After a busy day at work, fixing a meal may be an after
thought. But you do have options: Takeout. Pop a prepared meal
in the microwave. Or if you enjoy cooking, prepare a nice
meal. But it takes time. Now multiply that by thousands. That
is the responsibility of Mary Asplund, Nutrition Services
Director for the Federal Way School District in Washington
State.
In
preparation for the construction of the new Federal Way School
District Food Service Center, in Washington State, planned for
2013, Mary visited the Elk Grove School district near
Sacramento, California. After an enthusiastic endorsement of
Hinds-Bock's
equipment and its benefits, Mary decided to do her own
homework. Since then, she has been working closely with
Hinds-Bock and touts the benefits of Hinds-Bock depositing
equipment at the Federal Way School District.
Q:
Tell us
about the Federal Way School District and where you prepare your
meals?
A:
Mary
Asplund: The Federal Way School District (FWSD) is
comprised of thirty-six K-12 schools, 23 of which are Elementary
Schools. There are approximately 24,000 students and 3,800 staff
members (including substitutes). We are the eighth largest in
the state of Washington, but relatively small when compared to
some schools in California (the ten largest school districts
in California total 51,000 to 740,000, totaling 1.4 million
students). We prepare all of our meals and snacks in our
centrally located kitchen.
Q:
How many
meals does the School District prepare daily? Logistically how
do you coordinate feeding a whole school district?
A:
M A:
Our day begins at 4:30am. We prepare over 16,000 meals per day
as well as breakfast and snacks. Our staff includes 50 full
time employees with a total of 180 during peak hours. We have
five drivers that deliver these meals and snacks to our 36
schools.
Q:
When did you
first envision using Hinds-Bock equipment?
A:
M A:
"I
never envisioned Hinds-Bock. I had no idea who they were."
In preparation for the construction of our new kitchen planned
for 2013, I took a trip to the Elk Grove School district near
Sacramento, California.
They have
62,000 students in 64 schools. As I toured their facility, the
Director made a point of referred to
|
|
their Hinds-Bock equipment as
"Their
Powerhouse"
and emphasized how
"Extremely
Reliable"
they were. On my return, I did my homework, then contacted
Hinds-Bock.
Q:
What kind of
features where you looking for?
A:
M A:
Fully automated. A known company. Reliable equipment. Durable.
Reasonable cost points. Service. It was great! The equipment
operated perfectly the first day,
"Instantly".
Q:
What
Hinds-Bock equipment does the School District use?
A:
MA:
We use two Hinds-Bock models. The
SP-64 Single piston filler and the 2P-64 Twin piston filler. We
have several single- and dual-lane tray lines that are
stationary. The trays travel down the different conveyors single
file or two across. The Hinds-Bock fillers are on wheels which
allows us to rolls the machines in and out on each line as needed.
The trays are automatically sealed at the end of the line. We can
produce 170 units per minute, over 10,000 per hour.
Q:
What kinds of food do you prepare with Hinds-Bock's equipment?
How is their equipment used?
A:
MA:
Anything and everything that is flowable. Fruit, mashed
potatoes, gravies, sauces, puddings, cake batter. One example
is fruit cups. We purchase large containers of fruit. Juice
inhibited the old
"by
hand"
process, so first we had to drain and dispose of the juice. It
was a waste. We had three operators performing this task. Our
concerns were many. Waste. Repetitive motion injuries.
Accuracy. Sometimes scooping to much, sometimes to little.
"We
did not want to short-change the children."
With Hinds-Bock it is accurate and portions are
"perfect
every time".
Where it took three operators it now takes only one, and it
takes less time. There=s
no waste. Because there is no scooping, we have cut way back on
repetitive motion injuries. We also customized our production
process. We found we could start with apple sauce, then apple
sliced, then pear slices. Not having to thoroughly clean after
each process, saved time without sacrificing cleanliness.
Q:
How else has Hinds-Bock's equipment benefitted the Federal Way
School District?
A:
MA:
"Cost savings... one of the best in years. The savings have been immense.
It paid for itself in three months."
This allowed us to offer more options, improved meals, without
sacrificing quality or increasing our budget. Knowing we are able to
produce these meals without waste or shorting some students. Meals
are always consistent. Production is quick. The staff has also
benefitted. Decreased injuries. They have also stepped up to
plate, or tray, desiring to learn how to operate the equipment. It's
a win-win for everyone. Overall, I give Hinds-Bock an A+.
|
