Norpac Products Team Members: Nicholas Juchau, Scott Stevens, Sam Morland, Codi Morton, Grant McGill, Garrett Burr, and Taylor Fraker Advisors: Bob Harder, Nick Gilbert, and Stephen Leijon

Purpose Wet Pumpkin Machine Specifications Norpac Foods produces 1.7 tons of winter Bulk MACHINES squash (Pumpkin), and 175,000 lbs of Kernels Packaged Pumpkin 1. Buhler Fluidized Bed Dryer pumpkin seeds from their Kernels Seed Flour Dries product by forcing air upwards production lines, during the harvest season. through a granular product causing it to Those seeds are currently being sold for become fluidized. The heated air will dry $1.10 per lb (unprocessed). Our goal was the product as it moves through the to increase profit. machine. ○ Meets the required flow rate with scalability Grinder Fluidized Bed Sorter ○ Low air drive requirements Dryer Dehuller ○ Cost: approx $60,000 Figure 4 : Processing Line 1. Buhler Dehuller Feeds from the top onto a spinning Final Design plate. Removes the outer shell of seeds Figure 1. Nutritional information for by gently colliding them with an impact the pumpkin seed. RECOMMENDED PRODUCT: We are recommending that Norpac plate. implement a mixed production line. The product flow diagram in Fig 4. ○ Meets required flow rate with shows two different paths of kernels being processed, in addition to a scalability Proposal third product, Pumpkin Seed Flour. We are recommending this ○ Cost: $50,000 - $55,000 approach because it allows for versatility of products, investment in a To evaluate several different pumpkin seed safe market, as well as potential for expansion. 1. Buhler Sortex A products based on analysis of market, ROI, Accepts or rejects seeds based on and technical feasibility. From this, we OPERATION: criteria including color, shape, size, and recommended the best product line, its 1. Pumpkin Seed Mix -> Washer intactness. implementation, and propose further 2. Washer -> Dryer ○ Meets required flow rate with ability branding and marketing strategies. 3. Dryer -> Dehuller to increase capacity 4. Dehuller -> Sorter ○ Cost: $170,000 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 5. Sorter -> Bulk Kernels, Packaged Kernels, Grinder It was critical that the pumpkin seed 6. Grinder -> Pumpkin Seed Flour 1. Buhler Sortex B throughput constraint be met and The Sortex B is a color sorter much maintained throughout the process, at MARKETING: An early research study was taken to see the likelihood like the Sortex A, however it lacks the approximately 860 lbs/hr to ensure smooth of college students purchasing pumpkin seed products and the results shape sorting capability. For flours transitions and processing. Several have indicated that pumpkin seed products are not advertised or this is fine, because the seeds get different pumpkin seed product marketed well. This is an excellent market opportunity for NORPAC’s ground up anyway. alternatives were considered, including: new product, pumpkin seed flour. A detailed marketing plan was ○ Color Sorting Capabilities roasted pumpkin seeds, seed oil, developed during the second semester including prospective market ○ Meets required flow rate with powder, pumpkin seed flour, pumpkin seed conditions, SWOT analysis, customer demographics, environmental scalability kernels, pumkin seed butter and milk. analysis, competitive analysis, price structuring, and a few promotional ○ Cost: $130,000 ideas to give the brand momentum. 1. Buhler Multi-Impact Hammer Mill BRAND DEVELOPMENT: Norpac currently has two brands that they (Grinder) sell product under, FLAV-R-PAC® and Santiam®. These brands have a The Multi-Impact Hammer mill works product mix of frozen produce and canned products. We recommend by spinning blades and dropping the new pumpkin seed product(s) be sold and marketed under a new seeds on them. The seeds bounce brand name, Nutripac (see Fig. 2). between the blades and the impact plate until the particles are small Table 1. Annual Return on Investment (ROI) for three different types enough to pass through the sieve. of pumpkin seed products (assuming 80% of the product is sold). ○ Meets required flow rate with ability to increase capacity Most-likely- Max Sales 80% Figure 2. NUTRIPAC Label ○ Cost: $80,000 Bulk Package Product Kernals Kernals Powder/Flour Amount of Product (lbs) 61,200 61,200 61,200 Final Price/lb $1.92 $8.00 $15.00 Revenue $94,003.20 $391,680.00 $734,400.00

Machines (over 10 years) $15,500.00 $31,500.00 $43,500.00 Labor $55,000.00 $55,000.00 $75,000.00

Utilities (water,gas,electricity) $9,000.00 $11,000.00 $15,000.00

COGS (cost of goods sold) $1,000.00 $12,000.00 $15,000.00 TEAM MEMBERS Advertising $0.00 $50,000.00 $75,000.00 Garrett Burr not pictured Figure 3. Gluten free pumpkin bread made from pumpkin seed meal Profit $13,503.20 $232,180.00 $510,900.00

Senior Design