~by Dave Rizzardo, MWCC Associate Director
Our June 2026 MWCC Lean Facility Tour took place at the Pompeian facility in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1906, Pompeian is farmer-owned and dedicated to helping people eat, live, and feel better every day. That commitment was evident throughout the morning during the presentations and facility tour. The Pompeian team created an outstanding Lean learning experience while also giving us an inside look at olive oil processing.
We began with a brief introduction by Renee Evans, Vice President of Human Resources, who shared the history and values of Pompeian. Their guiding principles—Lead with Heart, Pursue Excellence, and Dare to Be Bold—were clearly reflected throughout the day.
Paula Lopes followed with an informative presentation on how Pompeian integrates ISO and Lean to drive Operational Excellence. She highlighted the powerful synergy between ISO's consistency principles and Lean's continuous improvement and flow principles. The discussion demonstrated how these complementary approaches work together to build a true culture of continuous improvement and sparked thoughtful discussion among attendees.
We then toured Pompeian's impressive quality laboratory along with the processing, bottling, and packaging operations. Their rigorous quality controls—from the olive groves through every step of production—demonstrated how they consistently deliver the quality customers expect. Nothing is left to chance, despite variables such as weather and crop conditions.
Their commitment to quality was also evident in their extensive blow-molding operation, where bottles for their olive oils and vinegars are manufactured on-site. That level of control speaks volumes about Pompeian's commitment to excellence. Consistency and quality are reflected not only in the product inside the bottle, but in the bottle itself.
Throughout the morning, it became clear that Pompeian's culture extends well beyond its systems and processes. The pride, engagement, and willingness of employees to share their work made the visit especially meaningful and reinforced that continuous improvement is embraced throughout the organization.
The various filling, bottling, and packaging lines were highly automated while being supported by a skilled and engaged workforce. Quality checks are built into every stage of the process to ensure critical variables, such as fill levels, remain within specification. Automation of the packaging and palletizing processes allows employees to focus their talents on more complex challenges and continuous improvement opportunities.
Following the tour, Cassey Fox, Environmental Supervisor, shared Pompeian's impressive sustainability and waste reduction initiatives. An energy audit identified several opportunities that led to immediate reductions in energy consumption, and the company continues making significant progress toward its goal of zero waste to landfill.
One of the most memorable moments of the morning came during the discussion about the return on investment for these sustainability efforts. While there are both short- and long-term financial benefits, Salim Benjelloun, Vice President of Operations, emphasized that these initiatives are pursued because they are simply the right thing to do. That philosophy reflects a culture that values customers, employees, communities, and the environment equally.
The morning concluded with Azim Donawa, Training and Development Manager, introducing the Alchemy Playbook application. The platform utilizes videos, photographs, and quizzes to improve the consistency and effectiveness of employee training while maintaining training records and quickly identifying workforce certifications. Azim also highlighted several continuous improvement initiatives, including 6S workplace organization, multiple quick-disconnect applications, and numerous other practical improvements implemented throughout the facility.
In summary, the morning provided an outstanding Lean learning experience, and we are grateful to the Pompeian team for giving us such an in-depth look at what makes their organization successful. More importantly, we saw firsthand a culture where continuous improvement is embedded into everyday work. Guided by the values of Lead with Heart, Pursue Excellence, and Dare to Be Bold, Pompeian demonstrated why Operational Excellence is more than a goal—it is part of their DNA.
