When Sweet Sam’s learned their new business was starting up in 60 days, they needed equipment fast. But they wanted equipment that would handle their range of SKUs, be easy to clean and operate, grow with them, and not leave them cash-strapped. The Hayssen R300 was the solution on all counts.

Sweet Sam’s Needed a Partner that Moved as Fast as They Do

Sweet Sam’s Baking Company has been on an accelerated growth path since founders Lyn and Dave Grogan started in their apartment kitchen in the Bronx with an iced lemon pound cake recipe. Lyn developed and tested recipes, while Dave looked for used baking racks, mixers, and other equipment.

They opened their first commercial space in the late 1980s in a 4,000-square-foot former embroidery shop. Using high-quality fresh ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, Sweet Sam’s offerings expanded to include cookies, dessert bars, muffins, croissants, coffee cakes, cupcakes, whoopie pies, and scones.

Last year they expanded for the third time, now into an 80,000-square-foot modern baking facility. However, they had just 60 days' notice that they would be starting up in the new building. They needed equipment that would be delivered fast, with the ability to handle many SKUs.

“We’d ordered the R300 at the same time as another unit. The other unit arrived 8 weeks late and took another 2 months to integrate into our line,” said Sweet Sam’s COO Matt Grogan. “The R300 arrived exactly when they said it would be, with all the recipes already programmed, ready to go. So, the ramp-up occurred without any hiccups.”

Voice of the Customer Innovations are Important

The innovations of the R300, many of which are the result of BW Packaging’s “Voice of the Customer” (VOC) events, have been important to the Sweet Sam’s team. The “Voice of the Customer” interview and observation sessions help BW Packaging identify customer needs and ensure our future enhancements are aligned with real-world operational challenges and business goals. The plexiglass safety cage on the R300 is one example of improvements made based on VOC feedback. Operators can see everything happening in the well-lit tunnel, and the cage is hinged for easy access.

Another innovation is that the Hayssen R300 has the lowest film roll height mandrill in the industry. Changing film is not only faster and easier, but it’s safer since operators don’t have to lift the heavy film roll higher.

The R300 is outfitted with the new OpView HMI, which provides step-by-step instructions in large print and pictographs on how to operate the machine, change recipes, or adjust the forming box. The HMI also slides along the production line, offering an advantage over a traditional flow wrapper, which is fixed, forcing the operator to work around it.

Lease-to-Own Expands Growth Opportunity

An additional opportunity the team at Sweet Sam’s has taken advantage of is BW Packaging’s lease-to-own option. This program enables customers to order equipment specially built to their specific needs and lease it at rates better than renting.

At the end of the lease period, Sweet Sam’s will own the innovative Hayssen R300 Flow Wrapper that provides an adjustable forming box that enables them to produce products in a variety of shapes and sizes, is easy to operate and clean, has tool-free changeovers to keep production levels high, and has the capacity to grow with the business.

“When you're growing rapidly, you need as much capital as possible, raw materials, and the hiring of good people. A short or long-term lease means that we're not locking up our capital,” says Grogan. “We can focus on getting product out the door.”

Personal Touch is Important Too

Starting with the initial on-time delivery, the team at BW Packaging has consistently provided high-value service, as well as value-adding equipment. To ensure that every customer is supported even long after installation, our dedicated teams offer multilingual support and genuine OEM parts to keep equipment running in its original condition. In addition to Field Service experts, our Applications Engineering team checks in with customers.

“Juan (BW Packaging Applications Engineer, Juan Londono) is always checking in when he's in the area,” Grogan says. “He's an excellent communicator. He's really come through with the teams and imparted crucial information on how to operate the machine.” And that, for Sweet Sam’s, is the icing on the pound cake.

Learn more about the Hayssen R300 flow wrapper and how it can help with your production needs on our website.