Photo by Joanne Ho-young Lee.

From its inception, FullBloom Baking Co. has placed great emphasis on finding customers that share its commitment to being socially conscious and ecologically responsible. The newly relocated Newark, Calif.-based company also believes in supporting agriculturally sustainable business practices. Its range of offerings include 100 percent organic, all-natural, low fat, nonfat and no-sugar added products, made with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, whenever possible, that do not contain any artificial additives. Although primarily a fresh bakery, FullBloom recently added blast freezing capabilities, giving it the ability to expand its geographic network.

FullBloom moved to its new location in June, having peaked at about 120 percent capacity in its former 58,000-sq.-ft. facility in Menlo Park, where it had been for 12 years. Even though the bakery's new facility is equipped with two continuous processing lines, its production methodology combines automation and hand crafting. Its artisan products include a variety of muffins, cookies, scones, laminated products, multi-layer bars and granola.

One of the most distinctive aspects of FullBloom is its culture — one that is led by one of the few female entrepreneurs in the baking industry. Karen Trilevsky, founder and C.E.O., operates the 200-plus employee bakery as if it's a family-run business, and it shows. Employee satisfaction is evident throughout the bakery, as each person contributes to its success.

A budding business model

While some companies operate on the basis of core competencies, FullBloom places great emphasis on its core values and beliefs, which are reflected throughout the organization. “We're seeking customers who appreciate our vision and value all-natural and organic; customers who see the value in premium product,” says David Caraska, vice president, sales, who considers himself responsible for making things happen. “We bring enormous value to each other through great custom recipes and only the finest ingredients that may cost us more to produce.”

FullBloom’s management: (From left) David Caruska, vice president, sales; Russell Gitzen, manager, R&D; Frankie Whitman, vice president, marketing; Scott Reed, senior vice president, operations; Laverne Matias, vice president, HR; Karen Trilevsky, founder/C.E.O.; and Jose Carlos Santiago, plant manager.

Photo by Joanne Ho-young Lee

The company prides itself on its product development capabilities. R&D operates its lab seven days a week so it can meet its customers' demands in a rapid and flexible timetable, while capitalizing on the latest industry trends.

The bakery's versatile R&D staff, which includes professional pastry chefs and technicians, work on multiple projects simultaneously because “we're in a growth mode,” says Frankie Whitman, vice president, marketing. FullBloom will soon add a food scientist to its R&D staff.

“Our approach to product development makes it a bit challenging for a traditional food scientist. There are ‘solutions’ in their toolkit they may want to use, but are not acceptable here,” Trilevsky says. “We want somebody that has a natural bent, who understands how to utilize natural ingredients instead of easy chemical fixes.”

FullBloom considers its employees and their families part of its business. “The level of commitment and engagement of our people is something we want to preserve, grow and expand,” says Laverne Matias, vice president, human resources. A learning and development specialist was recently hired to reinforce employees' career growth. Supporting employees' skills development is a key component of the HR function. Employees are offered English and Spanish classes, management development and tuition reimbursement. Employees' self care and well being is a priority for FullBloom's Wellness Program, which offers yoga, physical fitness courses and health fairs, among other activities.