DOWNERS GROVE, IL — Peek inside Darlene Nicosia’s portfolio, and you might see something of a jigsaw puzzle. But when the pieces are aligned, it’s a manufacturing tapestry of procurement, logistics, supply chain optimization and analytics, and corporate management, colored with touches of innovation and brand building throughout.
For more than three decades, her career has spanned from Frito-Lay to Kraft to Coca-Cola before joining Hearthside Food Solutions as CEO. In that time, Nicosia has amassed unparalleled expertise in untangling challenges as intimate as inventory and shelf life to ones as far-reaching as digital transformation for global supply chains and implementing the first bio-PET bottle program.
With a Master of Science in management and a certification in computer-integrated manufacturing systems from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Nicosia sees the world through a bifocal lens. And with the ability to shift from engineering to corporate leadership depending on the need state, her perspective is setting Hearthside up for a bright future, indeed. If manufacturing is like a chain, Nicosia has mastered the art of parlaying her skills from one link to the next. Her engineering, operations and corporate experience with major brands has created a natural transition into the world of co-manufacturing as many companies in bakery — and food production in general — are rethinking their growth strategies, especially with the uptick of R&D innovation for incubator brands and new products for the mainstays.
“I see contract manufacturing as a necessary partner in this industry,” Nicosia said. “A lot of companies are really thinking about their future and how they grow, and it’s clear that contract manufacturing is on trend now.”
At first glance, a move from beverage to baking might seem like a leap. But the truth is, there are vast synergies between running a beverage brand and the world’s largest food co-manufacturer.
“There are immense similarities that apply across all categories, even though what’s made at the end of the day is very different,” she said.
Many of those similarities revolve around processes — dosing, mixing, processing, packaging, palletizing and distribution — likely because processes are formulaic. However, what makes them successful is identifying the best practices that can be gleaned. Nicosia has an undeniable knack for drilling down into processes and creating razor-sharp efficiencies, especially when it comes to identifying the right equipment technology to suit the operation. Processes like injection moulding from a cup supplier or secondary packaging for aluminum cans have all bore best practices that can be applied at Hearthside, especially as this world-class company continues its global expansion.
“If you think about people in the roles that really drive this business — the supporting technologies, the disciplines, the skills that are applied — whether it relates to quality, food safety, maintenance or sanitation,” she said, “there’s tremendous opportunity to share best practices.”
At the heart of that sharing is the team.
“Successful leaders at all levels know how to contribute to the goals of the larger enterprise mission,” Nicosia said. “And they manage their teams by building trust and establishing purpose. In my experience, I have learned that you don’t just transact at a cost level. You try to understand how things are made and how we can work together to design to value.”
“Successful leaders at all levels know how to contribute to the goals of the larger enterprise mission. And they manage their teams by building trust and establishing purpose. In my experience, I have learned that you don’t just transact at a cost level. You try to understand how things are made and how we can work together to design to value.” — Darlene Nicosia | CEO |Hearthside Food Solutions
With leadership in manufacturing for major brands, Nicosia brings the customer perspective to Hearthside, as well as an important view on how consumer demand is impacting the market. Bringing together those two concepts will enable her to become an extension of Hearthside’s customer supply chains.
“When you have to make choices between investing in consumer-facing brand building and capital infrastructure, those are tough decisions,” she said. “Many companies are looking for asset-light solutions so they can keep the investments focused on growing the top line, and that’s created an even greater need for companies like Hearthside.”
From Nicosia’s perspective, there were many companies prior to 2020 that enjoyed long periods of growth and increased category sales. While many did operate at peak performance with no trouble from their supply of raw materials or lean inventories, it’s easy to become complacent when times are good.
While many have learned the hard way about building resiliency into the process through technology investments, physical redundancies and stronger partnerships, Nicosia can still look to the future with optimism.
“One of my biggest beliefs is that speed wins,” she said. “So, the next phase of growth for this company — and, I think, for the industry as a whole — depends on transformational change.”
That said, transformation can’t be dependent on just one thing. As Nicosia embarks on this journey of growth and innovation with Hearthside, she’s focused on the big picture.
“It’s about technology, processing efficiency, highly adaptable systems and talent coming together,” she explained. “It’s a matter of really looking at how to partner together and create step change in the industry.”
This story has been adapted from the October | Q4 2022 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full story in the digital edition here.
