What chocolate-maker Laura Secord learned about factory expansion and long-term vision
It’s a problem most businesses would probably love to have: the orders are pouring in, and the factory is operating at full capacity. But for Laura Secord and their chocolate-making facility in Quebec City, success had hit a ceiling. Demand and production had reached a stalemate. Action was required.
“We were basically filled out,” recalled Laura Secord’s director of innovation Jean-Philippe Leclerc of the situation. “We were working 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We were tied up and couldn’t get new clients.”
The decision was made, then, to adapt and expand the facility. In that process, natural gas was to play a crucial part.
“It looked simple at first, but when you get into the matter, you do get surprises, with the new equipment itself, but with the building, too,” Leclerc said. “We needed to increase our electrical entrance, and increase our ability to make cold water. That meant increasing our cooling capacity, which meant we had to make an extension to the building in which we put some new compressors. And in Quebec, any new construction is quite complex — city permits are complicated and take time.”
As might be imagined, the overhauling of a pre-existing, fully functioning facility brought challenges, some of them quite literally structural, and not all of them foreseen.
“We had to make sure the floor is strong enough (for the new machinery), and that the ceiling is strong enough to hold the new piping,” said Leclerc. “Those are the kind of challenges that can pop up. But you know, you see a problem, you find a solution, and you get it done.”
Remarkably, Laura Secord’s transition happened with little or no disruption to everyday operations. They weren’t in a position to shut things down; they had to keep working and adapt on the fly.
“We’re quite proud of that,” Leclerc affirmed. “It was challenging for everybody, but we did it. We had to install temporary walls to separate the production area from the construction area. The workers had their workspace a little disturbed, but they adjusted.”
Where companies in a similar position might have considered a wholesale change of location — a new building or even a different part of the province or country — Laura Secord were determined to stay put, for a number of reasons.
“First, we live here, so wanted to stay here,” Leclerc said. “And in Quebec, electricity is affordable. It’s cold outside, so with the new addition we’re going to be able to do some free cooling, which will prove quite efficient. We’re close to Montreal, where we get our goods from the port. It’s the perfect location for us.”
Energy, naturally, was a primary concern with the new changes. The breakdown of the factory’s usage is seventy percent electricity, twenty percent gas, and ten percent biomass; in all three cases, the use will be more efficient than before. The relatively small percentage gas does not mean it is not important — indeed, with its benefits in heating, it is essential beyond the already important part it plays in the factory’s chocolate-making process.
“When I say biomass, I mean we burn our own production residue,” Leclerc said. “Cocoa beans (central to the making of chocolate) have shells; we burn those shells and make steam with it. We also boil water to make steam, and with that steam, we heat the building. We also power the torrefaction of our beans. The bean needs to be cleaned, de-bacterized and roasted, and the roasting process takes a tremendous amount of steam. That’s what the gas is mostly used for — in the steaming and cleaning of the beans, and as backup when the biomass is not enough. So we’re always using at least some gas at every stage. It’s not a huge percentage (of overall use), but it’s enough that using it efficiently definitely makes a difference.”
Does Leclerc have any advice he could offer to other companies, whether smaller or bigger, who might be pondering a similar change?
“Do it yourself,” he said without hesitation. “Manage your project internally. It may be more trouble and more work in some ways, but it means you can have things done exactly as you want. When you outsource everything, people end up taking decisions for you, and that can lead to unforeseen problems in the long term. It’s also way less expensive to stay in-house.”
Leclerc also stressed the importance of taking the long view.
“I think people sometimes make the mistake of thinking short-term,” he said. “But pay a little bit more at the start, and you end up saving on electricity and other energy several times what you originally spent. So yes, it’s going to be a little more expensive than if you turn the corner quickly, but the long-term benefits are huge.”