Jim McMahon

Jim McMahon writes on industrial, manufacturing and technology issues. His features have appeared in more than 2,500 business and trade publications worldwide.

Case Study

How Automated Conveying Transformed Private-Label Pie Manufacturing

Jim McMahon

April 6, 2026

Gardner Pie Company turned to Benchmark Automation to develop a series of conveyors to support manufacturing and packaging of baked and frozen pies without damaging tender, flaky crusts.

Niagara Bottling’s Latest DC, a Showpiece for Integrated Robotic Pallet Handling

Jim McMahon

November 14, 2023

Niagara Bottling’s new 600,000-sq.-ft. production and distribution facility in Rialto, Calif., manufactures and distributes 120,000 bottles of water per hour. Supporting this throughput are 56 laser-guided vehicles, integrated with a 33,000-position robotic pallet shuttle storage system. Designed and built by E80 Group, the distribution automation operates 24/7/365.

R.S. Hanline’s Pressure-Flow dry bean cooker

Processing Tech

Dry bean cook-IQF line processes up to 8,500 pounds of soaked dry beans per hour

R.S. Hanline reduced cook time to 3½ minutes, 90 percent less time than conventional atmospheric continuous-process cookers

Jim McMahon

July 9, 2022

R.S. Hanline reduced cook time to 3½ minutes, 90 percent less time than conventional atmospheric continuous-process cookers.

Tribe 9 Foods' Clean-Flow pasta cooker handles 2,400 pounds of cooked gluten-free pasta per hour

Automated pasta processing

Cooking/cooling/freezing gluten-free pasta with a gentle touch at Tribe 9 Foods

The automated processing equipment also includes built-in CIP to do a thorough cleanup in 40 minutes once a day

Jim McMahon

July 16, 2021

Located in Madison, Wisconsin, Tribe 9 Foods (Tribe 9) is a specialty foods company dedicated to creating delicious, nourishing and functional food. In 2019, Tribe 9 built a new manufacturing facility to support further growth in Taste Republic’s co-manufacturing, private label and foodservice businesses. Capabilities at this new facility include extrusion, IQF, form-fill-seal, flow-wrap packaging, nut butter milling and gluten-free flour blending.

Pepe’s Inc. installed a Lyco Chill-Flow continuous pouch cooler system that cools 5-lb pouches to below 40°F. Photo courtesy Lyco

Field Reports

Pouch cooling system speeds up production for Mexican food maker

Jim McMahon

July 1, 2009

Pouch cooling system speeds up production for Mexican food maker.

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

On Demand Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.