The Austin Company Converts Ice Cream Plant into Par-Baked Goods Facility for Portuguese Baking Company
People walking along Amboy Avenue in Woodbridge, New Jersey, may be wondering why the scent of fresh-baked goods is coming from an old Haagen-Daz ice cream plant. The 113,000-square-foot plant was recently converted into a baking facility for The Portuguese Baking Company LLP. The Austin Company, one of the nation's leading design-build firms, provided design, engineering and construction services for this $10 million project.
Design and engineering for the renovation project was managed out of The Austin Company's Northeast Region office in Cleveland, Ohio.
The project began in February 2000 when The Portuguese Baking Company determined it was quickly outgrowing its production facility in Newark. "We were operating at capacity on a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week cycle and needed a fast solution. We needed to add new baking lines to meet the growing demand for our par-baked breads," said Manuel Teixeira, owner of the company.
The Austin Company performed a study to evaluate the existing facility and the possibility of adding a new floor above the production area. After determining an expansion was not economically feasible, The Portuguese Baking Company decided to purchase the recently closed down Haagan-Daz plant. "The existing facility included a 60-foot high-bay freezer and blast-cooling tunnels. Incorporating these features into the new operations reduced the amount of capital-intensive equipment required," said Barry Rogers, project manager at The Austin Company. "The facility's layout required significant modifications to accommodate immediate and future line additions, which will be installed as The Portuguese Baking Company's business grows," Rogers said.
The renovation began in April 2000 and included major structural work. "We knocked down three bearing walls and removed 13 building columns. The baking lines were installed within inches of remaining columns that provide major support to the building," said Rogers. The facility also required a major upgrade to the fire protection system in the high-bay freezer and throughout the rest of the building.
The Portuguese Baking Company uses the facility to produce its Teixeira's brand of par-baked breads and rolls, popular on the East Coast. Par-baked goods are gaining popularity throughout the supermarket and foodservice industries. They offer a convenient heat-and-serve alternative to frozen dough and have a six-month shelf life.
The first batch of Teixeira's bread rolled off production lines in November 2000. The Portuguese Baking Company celebrated their grand opening in June 2001.
About The Austin Company
The Austin Company provides planning, design, engineering and construction services to industrial, commercial and governmental clients. In addition to the food and beverage industry, The Austin Company specializes in strategic core markets, including aerospace and defense; air transportation; broadcasting and entertainment; chemical and pharmaceutical; manufacturing and logistics; and newspaper publishing. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, where it was founded in 1878, The Austin Company operates through offices in major U.S. cities and London. The Austin Company also has associated companies in Australia and the Netherlands.
About The Portuguese Baking Company
The Portuguese Baking Company LLP is a specialty bakery headquartered in Newark. The company distributes its line of secret-recipe Portuguese bread, rolls and pastries throughout New Jersey, Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, southern New York, New York City, and through a retail facility at the Newark bakery. The company has production facilities in Newark and Woodbridge, New Jersey, and in Pennsylvania.