“These significant investments will position us well and provide the necessary flexibility to serve our customers and consumers,” said Angie Goldberg, chief growth officer at Ardent Mills.
To meet customer’s needs on the East Coast and nationwide, Ardent Mills added a retail packer to the company’s existing operations in Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania, which has been fully operational since July 1. The Mt. Pocono Mill is currently producing small pack options such as 2-, 5- and 10-lb bags of flour.
Ardent Mills also ordered three retail packers, one new line that will be implemented and fully functional by September 2020, and two retail packers that will upgrade existing lines by early 2021.
Responding to the rising demand for flour and baking ingredients fueled by increased interest in at-home baking during the pandemic, Ardent Mills created a new team of employees dedicated to its growing retail business.
So far, the retail team has added new warehouses for several of the company's retail mills across North America to ensure supply continuity and timeliness of shipments to retailers.
“These investments allow Ardent Mills to increase and streamline retail flour packaging capabilities, and continue to operate at an exceptional rate to safely serve retail demand, wherever it is needed,” said the company.