Food security is an important aspect of the new plant. Each employee has a card scanner that limits access to certain areas of the plant, based on the person's job responsibilities.

FullBloom seems settled in its new facility, although a third phase has yet to be completed. The final phase involves completion of site work on the outside of the building and adding equipment to the on-site gym.

The building was designed with environmentally friendly principles in mind. There are skylights in the warehouse and high-efficiency lighting throughout the facility. The office space has bamboo flooring, expanded skylights and lower cubicles, so employees can see the windows, which now open. FullBloom is applying for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, which is a lengthy process. “We were applying these energy efficient principles to the building design before we even knew about LEED certification,” Trilevsky says. The plant meets USDA requirements, which increases its production potential.

Establishing new roots

The nature of the company's customer base has changed over the years. While they used to deliver daily to more than 600 individual customers, now the company prefers partnering with larger accounts that purchase by the truckload. “Production in Menlo Park was about eight million lb. per year. The new plant is capable of producing more than three times this amount. We anticipate a steep growth curve in the near future,” Whitman adds. “We're moving at the speed of light.”

On May 1, the company celebrated 19 years of business. Now that FullBloom has room to grow, it looks forward to many years of prosperity as it capitalizes on the consumer trend toward all-natural, premium, artisan-baked products — a trend that aligns perfectly with the company's philosophy.

One smart cookie

Karen Trilevsky, founder and C.E.O. of FullBloom Baking Co. didn't follow the typical path of a company executive. Although this high school dropout now holds an MDE degree in entrepreneurial management from The Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, she worked her way to the top from a very meager beginning, and now stands as a shining example to women throughout the baking industry.

Trilevsky began her career in the mid-1980s as owner of a small café, or what she calls “an early espresso shop.” After being unable to obtain capital from the banks at that point for expansion, but realizing the significance of the espresso model, she found a way to participate in the growing trend indirectly.

“Espresso cafés were popping up, and no one seemed to be doing their own baking,” Trilevsky says. “This seemed like a viable opportunity and a way for me to participate in this growing trend. I came into the Bay area and rented a space in the back of a restaurant that served breakfast and lunch. I baked in the kitchen from 3 p.m. until 3 a.m. and then personally delivered to my customers. After six months, I was able to move into my own space, about 1,000 sq. ft. Demand grew by word-of-mouth. I never needed a sales team.”