At 16, Tracy Fletcher began spending her summers at the family bakery, gaining experience across its various departments. Thirty years later, she serves as the third-generation President of Lone Star Bakery (Lone Star), overseeing almost 700 employees at two manufacturing plants in China Grove, Texas. Acquired by her grandfather in 1956, the company now supplies restaurant chains, retailers, distributors, and food manufacturers across the US and international markets.
Looking back at the business established by her family’s first generation, the Morrises, Tracy believes they would be astonished by Lone Star’s growth. “Back in the 1950s, they probably had about 30 employees. Today, our reach extends nationwide and internationally. And the technology—well, the tools and systems we use now just weren’t around when they were building this business.”
Although technology is central to the modern operation, Tracy’s leadership style was shaped by her early experience on the production floor. “Working on the floor in different departments gave me the chance to learn from people who were true experts. They mentored me and showed me how every piece of the business works. That hands-on experience, and watching how our teams work together, really shaped me as a leader.” Those lessons continue to influence her approach as the workforce has expanded significantly since her teenage years. Tracy adds, “I try to lead with compassion and remember that we’re all human. It gets harder to keep that family-business culture as we grow, but we’re committed to it.”
The company’s family character is represented by a four-legged colleague, too. Harvey, Lone Star’s unofficial Chief Morale Officer, spends his working days at reception, welcoming visitors and delivery drivers while providing employees with some much-needed comfort when required.
Product innovation
During more than two decades at Lone Star, Director of Sales Dave Sumner has developed customer relationships that continue to create new business opportunities. Existing customers frequently introduce potential projects because they already understand the company’s capabilities and approach. Dave notes, “There’s not a lot of red tape here. We have a small team involved in decisions, so we can get to the key issues quickly and figure out if we can move forward with a project.”
Customer needs, rather than a predetermined product concept, provide the starting point for Lone Star’s development work. Dave explains, “We’ve gotten in the habit of learning what equipment our customers use. That helps us design products that fit their format and make things easier for them.”
Biscuits continue to represent the bakery’s biggest product category, while fried pies are supporting menu development through new flavors and applications. Demand is also expanding beyond traditional sweet fillings. Dave adds, “We’ve started developing savory flavors like sausage and gravy, and chicken and vegetable pies. These products are creating new opportunities for us and generating interest right alongside our sweet varieties.”
Fried pies offer foodservice operators an extensive range of filling possibilities without adding complexity to preparation. “The pies come frozen and ready to fry,” Dave says. “The handler simply takes them out of the freezer, drops them in the fryer for six minutes, and they’re ready to serve. They can even hold under a heat lamp for up to two hours.”
Enhancing efficiencies
Broadening the product portfolio is only one element of growth. Products must also be tested, refined, and scaled efficiently. Since joining Lone Star in 2012, Chief Engineer Mike Brehm has assembled a team responsible for maintenance, fabrication, refrigeration, automation, programming, and equipment development at both facilities. Mike notes, “When new opportunities come up, our internal departments can step in, even if we don’t have exactly what we need on hand. Our machine and fabrication shops let us create what’s needed quickly, so we can test or run new products right away.”
These capabilities are supporting a broad investment program designed to raise production capacity and reduce manual work. Lone Star is automating two lines and expanding pie production through a new EasyMac sheeting line. The company is also upgrading refrigeration, packaging, freezing systems, and related support equipment across both plants. Mike points out, “The main reason for the second pie line was simple: we were out of capacity.”
The same efficiency goals are shaping the company’s frozen dough operations. Mike continues, “We’re working to streamline it all. The frozen dough pucks will come out of the spirals frozen and go straight into packaging equipment vs how we have to currently bulk pack, then next day load to a bagging machine for retail.”
The investment strategy covers both Lone Star sites and depends on close coordination across the wider organization. Because the two plants are only a few miles apart, the company can respond flexibly when production requirements change. Tracy explains, “We share resources across both sites. Mike oversees engineering at both facilities, and our manufacturing and maintenance teams work at both locations. It gives us visibility across the whole operation and lets us schedule employees between plants to keep them cross-trained and ready to support production wherever demand is highest.”
Mike shares, “We meet weekly to keep everyone up to speed on projects, new items, and scheduling. We also meet daily at both plants. We talk about what’s needed and what’s running at each facility so we can make sure the right people are in the right place. Someone might be based at one site, but that doesn’t stop them from helping at the other whenever it’s needed.”
Alongside physical upgrades, Lone Star is improving how operational information moves through the business. One of its most significant initiatives has been the implementation of Redzone. Initially introduced to monitor production and downtime, the platform now contributes to quality management, sanitation, workforce training, safety, and internal communication. Tracy remarks, “It’s a huge communications boost for us.”
Further expansion is already planned. Lone Star is preparing to construct an 8000-square-foot R&D and pilot facility, increase manufacturing capacity, and grow its employee base. These initiatives require Tracy, Dave, and Mike to work in close partnership. Customer demand creates the opportunity, engineering determines the pace of execution, and leadership sets investment priorities. For Dave, however, the objective is straightforward: “Fill up the production lines Mike is building.”
