GRAND RAPIDS, MI — For many artisan retail bakeries, automation is practically unheard of. Some might think it’s counter to what makes carefully crafted baked goods what they are.

But for some bakers whose businesses are growing, automation has become the key to increasing their output and still maintaining the quality their products are known for.

In Grand Rapids, MI, Nantucket Baking Company has experienced exponential growth in its volume over the past two decades. When it first opened its doors in 2006, it had one location and seven employees. Today, the bakery has two locations and 50 employees and generates more than $5 million in sales.

Although this full-service, all-organic bakery remains flexible and creates a variety of baked goods from bread to cookies to decorated cakes, demand for its signature artisan bread has grown to a point where the bakery needs just a little help.