Manufacturing Spotlight: Baking Company

Baking Company: A Grand Rapids-Based Food Manufacturer

Baking Company, a food manufacturer located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was established as its own entity in 2021 and has carried on the tradition Savory Foods has maintained for the last 25 years. Their work involves contract and private brand manufacturing for cookies, granola bites, and take-and-bake dough. They are currently contracted with a few Michigan-based snack companies and also maintain their own snack brand, Crazy Monkey Baking.

Throughout their facility, there are several production lines working on wire-cut and extruded cookies, as well as molded granola bites, alongside multiple rotating convection ovens. They also individually wrap cookies with a sandwich wrapping machine or pack them into pre-made resealable pouches. Their walk-in freezers are able to hold over 150 pallets housing take-and-bake dough.

Gunther Brinkman Joins Baking Company as CEO

In July 2023, Gunther Brinkman joined Baking Company and hit the ground running. “They were small but ready to grow,” said Brinkman. The workforce is majority long-tenured, with many 20-year employees on the floor. With a longstanding crew, it was easy for Brinkman to step in and ask them to shift gears to align with the strategic growth ahead.

During that time, several new projects were coming in, and employees were eager to grow, even after recently wrapping up an expansion. Brinkman described the reason for their excitement as “a testament to the efficiency and quality with which they work, the products we make, and the way that we service our customers.”

Contract Food Manufacturing Explained

Given the size of Baking Co., they primarily work with smaller and emerging brands. Michigan is home to many of these mid-market companies, with an ideal location in West Michigan, and they are currently working with brands based in Ann Arbor and Detroit. Because of Michigan’s large ecosystem of food manufacturers across the state, Brinkman gets the chance to really get to know brand founders. For those he works with, he says, “We’re able to do the production for them so they can spend their time and energy growing the brand.”

The collaboration between food brands and manufacturers ultimately benefits the state, as products made locally are placed in regional retailers where consumers can see and purchase them. Seeing products they’ve made on store shelves is rewarding for everyone involved, including production, quality, and purchasing teams. “We all feel a connection to those brands we’re helping to grow,” said Brinkman.

Baking Company’s Partnership With The Right Place and MMTC-West

In 2024, Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center–West (MMTC-West) brought in experts to help Baking Co. implement lean manufacturing into their operations and counseled them through the process. More recently, the MMTC team assisted with a digital transformation that involved installing a new ERP system to automate many basic tasks, such as lot tracing.

This task is critical in food manufacturing, particularly for ingredient tracking within products, as it allows companies to quickly identify the source of any issues that may arise, helping to avoid putting consumers at risk.

Baking Company’s Commitment to Employees Upskilling and Workforce Development

With over 60 employees residing in Grand Rapids, Baking Co. brings a strong sense of community to its workforce. Much of their team has been employed with the company for a long time, but what has been especially gratifying for Brinkman is the opportunity to upskill employees.

As the organization grows and brings in more advanced equipment, long-tenured employees are asked to set up, maintain, and operate it. This requires Baking Co. to qualify them as operators similar to para-maintenance workers. The ability to elevate the skills of an existing workforce not only allows equipment to run more efficiently but also supports the growth of the organization as a whole. Employees feel empowered when they gain a sense of ownership and fully understand how the new machinery works.

West Michigan is home to a thriving food manufacturing industry, and businesses across the region are continuing to grow. If you’re interested in learning how MMTC-West can help your organization thrive, reach out to TheCenter@rightplace.org.

View the Baking Company highlight reel here!