Fairway Packing Co. transformed when they made the move to digital

For generations, paper was at the heart of how Fairway Packing Co. operated. CEO Emmet Baratta remembers his father and uncles managing virtually every aspect of the ordering process with pen and paper. But as the third generation of the family-run business looked to the future, Baratta knew Fairway needed to operate differently if it was going to compete with the biggest and best in the industry.

“As the next generation, we wanted to transform the business into one that could compete every day with the biggest and best,” said Emmet Baratta. “And we have truly turned ourselves into that. It’s been with the help of JBT Marel Software that we have reached that
goal.”

From paper to precision: a transformation built on visibility

Fairway Packing Co. opened in 1956, and until recently, virtually every aspect of that operation was done manually. From receiving and inventory management to order fulfillment and returns, Fairway relied on pen and paper. “From receiving product, fulfilling customer orders, tracking inventory or processing returns, everything relied on handwritten documentation and manual data entry,” said Baratta. “We wanted to know where our inventory was at all times.”

The move to a new Michigan facility in mid-2024 gave Fairway the opportunity to rethink those processes. Rather than carry its paper-based ways of working into a new operation, the company saw the investment as an opportunity to build a more connected, digital business. “For the vision we had as a company, we had to get into the digital world,” said Baratta. “We wanted to maximize that investment.

Implementing AXIN Solutions allowed us to align our technology with our long-term vision. ”Fairway invested in JBT Marel Software’s AXIN Solutions across receiving, inventory management, end-of-line, dispatch, packing and labeling, digitizing data collection throughout the factory.

For Fairway, one of the most immediate changes was visibility. Information that had previously been recorded on paper or required employees to physically track down could now be accessed across the operation in real time. Under the paper-based system, getting that information often meant physically tracking it down. Employees moved around the facility to check inventory, locate products or find out how production was progressing, adding time and creating opportunities for information to be lost along the way.

“It was a lot of double and triple the amount of work just to get one order done. Previously, the sheer size of our facility meant that an employee could have to walk 500 steps just to communicate information. This led to errors due to verbal communications being lost in translation,” said Tony Sieracki, Plant Manager, Fairway Packing Co.

Protecting inventory and profitability

Nowhere is that visibility more important than in Fairway’s inventory.

“Being a meat purveyor, you can imagine our coolers. There’s a very high dollar amount that’s back there, and we want to be able to know where it’s at all times. We need to be able to track inventory and offer our customers transparency,” said Baratta. Better control of inventory is particularly important for Fairway because its business is anything but one-size-fits-all. Chefs and restaurants often have their own specifications, requiring Fairway to adapt products and production to individual customer needs.

“We’ll never tell the chef, ‘This is how you have to have it,’” said Baratta. “We need to be able to adjust to the customer specifications and then make sure our software system can adjust and implement with us. It is crucial for us to have a software solution that accommodates that level of adjustment and flexibility and helps us manage that complexity.”

With real-time visibility into inventory, production, order status and labeling, Fairway can respond quickly to customer-specific requirements while maintaining control across the operation. That visibility also helps the company manage smaller production runs efficiently and reduce errors.
“The software has given us the flexibility to adapt while still maintaining consistency, quality and operational control,” said Baratta.

Achieving that transformation, however, meant managing significant change. Fairway wasn’t simply introducing a new digital system; it was doing so while moving production into an entirely new facility.

“Changing software for a company is probably one of the toughest things you could do in a business, and in the same year we changed our software, we moved our production facility to a new location,” said Emmet Baratta.

Throughout the transition, JBT Marel worked with Fairway to refine workflows and configure the system around the company’s operational needs. As the team became familiar with the new processes and technology, the benefits began to become clearer.

“We’re working with the JBT Marel Software team to change some processes and implement new processes, configuring the system to work for us and learning new features,” said Amanda Ferrin, CFO, Fairway Packing Co.

Today, the difference between Fairway’s former paper-based operation and the business it has become is, as Emmet Baratta describes it, “night and day.” But the impact goes beyond faster processes and better visibility. Access to reliable data is also helping Fairway make better decisions about how it operates and where it goes next.

“We can identify trends, improve efficiency, reduce waste and continuously optimize our processes,” said Baratta. “It hasn’t just changed how we work; it has transformed how we manage and grow the business. Looking back, it’s difficult to imagine operating without the visibility, control and confidence that these systems provide today.”

About Fairway Packing Co.

Fairway Packing Company is a unique blend of old-style packing house quality and service plus state-of-the-art equipment and the newest technology to provide the finest finished product for the customer.

Family-owned & operated since 1956, Fairway provides the highest quality center-of-the-plate proteins to the country's top chefs & the finest restaurants in the world.

Fairway specializes in Choice, Prime, Wagyu, & Dry-Aged steaks as well as signature Custom Blend Burgers, but also offers premium Pork, Lamb, Veal, Poultry, and Wild Game.

Fairway Packing has been dedicated to providing the best meats and poultry for 70 years. Whether it’s working with award-winning chefs to create new product ideas, supervising production from start to finish, or making sure every order receives special attention, Fairway team is personally involved at every level to ensure they always provide the best to customers.