How Sunshine Mills Transformed Pet Food Production with Laitram’s Precision Force™ Dryer

When it comes to pet food manufacturing, innovation in drying technology has been slow—until now. Sunshine Mills, a leader in the pet food industry, recently partnered with Laitram Machinery to revolutionize their kibble drying process.

The results? Game-changing.

Alan Bostick, Owner and CEO of Sunshine Mills, was initially skeptical. After 40 years of seeing little difference between dryers, he considered them a commodity. But Laitram’s Precision Force™ Dryer—described as “the world’s largest industrial air fryer”—quickly proved otherwise. The Laitram team’s commitment to understanding Kibble Processors’ unique process, combined with their confidence and years of experience with their technology, set the stage for a true transformation.

Key Results:

"Their dryer has delivered on all promises, significantly enhancing our operations. We now achieve consistently even drying in 10 minutes or less, resulting in improved yields, greater production flexibility, reduced fines accumulation, and a lighter workload for our operators." 

• Consistent, Even Drying in 10 Minutes or Less: Laitram’s dryer delivered on its promise, drying kibble faster and more evenly at lower temperatures.

• Superior Product Quality: Palatability studies showed dogs preferred kibble dried with Laitram’s technology 3:1 over conventional methods.

• Operational Efficiency: The installation was completed in under two weeks, resulting in minimal downtime. The dryer’s design allows for quick cleaning and easy changeovers, thereby reducing the operator's workload.

• Increased Yield and Flexibility: By eliminating over-drying, Sunshine Mills now achieves higher moisture targets, improved yields, and reduced fines accumulation, resulting in higher profits.

• Exceptional Support: Laitram’s ongoing service and optimization have ensured the dryer continues to exceed expectations.

  

  First Precision Dryer Installed at Sunshine Mills 2024

The impact was so significant that Sunshine Mills ordered two more units within two months and is planning further expansion. As Alan Bostick puts it, “I am fully convinced that the Laitram Dryer represents a clearly superior technology compared to all other dryers currently available in the market.”

Read the full testimonial here >

Laitram approached us with the intent to deeply understand our pet food manufacturing process and determine if their innovative cooking technology—already an industry leader in other sectors—could deliver significant advantages in pet food manufacturing. Initially, I was skeptical, as I had seen little innovation or meaningful performance differences in drying equipment over the past 40-plus years. To me, a dryer was just a dryer.

The Laitram Team was passionate and confident that their drying technology, which they described as akin to "the world's largest industrial air fryer," could offer substantial improvements. They assured us that their machine would deliver significantly improved consistency, eliminate cold spots, and reliably meet higher moisture targets.

When Laitram demonstrated the capability to consistently dry products in just 10 minutes at lower temperatures, it immediately captured our attention. Further validating their claims, palatability studies we conducted consistently showed a preference for dog food dried using Laitram's equipment.

Laitram was so confident in their technology that they installed their machine at our facility with an unconditional guarantee. Their dryer has delivered on all promises, significantly enhancing our operations. We now achieve consistently even drying in 10 minutes or less, resulting in improved yields, greater production flexibility, reduced fines accumulation, and a lighter workload for our operators. The design of Laitram’s dryer also allows my team to fully clean and sanitize the unit with minimal disruption to production.

The installation was swift and professional—completed in less than two weeks—minimizing downtime and demonstrating tremendous value right from the start. The ongoing service and support from Laitram have been exceptional, continually optimizing the dryer’s performance to precisely fit our needs.

I am fully convinced that the Laitram Dryer represents a clearly superior technology compared to all other dryers currently available in the market. The results have been so outstanding that within two months of our initial installation, we ordered two additional units and are planning to install a fourth dryer next year, with further expansion planned for the future.

We are excited to continue expanding and strengthening our highly productive partnership with the outstanding team at Laitram.

-Alan Bostick, Owner and CEO, Sunshine Mills

Ready to see what Precision Force™ can do for your operation? Laitram even offers a mobile Kibble Cart for on-site testing—so you can experience the results firsthand, right in your parking lot. Contact us>

lm.sales@laitram.com