On Tuesday, April 11, Middleby Bakery Group will hold the official opening of its new $2.2 million Bakery Innovation Center (BIC) in Plano, Texas.

The 30,000 square foot facility at the company’s headquarters will house several new production lines including a 17-foot-wide tunnel oven and a new Emico high-capacity makeup line, available for customers to test run on the latest Middleby equipment. Two Auto-Bake lines will also be available to produce a variety of bakery products such as pan bread, special buns, baguettes, artisan bread, muffins, cakes and cookies.

Len Kilby, president of global sales, explained that the new facility allows bakers to identify product processing techniques before investing in a new production line. He described the facility as an extended research and development center for bakers around the world.

“This provides the opportunity for more bakers to innovate, which allows them to do more in marketing, product development and other areas to grow their business,” Mr. Kilby said.

The opening ceremony will feature twenty live baking demonstrations utilizing a variety of the latest equipment producing breads, buns, and sweet goods. Guest speakers at the event include Yum Brands President Dave Gibbs, CSM Bakery Solutions President and CEO Marianne Kirkegaard, and other Middleby stakeholders.

For more information on the event, contact Mr. Kilby at Len.Kilby@middlebybakerygroup.com.