Janet Sprouse Email & Phone Number

Chelsea, Michigan, United States

Gahanna, Ohio, United States

Responsible for new product development, cost savings and product improvement projects.

Columbus, Oh

Recruited to establish the R&D Department, create testing and commercialization processes, and build a team capable of developing commercially viable, USDA-approved products across diverse retail brands. Drove the launch of 4-5 innovative menu items annually which met or exceeded sales, profitability, and branding goals.Led the R&D team in the ideation, bench-top development, consumer testing, scale-up, and implementation of on-trend products for Donatos-a 150-unit pizza chain-and their sister company Jane's Dough Foods with a dough and "Take & Bake" pizza manufacturing facility. Reengineered existing processes, challenging the status quo to not only deliver product innovations to market, but to improve efficiencies and cost effectiveness surrounding product development, product manufacturing and preparation, and packaging."Janet, you are a key factor in [the company's] success."TOP-RANKED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT* Developed the Fresh Mozzarella Trio pizza-became the most successful sales event in the history of the company accounting for 10% of sales and doubling sales projections-inspiring a line extension which continues to perform well.PACKAGING SCIENCE* Improved product quality by researching and implementing modified atmosphere packaging for Take and Bake pizzas. Developed innovative breakthrough outer carton packaging that maximized margins and reduced packaging usage 32%.CONTRACT PACKING* Served as the lead scientist on Donatos "Take & Bake" line for retail grocery stores-generating $3M in sales-conducting development work for domestic and international customers in contract packing.SENSORY SCIENCE* Initiated an in-house sensory program for product prototype screening, new supplier approvals, and product launch benchmarking. Implemented product development process for concept screen development and consumer testing that led to successful product launches.

St. Louis, Mo

Innovated products for the 2,000+-unit franchise chain, developing products which have stood the test of time and are still on the menu today-Frisco Breakfast Sandwich, Monster Burger, and Omelet Breakfast Sandwiches.Led a team of 7 in Product Development-including 3 managers-in creating chain-wide menu items while also developing regional offerings and modified recipes based on market preferences. Collaborated with franchise partners and their own in-house R&D teams-select partners were as large as parent company-ensuring development of brand-centric offerings while providing the freedom to explore franchise-specific menu items.PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT* Created an in-house sensory program to provide for increased control over quality control, product testing, and consumer insight.

Ann Arbor, Mi

Leveraged consumer research and insight to create new pizza toppings and dough formulations, in addition to managing the annual pizza sauce production process involving site visits with tomato processing facilities.Maintained in-depth awareness of competitive and consumer trends, fueling product development initiatives and ensuring market share gains for a leader in the industry. Oversaw production efforts across 10 plants, critical to driving consistency and quality for all products. Managed the in-house Sensory Department and all testing.QUALITY CONTROL* Traveled extensively during the tomato-ripening season-3 months each year-to oversee production processes and validate optimal quality in sauce production.

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Food Science & Human Nutrition

Master Of Science (Ms), Food Science & Human Nutrition