this year and took just four months to both triple its customer base and increase its weekly plant output to 75% of capacity.

According to projections, the company stood to reach near capacity in August, just as meat and sausage production increases for the picnicking season. The company reports it also is doing booming business with fresh juice products, with orders coming from a diverse group of processors meeting increased demand from their own customers.

According to Stay Fresh Foods managing director Amy Lawless, the rapid growth necessitated getting the new HPP line in place in September, well ahead of its original aim.

“We did not expect to be at this point until late summer 2014, so we are very excited about responding to the brisk pace of the market​,” she said. After the  arrival of its second Avure 350L system the operation will be running 14 shifts weekly on each line.

HPP growth​

Lawless said the reason an increasing number of food processing operations are turning to HPP is an increased interest in extending shelf life and boosting food safety. Key to keeping up with competition and exacting customers, she said, is flexibility.

“We are food industry veterans ourselves, so we understand what it takes​,” she said. “Processors have schedule changes and delays. As a service-oriented company, we have to flex to accommodate these changes​.”

In addition to building capacity at Stay Fresh Foods, adding the second line also builds redundancy and reliability. Principal Joe Ragozzino said the new system speaks clearly of the firm’s commitment to customer service.

“When a company’s business is based on HPP, they are fully reliant on us and our service​,” he said. “We want to assure them that our operation will now be based on two Avure systems​.”

Lawless added that a close partnership with the Avure staff has helped with training, maintenance, and customer relationships. The company reports the increase in capacity also will come with a doubling of the firm’s workforce.