2020 Frozen Foods Processor of the Year: High-Volume Versatility at Devanco Foods
Take a look inside Devanco Foods’ 105,000-square-foot processing plant in Carol Stream, Illinois, where 1.6 million pounds of products are produced monthly.
Devanco Foods made a significant impact on the retail side of the industry this year, earning the company Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2020 Frozen Foods Processor of the Year award. The engine that powers Devanco’s success is their 105,000-square-foot processing plant in Carol Stream, Illinois, and the company’s rapid reaction to the pandemic earlier this year, which allowed food production and distribution to continue uninterrupted.
“We were proactive from the beginning, taking daily temperatures of employees, adding extra sanitation on all touch areas, providing PPE materials and requiring staff to wear masks, and we took social distancing measures long before others in the industry did. That prevented a negative ripple effect on our supply chain, our customers, and the health of our employees,” says Evan Bartzis, Devanco’s GM. “We also didn’t allow any guests inside our plant unless they were absolutely necessary, and those that were allowed to enter were given screening questions beforehand.”