Bel Brands USA, headquartered in Chicago, has 2 manufacturing plants and an additional facility under construction, forecasted to open in July 2014. Bel Brands boasts over 350 products, most notably Mini BabyBel® and The Laughing Cow® brands, and is named America’s #1 branded snacking cheese. With raised awareness for healthy eating behaviors, including portion control and smart snacking, they have seen significant growth the past few years. With sales up nearly 20% since the last year’s report and new products to meet consumers’ cravings for various cheeses and spreads, their future is bright. Aiming for excellence is among their core values, which carries all the way from product development to consumer satisfaction. This includes having distinctive environments where the cheeses are produced and packaged. A safety supervisor in the Leitchfield, KY facility contacted SLIPNOT to learn more about how their existing stainless steel floor drain cover concerns.

A Safety Supervisor shared that the drain covers are all in areas similar to the one pictured, the red tile floors are wet most of the time, raising concern for slippery conditions. An existing stainless steel drain cover was sent to SLIPNOT initially to test the product’s performance in the field. Almost immediately upon receiving the test drain cover they placed an order for four more drain covers in the same area. The stainless steel non slip surface is specified for most food processing applications; stainless steel is the most cleanable, sanitary option for strict hygiene conditions. In addition to the clean-ability of stainless, it is also known for its strength and corrosion resistant properties, and its easily maintained surface provides for a modern and sleek aesthetic. For this application, SLIPNOT coated five customer supplied 2" x 9-1/2" x 9-1/2" stainless floor drain covers with a Grade 2 stainless steel mill finish. This facility was anticipating a one week shutdown and it was critical to coordinate the application of the SLIPNOT surface to the existing drain covers during this pause in their production schedule so as not to inhibit any delays. This need was expressed to SLIPNOT with ample time, therefore the turn around was executed with ease.

Upon receipt, the drain covers were placed back in their original fixtures effortlessly to the delight of the end users. The Safety Supervisor reported that the coated drain cover was a significant improvement from the original stainless finish that was slick when wet. She shared, “We have five of the coated drain covers in place and everyone is happy with them.” The positive feedback also highlighted an increase in worker morale with diminished concern for previously slippery areas in their environment. Bel Brands plans to have more areas of concern in this and other facilities enhanced with the SLIPNOT surface as their production schedule allows.