Challenge:

Barilla America, Inc., the U.S. based division of The Barilla Group, Italy’s largest food producer, was launched in 1996. Just three years later, Barilla became the number one brand of pasta in the United States (and today produces the fastest-growing pasta and sauce brands in their categories). To achieve this milestone in such a short time is a testament to Barilla’s history of 130 years of excellence in food production, brand-building, product quality, and global consistency.

Barilla wanted a logistics partner when they set up their first North American manufacturing plant in Ames, Iowa. The single operation would serve as the Midwest Distribution Center and act as the national replenishment center for Barilla. That partner would be involved in the warehouse design and layout of a single 180,000 square foot warehouse attached to the production plant. With this start-up, their partner would need to provide the systems and personnel, assist in obtaining equipment and setting up the warehouse, and offer initial load consolidation and freight management until Barilla’s own systems were firmly established in North America. In addition, Barilla required ongoing packaging services.

Solutions:

When Jacobson Companies moved into the new Barilla warehouse in Ames, Iowa, construction was still being completed. The racking was not yet in and the Jacobson team worked within the Barilla production plant moving product directly from packaging onto the warehouse floor. Once the 24,000 racked positions became available, the process continued directly from packaging to racking. Early warehousing was completed with best practices using a paper tracking system. Operations migrated seamlessly to an RF device tracking system shortly after operations began.

Jacobson provided the transportation management support initially required for Barilla to begin North America operations, and continued to support that effort until Barilla transportation was stable in North America.

For this customer, Jacobson Companies was challenged to deliver both packaging and warehousing services; since signing on with Barilla America, Jacobson has risen to this challenge and exceeded Barilla’s expectations in both capacities.

Jacobson Packaging provides secondary packaging for Barilla. At the Des Moines, Iowa location, specialized customer packaging for store displays and club packaging such as multi-packs with assorted products is provided. Full service packaging options include package and pallet design, materials sourcing, and labor for all secondary packaging efforts. Specialized processes are handled on a regular basis, including: implementing nonstandard, customer-specific BOLs, special labeling, kitting, and building custom retail pallets and customized mixed pallet loads.

Additionally, Jacobson Companies has inventory specialists that manage all cycle counting and on-hold product during the Barilla QA testing, and release product for shipment after QA approval. EDI technology and RF devices track all bar-coded product movement from the production line to shipment. Jacobson also handles the CHEP pallet program and re-palletizes to whitewood for food service customers.

Jacobson Warehouse provides management and labor for a 24/7 operation, including warehousing, return goods, and inbound/outbound scheduling of freight, supporting Barilla’s transportation management system. This business operates on an AIB certified food grade warehouse, registered with the FDA, providing record keeping, weekly inspection reports and full traceability on the inventory to the Barilla Logistics Department in Illinois.

How Barilla America benefits from working with Jacobson Companies:

• Greater transparency of product movement through EDI and RF technology
• Through dialog and collaborative efforts, Jacobson has reduced the cost per unit every year.
• Strong working partnership built on trust
• Bundled services resulting in corrugate savings
• Seamless-Solutions Business