Food Show

Just returned from a trip to Portland for the NW Food Manufacturing Show at the Convention Center (for those of you on the East coast, that is Portland, Oregon). This was the first trip for the new Hyundai and it performed as advertised. I was a little disappointed in the gas mileage, but on the way back it hit 24 mpg.
Did some visiting and got educated on new machines and software for the plant. We are looking at bringing everything in house and that will entail adding an ERP solution. I have been searching for something online rather than purchasing software. If anyone knows of a good provider that can bring something similar to salesforce.com to the manufacturing world, please send it on.
Our plans this year are pretty aggressive and it will mean adding some significant pieces of machinery. We are going to move beyond cookies (but please look for some new delights that will hit the shelves in the next few months) and that means a complete revamp of the facility. I can't say just yet what the new additions will be, but rest assured they are something most of you will enjoy.

I spent the first night in Portland with my father who was visiting my younger sister, or so he thought. Just before Christmas my sister and partner drove to Walla Walla (yes people actually live in Walla Walla, Washington) and returned with the parents under the guise of spending Christmas and a few weeks away from the cold weather. Turns out my older sister had arranged for a week respite for the girls in Hawaii, leaving my dad under the watchful eye of Dave.
Now my father has been suffering from a degenerative bone disease for a few years (he is approaching 87) and it has progressed to where it is very painful for him to move around much. I think he has been celiac as he has many of the symptoms, but the doctors in Walla Walla say they have tested him and the results were negative. But for those of you "in the know" doesn't someone who has never been over 140 pounds (at 6 foot tall), had chronic diarrhea, is aenemic, and now has osteoporosis, sound like they are celiac? Sure does to me.
Anyway the trip to Hawaii was a big success and mother came back feeling much better and relaxed.
So after an all night flight from Honolulu to Portland, I bundled the folks up and drove them to Walla Walla. While they were away there was a huge windstorm that took down many branches from their trees, but thanks to great neighbors, when we pulled up it looked like the lawn man had just driven away. Everything was in order and no damage was reported. That is the way this world should work, with neighbor looking after neighbor. I was impressed and grateful.
After returning the next day to Portland (a 4 hour drive) I returned to my sister's and had a wonderful salmon dinner.
The next day I was up early and at the Convention Center for what was billed as a Big Show! Well big is was not. I walked the entire show at least 3 times and talked to a number of companies and still was out the door before 3pm.
I did learn a number of things and got some great information on the expansion we are planning.
It also freed me up for the next day to make some sales calls in the Portland area.
We are in all the Whole Foods, New Seasons and most of the Market of Choice stores in the area, in addition to others. I was encourged to see the product on the shelf in the frozen dessert sections of these fine establishments. Our new packaging is starting to arrive with the Chip Chip Hooray in all stores and it should be followed soon by the other three flavors.
I saw around a dozen stores and was gratified to see not only ours, but a growing number of other gluten free products. Our industry is becoming more mainstream. I like to say that our cookies will stand toe-to-toe with a gluten infested product any day of the week. Our flavor is better and nothing beats a Real Cookie fresh from the oven.
I left Portland and had a beautiful drive back to Anacortes, WA where I spend many nights aboard our sailboat. The wind has been constant this year and I've had too many nights where I have been awakened by the howling of rigging, tossing of the boat, and general melee of a storm to deal with. Lat night was none of that, it was calm, cool and delivered a restful night sleep. I hope to enjoy another of those tonight.
Here at the plant we have been making a lot of peanut butter cookies. Our crew has been making and packing thousands of these little gems for a customer.
I have been looking into ways to do more recycling as we go through a lot of plastic pails (the peanut butter comes in 35 pound tubs) and ran across a company in northern California that may be the answer.
We are pretty keen on doing as much as we can to recycle and be as friendly as possible to our mother earth. BTW if any of you are in the area and are in need of a good plastic pail, don't go to Home Depot and buy one, just drop by and I'll give you as many as you can use.
I am looking forward to a weekend off to get a few projects done around the ranch. My finger is pretty well healed and I should be able to do some of the things I have been avoiding the last few weeks.
Hope your new year is starting off in a banner fashion.
TTYL