James Skinner Baking
An inside look at James Skinner Baking, a modern artisan bakery famous for its Danish.
James Skinner Baking Company
The Omaha, NE headquarters of the James Skinner Baking Company—founded in 1983—is located adjacent to its 130,000-sq.-ft. plant housing 3 production lines.
James Skinner Baking Company
Although Skinner Baking maintains a diversified bakery business, its core ethos stems from the notion of 100 layers. Every batch of dough that forms the basis of its core Danish products undergoes a process whereby it’s progressively folded upon itself and sheeted until it has achieved 100 layers.
James Skinner Baking Company
After the Skinner Baking Danish dough has achieved its 100 layers of lamination, it then rests for a full day to proof at a controlled 34°F, slowly building flavor. Only then is it ready to form into the dozens of sweet baked goods the company offers. This Old World approach toward dough is central to the “artisan” positioning of the finished products.
James Skinner Baking Company
Skinner Baking has made a name for itself in via its Gourmet Cinnamon Rolls, made with its 100-layer Danish, cinnamon and brown sugar, and then topped with an icing made with American Neufchâtel cream cheese.
James Skinner Baking Company
One of the Skinner Baking’s most-recent introductions is the J. Skinner Triple Flavor-fest Ring, a ring of pull-apart Danishes that feature cheese, raspberry and apple fillings. Products are shipped frozen, ready to thaw and display for sale in retail in-store bakeries.
James Skinner Baking Company
One current private-label project at Skinner Baking is based on the J. Skinner Triple Flavor-fest Ring, but on a larger scale. The ring includes a dozen cinnamon rolls with cheese, raspberry and apple fillings, arranged in a ring, then topped with a streusel crumble and drizzled with frosting.
James Skinner Baking Company
Some lines at James Skinner Baking have grown highly automated, including those used in the manufacture of these chocolate chip muffins.
James Skinner Baking Company
A pass through the metal detector at the end of the James Skinner Baking muffin line, after packaging, is obligatory. The line for these mini muffins also includes a new robotic arm that de-pans the muffins and drops them onto the conveyor for subsequent sorting and packaging.
James Skinner Baking Company
Skinner Baking has seen strong interest in its “Perfect for Two” line of J. Skinner products, including this Cinnamon Sonata, Danish dough swirled with cinnamon and brown sugar, then topped with pecans, raisins and caramel icing, packaged with a microwave-safe tray.
James Skinner Baking
Even as the branded side of Skinner Baking’s business has grown, co-manufacturing and private label remain part of the company’s strategy. And leadership from the company has indicated that it has eyes on expanding its business overseas.
“One notable upside to strong volume growth and consistent SKU mix is the ability to invest in targeted automation,” said David Skinner, marketing manager for the bakery, during a visit with Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery. “We completed the largest automation project in company history in 2014, and we will continue to drive an aggressive automation plan through 2015. We have a strong continuous improvement team that, by structure, identifies and executes projects across the year, which allows us to offer a premium product in a very reasonable pricing structure.”
To read the complete feature on the James Skinner Baking Company, see “The J. Skinner difference.”