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A PEEK ATTHE FUTUREGrowers TourState-of-theArt AlmondProcessingPlantby Gray Allen38 Almond Facts NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2012Busload after busload of BlueDiamond members made theshort trip from the ModestoConvention Center to aconstruction site in Turlock tosee their new processing plantnearing completion. Built tomeet rapidly growing demandfor high-end manufacturedproducts, the automated, ultrasanitaryplant is designed formaximum efficiency and todeliver industry-leading quality.“Customers want zero-defects and acertified food-safe product. We willdeliver that,” said Darrell Nelson,Plant Manager in Salida and a keyfigure in designing the Turlock facility.As the growers moved through the cavernous rooms on guided tours, operations managers pointed out state-ofthe-artfeatures that will qualify the plant as the most food-safe almond processing facility in the world. Workerswill wash, don sanitary work suits, booties and masks before entering the pressurized and temperature-controlledprocessing area.Designed for easy cleaning, all processing equipment is made of stainless steel. The plant interior featuresseamless floors, smooth walls and ceilings free of pipes, wires or supports. All steam lines, cables and supportequipment are safely tucked away in the attic. Cross ventilation will exhaust steam to prevent moisture buildup inthe processing area.Centrally located in the almond production area, the Turlock plant will pull raw product from both Salida andSacramento for processing into value-added products packaged for shipment to customers worldwide. Thestreamlined, flow-through layout equipped with the latest automated processing machinery assures low-costoperations. Highly trained, high-performance work teams will man the equipment and oversee operations.“Employees will work in teams to achieve goals and solve problems,” said Nelson.Raw product enters the building on conveyors, is scalded and blanched, sent to cutters to be sliced, diced or slivered,then dried and packaged — in one end and out the other in the blink of an eye.As the growers boarded buses for the return trip, tour directors pointed out where the next two phases of thethree-stage project will be located. Expansion is planned to the east and west, with the pace of development tobe determined by sales growth — which is happening faster than anyone expected. In theory, the expansion is tooccur over 15 years, but that could change. The rapidly growing global appetite for Blue Diamond almonds seemsto know no limits.