I-Tree Top Inc., umfelandawonye wokuqala wokucubungula izithelo, yasungulwa cishe eminyakeni engu-50 edlule maphakathi neWashington maphakathi nezwe lama-apula wombuso. Umfelandawonye uphethwe amalungu abalimi abangaphezu kuka-1,100 abavela eWashington, Oregon nase-Idaho. Le nkampani iqale njengephrosesa yejusi ye-apula kodwa isikhule yaba iphrosesa yejusi, i-concentrate kanye nemikhiqizo eyomisiwe, futhi njengephrosesa yesevisi yokudla yezingcezu zama-apula ezisanda kusikwa.
Le nkampani ihlukaniswe yaba izingxenye ezimbili ezihlukene zokuthengisa ezihlukanisa izimpahla zabo zabathengi nezithako zabo kanye nemikhiqizo yokudla.
“Sigxile kakhulu ekuhlinzekeni ukudla. Lokho bekugobile kusukela siqala imakethe entsha,” kusho uNed Rawn, umphathi we-akhawunti kazwelonke we-Foodservice.
"Ama-apula aseba ingxenye enkulu yenkundla yezokudla futhi (asanda kusikwa) kubonakala sengathi asezuze amandla."
I-Tree Top yangena emakethe esanda kusikwa ngo-2000, ihlinzeka ngezindawo zokudlela ezisheshayo e-Pacific Northwest ngezingcezu zama-apula zekhwalithi ephezulu. Ngo-2006, kwaqedwa indawo entsha eyisikiwe e-Selah, Wash., nemishini yakamuva yokucubungula yemakethe ekhulayo yesevisi yokudla. Isitshalo esingamamitha-skwele angu-26,000 sizenzakalela ngokugcwele futhi asinamagciwane ngokuphelele. Kodwa eminyakeni emithathu nje kamuva, i-Tree Top yachitha imali eningi ibuyekeza umsebenzi wokusikwa kabusha ukuze kuthuthukiswe ikhwalithi nokwelula impilo yeshalofu.
Ngenxa yokuthi ikhwalithi ibaluleke kakhulu kumaketanga kazwelonke wesevisi yokudla, i-Tree Top ibilokhu ibheka izindlela zokugcina ikhwalithi.
“Ukufunda njalo,” kusho uRawn. “Sihlala silwela ukubeka ikhwalithi engcono kakhulu esingayenza.”
Ngakho-ke, eminyakeni embalwa nje ngemva kokwakha isakhiwo esisha, i-Tree Top yaklebhula ingaphambili laso futhi yalakha kabusha ngohlelo oluklanywe kabusha lwangaphambili. Inqubo entsha isebenzisa isistimu ye-flume ukuhambisa ama-apula endaweni, ikhawulela ukuthintana okuqinile okungalimaza ama-apula. Ulayini omusha nawo usize ekwenzeni ngcono ukusebenza kahle. Osayizi bephekhi abahlukene manje bangasebenza ngesikhathi esisodwa. Ama-flumes azimele komunye nomunye, okusho futhi ukuthi inkampani ingasebenzisa ama-apula aphilayo kanye nama-apula avamile eceleni.
Ukuhlukaniswa kwama-flume kuyasiza futhi ukuvimbela ukungcoliswa okuwela, kwandisa ukulandeleka futhi kunikeza ukukhucululwa kwendle okungcono. Ngenxa yokuthi inkatho ngayinye isebenza ngomugqa wayo, u-Rawn uthe inkampani manje isiyakwazi ukugudluza ama-flume ngamunye okugcina isitshalo sisebenza ngaso sonke isikhathi kwamanye ama-flume.
“I-Tree Top imatasa kakhulu endaweni yokuphepha kokudla futhi iyalandeleka nakho konke okuhambisana nakho, kangangokuthi sikhuthaza amakhasimende ukuthi angene azobona ukuthi senza kanjani,” kusho uRawn.
Iphrosesa icwaningwa izikhathi eziyisithupha kuya kweziyisishiyagalombili ngonyaka - ngaphezu kocwaningo lwaminyaka yonke lwe-American Institute of Baking audits, kusho uRawn. Ukucwaningwa kwamabhuku okuhlukahlukene okuvela eceleni kudingwa amakhasimende futhi kuthatha isikhathi esincane, kodwa kunikeza i-Tree Top ithuba lokukhombisa amakhasimende ukuthi zinhle kangakanani izinhlelo zokuphepha kokudla kanye nokulandeleka.
“Kumane kusenza senze umsebenzi wethu kangcono,” kusho uRawn.
I-Tree Top isebenza nama-akhawunti kazwelonke ukuthuthukisa imikhiqizo yesiginesha yezitolo zabo. Inkampani yenza amaphakheji ngamanye amaketanga okudla okusheshayo kanye nesikhwama esikhulu samakhilogremu angu-3 sezindawo zokudlela noma ezinye izikhungo, kusho uRawn. Ukupakishwa ngokwezifiso nokusikeka kunikeza inani kumakhasimende ayo, futhi umgomo uwukudala imikhiqizo ethuthukisa amabhizinisi amakhasimende ngemikhiqizo eklanyelwe izidingo zabo.
I-Tree Top ikwazile ukuvuselela isakhiwo ngaphandle kokuthola ukunethezeka komkhiqizo wokugcina. Umsebenzi wenziwa kakhulu ngokushintsha amashejuli okusebenza abe yizinsuku ezine, izinsuku ezintathu zokuphumula, okwenze ukuthuthukiswa kuphazamise ukukhiqiza futhi kwanikeza osonkontileka isikhathi esanele sokusebenza ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka.
“Bekuwumsebenzi wobunjiniyela impela,” kusho uSharon Miracle, umphathi wezokuxhumana enkampanini iTree Top.
Ukubuyekezwa komugqa kwaba into engenangqondo lapho abaphathi be-Tree Top bebona ukuthi umkhiqizo omningi ungaqhutshwa ngaphandle kokunciphisa isikhathi sokushintsha. Futhi ngokunciphisa ukulimala kwama-apula ngaphambi kokusikwa, ikhwalithi iyonke ingagcinwa isikhathi eside. Impilo yeshelufu enwetshiwe izosiza i-Tree Top yandise ukusatshalaliswa kwayo kwamanje, njengoba isidingo sama-apula asikiwe amasha sikhula, kusho uMmangaliso.
Okunye okusha kwa-Tree Top ukuhlelwa kabusha kwemisebenzi ye-foodservice, ngaphansi kwesikhundla esisha sephini likamongameli esiphethwe u-Dan Wenker. Isitshalo esisanda kusikwa sakhiwe endaweni efanayo nendawo yezithako ezomisiwe ze-Tree Top, ukuze udoti ophuma lapho usika uye endaweni yokomisa ukuze usebenzise wonke umkhiqizo wama-apula ongahluziwe. Futhi ngo-Okthoba wonyaka odlule, i-Tree Top yathenga i-Medford, Ore.-based Sabroso Co., umkhiqizi wama-puree ezithelo. Yonke imisebenzi yesevisi yokudla ihlelwe kabusha muva nje ukuze kuhlinzekwe indlela ehlangene yokuthengisa, ukuze amakhasimende angatholi izingcingo ezivela kubathengisi abaningi abavela ezingxenyeni ezahlukahlukene zenkampani, kusho uRawn.