East Balt Aix en Provence in 2010
1996-2014
🍔 Buns Across Borders: My Journey with East Balt Europe
In 1996, I embarked on a professional journey with East Balt Europe, a leading supplier of hamburger buns to the quick service restaurant industry. Based near Paris, France, my role centered around spearheading technical projects that were crucial for the company’s expansion and efficiency.
My early responsibilities involved installing new equipment and assisting with the launch of new bakeries across Europe. This took me to places like Turkey in 1997 and Italy in 1999, where I played a key role in starting operations from scratch. Each location presented unique challenges, from logistical hurdles to adapting technology to local requirements.
One of my significant achievements was leading the establishment of a new bakery in Casablanca in 2001, followed by another in Aix-en-Provence in 2010. The Aix-en-Provence project was particularly notable, as it took just 15 weeks from the arrival of the first container to producing the first hamburger bun. This project not only tested my ability to manage tight deadlines but also allowed me to innovate; I installed a pioneering heat recovery system that enabled the bakery to operate without a steam boiler, significantly reducing its carbon footprint and operational costs.
East Balt was acquired by Grupo Bimbo in 2017, the world’s largest industrial bakery group.
2015-2022
From Concept to Crust: My Entrepreneurial Journey with Mountdale
In 2015, I drew on my extensive background at East Balt Europe to start my own company, Mountdale. This shift from a large corporation to my own business in the industrial bakery sector allowed me to expand my focus from hamburger buns to include a wider variety of breads and cakes.
One of the first challenges at Mountdale was troubleshooting a malfunctioning oven, which tested both my technical skills and problem-solving abilities. This experience gave me valuable insights into thermal dynamics, setting the stage for my future venture, StephaneThermalRuns.
During my tenure at Mountdale, I focused on improving our clients' production capabilities, notably through the implementation of 3D quality control vision systems. These systems greatly enhanced product consistency and quality.
As I managed the complexities of entrepreneurship, Mountdale prospered under my leadership. We adopted advanced technologies and broadened our services, strengthening my expertise in the bakery sector and preparing me for ongoing advancements in my career.
2022 to today
Core Heat: Innovating with StephaneThermalRuns
In 2023, leveraging my deep expertise in bakery technology, I launched StephaneThermalRuns, a venture dedicated to revolutionizing how bakeries monitor and analyze the core temperature of baked goods. This initiative was born from a crucial troubleshooting project at Mountdale that highlighted the significant impact of precise thermal management.
StephaneThermalRuns' flagship product focuses on hamburger buns, a nod to my extensive background in this niche. We developed a comprehensive solution that allows for real-time temperature monitoring, fundamentally changing how product quality is controlled in baking processes.
The potential of this innovative technology quickly caught the attention of industry leaders. It was notably recognized by Mondelez through their CoLab Tech acceleration program in 2023, underscoring its relevance and applicability in modern baking operations. Furthermore, my work and the impact of our solutions were highlighted when Mark Floerke, a prominent figure in the bakery industry, interviewed me for a Bakerpedia podcast, spreading our message to a broader audience.
At StephaneThermalRuns, our approach is deeply rooted in creativity and a constructive outlook on problem-solving. By focusing on the specific needs of the bakery industry, we are setting new standards for quality and efficiency, proving that even well-established processes can benefit from targeted technological enhancements.