Production Up / Defects Down for Schwartz Brothers Bakery

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins, white-chocolate raspberry mouse, cherry crostata and triple-chocolate velvet cake are but a few of the signature, fresh-baked delicacies that Seattle’s Schwartz Brothers Bakery has been cooking up for consumers over the past 33 years. Schwartz Brothers is not only an established icon in metro-Seattle, its confectionery influence is felt throughout the entire Pacific Northwest where it services approximately 500 locations including restaurants, hotels, schools, department stores, food service operators, and military installations. Operating from their 35,000 square-foot production facility in Seattle, with an additional 14,000 square-foot satellite facility in Vancouver, Washington, the bakery produces a full line of enticing products including pies, scones, muffins, desserts, cookies, croissants, pastries, breads, rolls and cakes – more than 100,000 items baked from scratch daily.

In the 1990’s, Schwartz Brothers upgraded its product manufacturing equipment to keep up with increasing demand: such as the latest in vertical, spiral, horizontal and reciprocating-arm mixers; a four-piston batter depositor for muffins and breads; a bread and roll machine; automated make-up tables; and rack and utensil washers. But, the original packaging line was not upgraded, and has been increasingly unable to keep up with improvements in production volume...