Monday, April 03, 2006
By Tim Gwozdz
MiBiz Network

GRAND RAPIDS — Cole’s Quality Foods is shelling out some dough to accommodate rising sales of its new Cole’s Cheesesticks product.

The company just invested $2 million in new equipment at its Muskegon plant on Lakeshore Drive to create an automated cheesestick production line. The placement of the new production line was pre-planned to fit into the Muskegon facility without any renovations or new construction. The specialized equipment includes a custom-made encrusting machine and panning equipment. Efficiencies in both of these areas are crucial to the proprietary process used to make the cheesesticks.

“We were manually handling a lot of the process. This new equipment will triple our existing production, and that’s where were really going to see some tremendous growth,” Cole’s Quality Foods President John Sommazilla told MiBiz.

The production of the cheesesticks has resulted in the hiring of 14 new employees, which Sommazilla said will be retained even though more automation has been added.

Cole’s Cheesesticks are conventional garlic bread sticks stuffed with 100 percent real mozzarella cheese and are considered one of the most innovative new items to hit the breadstick category, remarked Sommazilla. It was developed in-house after research indicated a void in the category.

“We had 50 percent growth between 2004-2005 in our breadstick category and we started searching for some natural line extensions,” Sommazilla said. “Through some internal brainstorming we determined that mozzarella is a great fit. It has a great mouth feel to it. It has some attributes kids like; there’s stretch-ability. It’s a fun food.”

The product went to market last November. The final phase of its national rollout is now taking place. According to Sommazilla, the cheesesticks are a very successful item.

“We’re shipping them as fast as we can make them. From the reorders from our mainline customers, we know we’re getting ‘pull off’ at the shelf.”

Sommazilla added that the strong response to the cheesesticks means that Cole’s is on the money with its strategic vision “to create items that are focused on what the consumer wants.”

Founded in 1943, Cole’s Quality Foods is a privately held company. In 1972, Cole’s invented the first frozen garlic bread in 1972. Today that category generates over $300 million in sales.

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This article appeared in the April 3, 2006 issue of MiBiz, read by upper management executives in West and Southwest Michigan. Print subscriptions are free to qualified individuals who do business in West and Southwest Michigan. For further information about MiBiz Network, visit www.mibiz.com.