AB Mauri upgrades St. Louis headquarters with tech center and baking lab
AB Mauri moved into this St. Louis facility in January 2014; the expansion added 10k square feet to its footprint. As part of the renovations, the yeast strain and non-yeast development center gained office, meeting and research spaces, according to the company. The bakingHUB also benefited.
The brand-new Fleischmann's Technology Center, named after the renowned yeast brand, boasts a 40-seat theater equipped for indepth training sessions, product demonstrations and live-streamed events.
"These upgrades will allow AB Mauri to continue to provide outstanding customer service while accelerating and expanding our research and development efforts," Rick Oleshak, VP of marketing, told BakeryandSnacks.
"The renovations were a result of several things: expanded business opportunities with current and new customers, the need to further advance our technical baking and fermentation facilities, and the desire to meet the requirements of our growing staff.
Added Mark Prendergast, president of AB Mauri North America, “This multimillion-dollar expansion underscores our commitment to the industrial baking industry in North America. It allows us the opportunity to boost both the scale and functionality of our current technical baking and fermentation facilities, so we can accelerate our research and development.”
According to the company, its bakingHUB provides the ‘expertise and tools to accelerate innovation delivery across the entire bakery product range.’
“At AB Mauri, we are ‘Passionate About Baking,’ and it is our intention to remain at the forefront of ingredient technology for industrial bakers in the United States and Canada,” said Prendergast.
“Our people and the capabilities of both the Fleischmann’s Technology Center and unique bakingHUB will help us to ensure we do just that.”
In addition to Fleischmann’s yeasts, AB Mauri produces an extensive bakery line that includes dough conditioners, mold inhibitors, leaveners, vinegars, malts and syrups.
The North American arm of the business was formed in 2004, after Associated British Foods acquired Burn’s Philp – the Fleischmann’s owner since 1986. It runs four US production facilities (Iowa, Tennessee, Texas and Oregon) and two in Canada – covering the east from Montreal and the west from Calgary.
Worldwide, AB Mauri operates more than 50 facilities in 32 countries.
Fleischmann's Facts
- In 1868, Charles and Max Fleischmann partnered with James Gaff, an American businessman, to develop a compressed yeast cake that 'revolutionized' commercial and home-baking. They set up shop in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- After showing off their product at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876, Fleischmann's Yeast became a household name.
- The duo likely created the first Active Dry Yeast, which did not require refrigeration, in their research facility in Westchester County, New York.
- Then, in 1984, Fleischmann's unveiled its RapidRise yeast, yielding a 50% faster rise.
