JBT Corporation

The food and beverage industry has long perceived baking as an artistic craft as well as a science of precision. Be it cookies, cake, bread, or pie, the passionate pursuit for baking such mouth-watering treats has reached newer heights today. In order to keep pace with the rising demand for baked products from increasingly affluent, quality-conscious consumers, bakers worldwide are turning more and more to science and technology to rev up their baking prowess. While the bakery sector is expanding and diversifying like never before, bakery processors are striving to present their products in the freshest, most visually-appealing condition possible. This is where John Bean Technologies Corporation (JBT) is moving the needle by helping bakery processors increase throughput and profit as well as improve presentation, processing hygiene, and flexibility in production. Highly specialized in offering reliable proofing, chilling, freezing, and baking solutions, JBT has been providing the bakery sector with high product yields, maximum throughput, and premium product quality for 40 years.

JBT is a leading global technology solutions provider and a valued partner to high-value segments of the food processing and air transportation industries. From designing, manufacturing to testing and servicing technologically sophisticated systems and products, the company does it all. With its four-pronged strategy—Elevate: accelerate new product development, grow recurring revenue, execute impact initiatives, and advance disciplined acquisition program—the company builds on the strong foundation created by its next level initiative.

The century-long history of JBT’s breakthrough innovation dates back to the 1880s when John Bean, then an orchard owner and inventor, invented a continuous spray pump to battle scale infestation in his almond orchards. In the 1900s, his son-in-law incorporated the Bean Spray Pump Company and began large-scale manufacturing. Later in the 1920s, Bean and Anderson-Barngrover merged to form the largest food machinery manufacturing company in the world, renamed as Food Machinery Corporation (FMC). In the 1950s, FMC developed the world’s first commercial conveyorized breading machine, and JBT was founded in the 2000s.

Over the years, the company’s innovative solutions have helped create industries, and its tradition of invention continues to contribute to customer success. Today, the company is a top provider in nearly every market in which it serves, with strong relationships that begin with the best equipment and technologies available anywhere.

Equipping Industrial Baking with Versatility

JBT has long recognized that food processors often strive to achieve product differentiation. This implies that only a cooking process that meets the required product criteria can be the answer. By understanding that the best cooking results are realized when the characteristics of the end product are objectively quantified, the company delivers tremendous value to commercial bakers worldwide with its breadth of cooking solutions. With a thorough analysis of the end product for better defining the raw materials, equipment, operating parameters, and the proper sequence of the production methodologies and processes, the company’s broadest portfolio of industrial cooking equipment offers the know-how to fine-tune cooking or baking processes virtually.

JBT FoodTech™, offering the world’s leading freezing and chilling solutions under the brand name Frigoscandia—a pioneer in industry freezing, processes food products ranging from meat, seafood to poultry and bakery products. JBT has innovated spiral freezing. Formerly named the Northfield SuperTrak Structure Supported Freezer, the CleanFREEZE freezer is the advanced innovation in the high volume freezing, chilling, and cooling of broad varieties of both packaged and individual quick freeze (IQF) food products. The latest rollout of the spiral freezer is designed with externally mounted fan motors and stairs rather than ladders to deliver speed, efficiency, and reliability as well as facilitate easier and safer maintenance. This innovative product optimizes uptime with cold-to-cold turnaround time of four hours and reduces installation time by up to 30 percent relative to previous models.

On the other hand, JBT’s patented C.A.T. Automated Clean-in-Place (CIP) Technology offers a newer, safer and more consistent and effective way to clean any of the company’s chiller. As just one employee is required to run the product, users can significantly cut labor costs, improve safety, and achieve increased efficiency.

At the Forefront of Innovation

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, food processing companies are looking for various ways to continue to serve their customers. JBT supports such efforts through its food technology centers (FTC) situated all across the world. In association with a facility in Helsingborg, Sweden, the company’s FTC in Livingston, Scotland, has paved the path to new innovations in remote testing that, in turn, helps food processors to improve their products as per customer specifications at a safe distance. By innovating remote testing and developing viable solutions, the FTC empowers users with ways to carry out testing of the JBT’s food processing equipment with effective, real-time monitoring. The facility covers the full process right from coating, through frying and cooking to freezing, thereby forming an essential part of JBT’s work with customers. “While the specter of the global pandemic continues to create uncertainty entering 2021—particularly as it relates to supply chain constraints and inflationary pressures—the quality of our sales funnel and conversion rates is encouraging," says Brian A. Deck, President and CEO of JBT.

As a pioneer in contact cooking, JBT Formcook—the innovative method for sealing moisture into protein products— employs Teflon belts that can improve both yield and flavor. From becoming the first oven manufacturer to introducing a moving Teflon belt for cooking, the Formcook’s concept is principally used to set the surface of protein products such as chicken fillets to prevent moisture or yield loss when they move on to the main oven. After the contact cooking, a chicken fillet is run into an oven, and it will not stick to the surface. As both the top and bottom surfaces are closed, the users tend to achieve a higher yield than normal.

Amidst a challenging operating environment over the past year, JBT’s team has relentlessly delivered for its customers. Envisioning a bright future, JBT looks forward to building on its strong momentum. Steering ahead, JBT continues to focus on delivering exceptional products and services to customers and sustainable value creation for its shareholders. “Our disciplined approach to margin expansion, product innovation and M&A serve as a strong foundation as we continue our evolution from an equipment supplier to a solutions partner,” notes Deck.