Client spotlight: How frontline training helped Kisko achieve 30% production gains
Founded in 1977 by the Josephs family, Kisko Products has grown into Canada’s largest producer of freeze pops, operating a modern 115,000-square-foot facility that churns out millions of freezable kids treats each year. Even with decades of success, Kisko’s leadership knew that the business could only grow as fast as its people.
“As a company, you can’t grow if each person in the company is not being developed,” said Randy Josephs, Vice President of Operations.
While that belief drove Kisko’s culture, it also exposed challenges such as time-consuming training and production inefficiencies.
Too much effort, not enough impact
Training at Kisko required an enormous investment of time. Josephs and the HR Manager spent about six hours a day, each, for more than four months just delivering training. On top of that, they hired one and a half full-time employees solely for data entry.
Despite the effort, leadership saw production efficiency lagging behind targets, waste levels higher than necessary, and downtime that eroded margins.
“We needed to see production efficiency grow,” Josephs explained. “Specifically, we were looking for waste reduction and downtime reduction.”
Kisko knew that there was room for improvement in overall production efficiencies through a well-optimized workforce. They needed structure, consistency, and visibility. Which is why they chose to partner with Intertek Alchemy.
Standardized training with real-time insight from Intertek Alchemy
Kisko turned to Intertek Alchemy to modernize its frontline training approach and create a system that worked for both employees and leadership.
Training shifted to standardized, food-industry-specific courseware designed for frontline workers. Interactive classroom sessions used remotes and gamification to keep employees engaged and assess comprehension. Every response was captured digitally, creating a reliable training record for audits and internal reviews.
“Alchemy has made our training standardized,” said Clive Bowen, QA Manager. “The quizzes and testing clearly indicate whether employees have absorbed what you teach them.”
Beyond standardization, Intertek Alchemy also provided Kisko with visibility into its operations. Real-time reporting allowed leadership to analyze training results alongside production data. Instead of guessing where inefficiencies originated, they could pinpoint skill gaps, adjust training, and measure the impact.
“Alchemy gave us the ability to do instantaneous analysis of our different lines, and identify areas where training can improve productivity and yield,” Josephs said.
Measurable gains across operations
Improvement from the Alchemy Training System was immediate and significant for Kisko. The company saw production efficiency increase from roughly 68% to 88%, a 30% gain that directly supported business growth.
“Our downtime has also improved. In one department, Alchemy has helped us to reduce downtime by 1,300 minutes per month. That equals over $60,000 in savings,” Josephs reports.
Training also became more efficient. What once consumed about 30% of leadership’s time dropped to 10% or less, freeing teams to focus on operations and improvement instead of administration.
Just as importantly for a food manufacturer, standardized procedures and clean documentation contributed to zero product recalls.
Training that delivers measurable operational impact
For Kisko, the return on investment was clear.
“When I look at what the payback is, the Alchemy investment is a no-brainer for us,” Josephs said.
But the bigger takeaway goes beyond cost savings. By providing training with structure, consistency, and visibility, Kisko turned it into a true operational lever—improving efficiency, reducing risk, and strengthening employee capability.
If you’re a food manufacturer facing similar challenges and are looking to achieve success like Kisko, contact us today to learn how a structured training approach can support your operations.
