Top Workplaces 2022: Stuffed Puffs aims for ‘a world

Jun 14, 2023

Enter the world of Stuffed Puffs. It's a place that is open, bright, calming, has no employees and — maybe above all else — sweet.

The Stuffed Puffs company makes a sweet treat with a purpose: fluffy marshmallows filled with milk chocolate that melts from the inside out, designed to create the perfect s’more. As the company's website states, they’re also "great for toasting, roasting, baking and snacking." Stuffed Puffs also makes other varieties of its signature sweets — including cookies and cream, vanilla and birthday cake flavors.

And according to those surveyed for this year's Top Workplaces, it's also a really sweet place to work.

The Stuffed Puffs factory is in a new, 165,000-square-foot building painted white and sky blue. The company's sign, which faces Highland Avenue in Hanover Township, Northampton County, shows a marshmallow with a smiling face. But wait a minute … it's a factory with no employees?

Not exactly. Company CEO Michael Tierney believes the word "employee" has a negative connotation, so anyone who works at Stuffed Puffs is called a "team member."

"Employee is a dirty word around here," he said.

Stuffed Puffs has about 155 "team members" working across four shifts, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to churn out roughly 2,000 puffs a minute. And based on what some of them said, each puff is the result of each person on the team putting their expertise and devotion into making the best treat money can buy.

The company, which sells its products nationwide, began production at the new facility Jan. 1, 2021, with an interior that deliberately shows no sign of a hierarchy between management and the workforce.

There is one entrance and exit for all workers; there are no reserved parking spaces for management; and there's an airy cafeteria that provides seating and nutritious food and drink at no cost — along with ping-pong tables for a little R&R. Open work areas and offices fronted with glass walls help promote a collaborative culture that Tierney said is the backbone of their success.

Although Tierney, 32, invented Stuffed Puffs through trial and error over about 10 years, the effort to launch a company at this scale required more than just a building and a recipe.

"It is all about having a world-class team and building a great culture. A collaborative culture," he said.

Tierney's method earned the company the No. 2 spot among midsize employers in this year's Top Workplaces survey, the first time it made the list. It also propelled Stuffed Puffs’ 2021 sales to $40 million. This year's sales are expected to more than double that figure.

Plant manager Frank Verano, 35, has a mechanical engineering degree from Penn State. He's married with two daughters and has been with the company about a year. Verano said that during his second interview he met Tierney, who told him there were no layers of management.

"He told me, ‘there are no walls between you and me.’ And a lot of that conversation was about team mentality," he said.

Verano described his pay as "very competitive to the area," with an excellent benefits package and bonus program for everyone, including the hourly workforce.

The job also brings an added perk: The glory he receives from his children for being a candymaker. "I bring home puffs, and sometimes I bring home a new product for my daughters to try. I have them involved in the creative process," he said.

Eric Newhall, 40, is the company's shift manager. A former correctional officer and an Army veteran of eight years, Newhall has been with the company since it opened. He says his first impression — of an organization that is inclusive and welcoming — has not changed. He started as a machine operator, but moved into the managerial position when his talent and diligence were recognized.

When any conflict arises, Newhall said, resolutions are fair and quick because, "We know each other and that makes it easier. So we just talk it out." He said his pay is competitive, too: "It is a wage I would have asked for."

Alexa Bautista, 29, is the company's human resources business partner. Hiring people who work well in a collaborative environment is essential to maintaining the company's atmosphere and "very entrepreneurial culture," she said.

"No job is too little or too big for everyone. I could get called in to go on the [production] line if it's needed. That's all right. We all very much care about the brand and the product," she said.

Company sanitation officer Miguel Alemany, 48, is in charge of keeping the operation clean. He is married with three children and commutes from Bernville, Berks County. Alemany has worked at various food-related operations for the last 23 years, including large bakeries and beef processing plants, but said none were like Stuffed Puffs.

"I like that we all have a title, but we are all equal. I really respect that. It shows we are not alone," he said. He also said having free breakfast, lunch and dinner available is a bonus that speaks volumes for the company.

"It shows they care. And when you eat well, then you work happy," he said.

He said the tangible collaboration, good pay and benefits make his job almost like a place insulated from the problems of the world.

"I come here, all that goes away. This is where my future is," he added. "I come here happy. I come home energetic. I go home happy."

Charles Malinchak is a freelance writer for The Morning Call.

Stuffed Puffs

No. 2 midsize employer

Founded: 2018

Ownership: Private

Sector: Confectionary manufacturer

Employees: 155

Website: stuffedpuffs.com

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