E18 - Shawn Wooleyhand - Gold Crust Baking Company

Baking In The 21st Century with Shawn Wooleyhand from Gold Crust Baking Company

Episode 18: Show Notes

When asked about the baking industry, most people imagine large men in white hats kneading dough to be transferred to an oven. The reality is very different! Join us today to find out how, as we talk to Shawn Wooleyhand, COO of Gold Crust Baking Company, a fully green, family-owned bakery that’s been going for over a decade. We dive into the discussion with a breakdown of the products that Gold Crust Baking Company produces, and the biggest challenges facing the baking industry at the moment. Shawn gives some great advice for anyone wanting to become a leader in manufacturing, and shares a helpful reminder that while learning from books is good, talking to old-timers may be better! We also hear how the Russia-Ukraine conflict has negatively affected the baking industry, and the supply-chain challenges Shawn is dealing with. Shawn breaks down how Gold Crust Baking Company has managed to go green, and where the future of baking and bread is headed. Find out what the average day in the life of a Gold Crust Baking Company employee consists of, the processes, software, and equipment they use, how Shawn has managed to retain his employees, and so much more, in this engaging episode. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcome to Shawn Wooleyhand, COO of Gold Crust Baking Company. 
• Who Gold Crust Baking Company is, their pride in being green, and what they produce.
• The biggest challenge baking companies, in general, are facing: bringing in the youth. 
• Shawn’s advice to people wanting to become leaders in manufacturing. 
• Why books aren’t the only helpful resource. 
• Coping with supply chain issues and how the situation between Russia and Ukraine is affecting the baking industry. 
• The lessons Shawn has learned over his career. 
• A typical day in the life of a Gold Crust Baking Company employee. 
• The processes, software, and equipment that Gold Crust Baking Company uses. 
• Where Shawn sees the future of bread going: up!
• The size of Gold Crust Baking Company’s ovens!
• Why the chewy crust that Gold Crust Baking Company produces is different from other companies. 
• The biggest challenge Shawn faces regarding machinery, and the baking myth he wants to debunk. 
• How Gold Crust Baking Company maintains a 100% green facility. 
• The impact of technology and AI on the baking process. 
• Why Shawn believes managing people is the most important skill, and where you can contact him. 
• Other supply chain issues that Gold Crust Baking Company is facing: packaging materials.
• How to retain employees by valuing them. 

Tweetables:

“One of the biggest myths is that in baking, we’re just a bunch of big guys with big hats, and smiling and kneading dough on the bench. But it’s a manufacturing facility, it’s an assembly line and it’s not meant for everybody.” — Shawn Wooleyhand [0:03:45]

“One of the best resources are the old-timers that I discussed, people that went through this before I did and before the people that are coming in did. They've done it. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. It's flour, water, salt, yeast and then you add in the extras.” — Shawn Wooleyhand [0:04:56]

“One thing about bread is that it's almost recession-proof. People need their bread, they want to make their sandwiches, they want to grill the hotdogs and hamburgers.” — Shawn Wooleyhand [0:08:59]

"I think everybody needs to treat their employees correctly. Value them every day. Throwing money at them is a temporary solution." — Shawn Wooleyhand [0:17:35]