Is it really possible to make money producing corn sticks? Business idea - production of corn sticks. Work equipment for corn sticks.

Equipment for the production of corn sticks is primarily intended for the production of this food product.

In addition, with the help of this equipment it is possible to produce ready-made breakfasts from various cereals using the extrusion method with the subsequent addition of flavoring additives.

To reduce production costs, inexpensive products from flour and cereal production can be used as feedstock. For the production of ready-made breakfasts - crushed cereals, buckwheat, broken rice and other grains.

Complete set of technological equipment

The production of corn sticks is carried out using the following equipment:

• extruder;
• coating drum;
• tunnel dryer;
• bunker;
• dosing machine;
• packaging machine;
• transportation equipment.

Extruder for the production of corn sticks

An extruder is necessary for squeezing the processed mass through the forming matrix dies. As a result of the influence of temperature and pressure during extrusion, moisture evaporates from the bundles of processed raw materials, the product increases in volume several times and dries out almost immediately.

The semi-finished product obtained after processing the raw materials in an extruder is further panned with powdered sugar and other additives or glazed with chocolate. To preheat the screw through which the raw material is fed into the extruder, the equipment for the production of corn sticks is equipped with a heating element. To maintain and regulate the operating temperature, the extruder is equipped with a water jacket and a shaft cooling system.

Draging complex

Using this equipment, various flavoring additives are dosed onto the semi-finished product. Dry and liquid components of the product are applied simultaneously. In the basic configuration, this complex includes a vibrating hopper with a level sensor, a sprinkler and dispenser, a private converter and a control system for this equipment.

Technological process for the production of corn sticks

The process of making corn sticks is carried out in several stages. First, cereal is poured into a special auger loading hopper. From here, the raw material enters the storage bin. Next, the cereal is fed in portions into the humidifier, where the dispenser clearly measures the amount of water, thereby ensuring uniform moistening of the cereal.

After moistening, the raw material moves to the extrusion unit, in which its thermoplastic processing is carried out. The product is then given the required final shape in a molding die. Next, using a pneumatic feed, the semi-finished product is fed to the coating complex, in which liquid flavoring additives are added to the product, then the sticks are sprinkled with powdered sugar.

The equipment for the production of corn sticks is not particularly complicated. It is simple and clear to manage and use. When fully equipped, the equipment represents a complete production process. As already noted, corn grits are mainly used as the starting raw material. The technological process for making sticks is based on the method of extrusion (pushing) of processed raw materials under the influence of temperature and pressure through matrices.

The semi-finished product, which is obtained after processing the raw materials through an extruder, foams due to a significant pressure drop and chemical changes occurring in the processed mass. The finished sticks become porous, after which powdered sugar is added to them, and the product is ready for packaging.

When deciding to occupy a niche in the food products industry, it is important to choose a product that is in high demand among consumers. In addition, having limited financial capabilities, it is advisable to choose a direction in which investments will be reduced as much as possible. Products such as corn sticks fully meet all these criteria. If you buy equipment for the production of corn sticks, arrange supplies of high-quality raw materials and think through ways to sell the finished product, you can achieve high incomes.

Our business assessment:

Starting investments – from 700,000 rubles.

Market saturation is low.

The difficulty of starting a business is 6/10.

Corn sticks are a product belonging to the category of breakfast cereals. Recently in Russia there has been a tendency towards a significant increase in its consumption.

The popularity of corn sticks among the population, as well as the simplicity of the technology, make this business attractive for a novice entrepreneur. And the organization of the mini-workshop itself implies the production of high-quality products, packaged in bags of 50 and 150 grams. Manufacturers today have a great opportunity to launch their own food enterprise, which will quickly recoup all investments. By experimenting with flavors and packaging design, you can sell finished products both wholesale and retail.
But how are corn sticks made? And what needs to be taken into account when launching a workshop?

Process of releasing corn sticks

An important advantage of the planned business is the simple technology for the production of corn sticks. All stages of production here are carried out using special equipment, and therefore the share of manual labor is reduced to a minimum.
The technology for making corn sticks involves mixing raw materials in certain proportions and further thermal and mechanical processing. But despite the simplicity of the steps, it is the product recipe that plays a big role here. The taste and quality characteristics of the sticks will ultimately depend on the ratio of the components. And since every operating enterprise keeps secret the ratio of all substances used, a qualified technologist should be hired for production, who will experiment with the recipe, and in the future will control the process of producing sticks, monitoring the input raw materials and technological regimes.

In general, the corn sticks production line processes the following raw materials:

• corn grits,
• powdered sugar,
• sunflower oil,
• salt,
• water.

To reduce the cost of producing corn sticks, it is worth agreeing with suppliers on wholesale supplies of raw materials. And it’s great if the bases are located as close to the workshop as possible.

Workshop technical equipment

Extruder for the production of corn sticks

To launch uninterrupted production of corn sticks, it is important to purchase high-quality equipment that meets all the norms and requirements of the food industry. There shouldn’t be any problems with this, since there are plenty of offers for technical equipment on the market. And the main selection criteria here come down to an analysis of the planned sales volumes and the amount of starting capital.

The standard equipment of the line includes the following names of machines and devices:

• mixers for bulk and liquid components,
• dispensers,
• sugar mill,
• sifter

In addition to the production line, you will need to purchase a packaging machine. However, more expensive lines are also equipped with it.

The final price of equipment for corn sticks varies widely, depending on the type of extruder and power. For example, a line with a capacity of up to 30 kg/h, which includes a single-screw extruder for corn sticks, costs ≈500,000 rubles. More powerful lines (up to 250 kg/h), with a twin-screw extruder, will cost much more - up to 2,500,000 rubles.

It is advisable to equip a mini-workshop with low-power equipment, since at first it will be difficult to sell large batches of finished products.

A small-sized machine for the production of corn sticks will not require large areas. An area of ​​60 m2 is sufficient to accommodate the line. But in the workshop it is additionally necessary to provide premises for warehouses and staff rooms.

How much profit will the business bring?

Some time before opening your own production of corn sticks in Russia, it is important to plan distribution channels for finished products. And since the entrepreneur’s profit will directly depend on sales, we rely specifically on wholesale customers.

But this comes with many problems:

• Large hypermarket chains, as a rule, sell only branded products.
• Hypermarkets sometimes set fees that are unaffordable for small businesses “for the opportunity to be represented on the shelves.”

Therefore, when planning a small enterprise, it is better to try to conclude agreements with wholesale grocery stores or small regional stores.

The business plan for the production of corn sticks must also include calculations of the profitability of the enterprise. And how quickly the workshop will recoup all costs and reach “0” will largely depend on the investments made.

To register a workshop, buy an extruder for the production of corn sticks, prepare the premises for work and purchase raw materials, you will need at least 1,000,000 rubles. If you think about buying a supported production line, then 700,000 rubles will be enough. As for profit, everything will depend on the volume of production and the pricing policy of a particular region. On average, a small package of sticks costs 8-12 rubles on the wholesale market. The cost of the product is at least 40-60% lower.

Research raw material prices and competition in your region. Demand for corn sticks is stable. But you will have to fight for markets. The cost largely depends on the price of raw materials. It is important to find reliable suppliers before starting production and draw up a business plan based on their proposals.

Main risks

The demand for corn sticks does not depend on the season and other factors. The instability of raw material prices poses a certain danger. They largely depend on weather conditions and corn yields. If you plan to supply supplies outside of one region, it makes sense to create a business in the climate zones most suitable for growing this crop.

Significant risks are associated with logistics. Competition in this area is quite high, therefore, the search for new markets must be very active. You can win the hearts of customers only with the help of impeccable quality and serious investments in an advertising campaign.

Location

Ideally, you should look for free space on the territory of food factories. These premises are best suited to the requirements of the production of corn sticks. If there are none in your region, abandoned factories and warehouse complexes will do. In many cases, entrepreneurs rent a plot of land and build prefabricated buildings and sandwich panels. Experts recommend choosing this option if the estimated costs of repairing and bringing the building into compliance with SES standards exceed 250,000 rubles.

To organize a workshop with a capacity of 30 kg of corn sticks per hour, a room of 60 m² is sufficient - such an area is indicated in the technical documentation of production lines of similar capacity. A warehouse of raw materials requires a room of about 25 m², a similar area will be required for a warehouse of finished products. According to sanitary standards, utility rooms for employees should be equipped, the minimum area is 20 m².

If we talk about location, convenient transportation and equal distance from suppliers of raw materials and buyers are important. As a rule, it is profitable to open production in the suburbs of megacities and regional centers.

Equipment

The production line for making corn sticks consists of the following machines:

Mixer for preparing cereals;
extruder;
mill and dispenser for powdered sugar;
overpass;
apparatus for cooking and supplying oil;
vibrating sieving tray;
coating drum;
filling machine;
band conveyer.

The cost of the line largely depends on the performance of the extruder. If you plan to start with a volume of 30 kg of sticks per hour, the price of the equipment will be about 450,000 rubles. Installation and setup costs 100,000 rubles.

You will need a truck, since the manufacturer takes care of delivery of the products. In general, full production equipment will cost approximately 600,000-700,000 rubles.

Technology

Corn grits are cleaned of impurities on a vibrating tray. Then add salt at the rate of 1% of the total amount of the mixture. If the moisture content of the cereal is less than 12-13%, water is added before loading the salt. Then the mixture goes into an extruder to make corn sticks. The finished products are fed into the installation for applying additives - powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanillin, vegetable oil. Then the finished corn sticks go into the packaging machine. There they are packaged.

Raw material consumption for the production of 1 ton of corn sticks:

Cereals – 720 kg;
butter – 130 kg;
powdered sugar and additives – 130 kg;
salt – 7 kg.

Personnel

The most important person in production is the technologist. This person monitors the quality of raw materials and adherence to technology. Also, his responsibilities include developing new recipes. Despite the fact that the basic manufacturing technology is standard and largely depends on the quality and serviceability of the equipment, you can experiment with flavoring additives.

To service the production line in one shift, 4 people are enough:

2 operators;
1 service technician;
1 loader.

Also, you should hire storekeepers - for the warehouse of raw materials and finished products. Even in a small production of corn sticks, one accountant will not be able to cope with the full amount of work; it is necessary to hire at least 2 qualified specialists.

An active marketing policy and searching for new customers is the most important factor in the success of your enterprise. An experienced manager who will be responsible for this area of ​​work should be invited from the very beginning.

If you have your own transport, drivers and loaders are needed to deliver finished products.

Documents and licenses

The peculiarities of organizing the production of corn sticks allow you to register a business in the form of an individual entrepreneur or a legal entity. OKVED codes – 52.27.39; 52.1.

The premises and equipment are assessed by sanitary services and fire supervision. It is important to ensure effective ventilation, proper drainage and reliable electrical wiring necessary for the operation of the equipment.

The production of corn sticks does not require mandatory licensing. But to obtain certificates, it is necessary to draw up documentation on technical conditions and processes and go through the registration procedure. To carry out this work, you should hire specialists who are familiar with the topic and have extensive experience in passing all stages of certification.

Marketing

All manufacturers strive to get a large chain of grocery stores as a client. But this is not easy to achieve:

There is no point in refusing to cooperate with large wholesale buyers. Simply expect a long road to getting your first contract. First, it’s worth establishing sales to local stores, bread stalls, and fast food establishments. An excellent move is to create your own distribution network for corn sticks in local markets. Outbound trade made it possible to popularize the product and provided sales to many beginning and small producers of corn sticks. This is a proven implementation method.

Massive media advertising is expensive. But at the start, while you are setting up production and do not have full confidence in your ability to provide consistently large volumes of products, it is not needed. Print out colorful brochures and distribute them to small wholesale customers. Promotions and prize draws work great.

The most important point is quality and innovation. If you develop original and tasty supplements, including vitamin ones, your products will be searched for purposefully. It is worth expanding the range through the production of corn pillows, flakes and other popular products.

Profitability

The initial investment in organizing the activities of the enterprise, including the creation of inventory and an advertising campaign, is about 1,000,000 rubles. A reserve of funds should be provided to cover current and unforeseen expenses for 3 months of work.

A production line with a capacity of 30 kg of corn sticks per hour produces 240 kg per shift. At 100% load, monthly output is 60 tons.

The cost of production of 1 ton of corn sticks, taking into account raw materials, packaging materials, wages and energy costs, on average, is 30,000 rubles. The wholesale price of 1 ton of corn sticks is 100,000 rubles. Your monthly revenue will be 6,000,000 rubles. After deducting taxes, transport and other current expenses, the net profit will be 4,500,000-5,000,000 rubles.

Summary

The production of corn sticks is highly profitable. With 100% utilization and established sales channels, payback is achieved within 18 months.

• How to start a corn sticks business?
• What do you need to start producing corn sticks?
• Documents required for the organization of production
• Requirements for a production facility
• Staff
• Financial business plan

The correct choice of the type of business is the main factor influencing its successful promotion. If you choose food products, the likelihood of success is guaranteed. And if these products, moreover, are made practically out of thin air, a project that will generate profit will be guaranteed to be 100% successful. An example of this type of activity for beginners can be considered business idea for the production of corn sticks. In corn sticks, the proportion of air is 70%! The corn mixture in it has a share of only 30%. The demand for such products is constantly high, since not only kids want to pamper themselves with tasty, aromatic, crispy sticks. Adults love them no less. The technical process of making corn sticks is not complicated, the technology has been worked out, and there should be no pitfalls. Therefore, investments in such a business will be recouped quickly, and it will definitely be profitable.

How to start a corn stick business?

The first and most important issue that needs to be resolved very responsibly is the choice of equipment. You can get burned with low-quality equipment even at the start, since the entire operation of the enterprise opened by a newcomer will depend on its performance.

Today, a huge variety of equipment for the production of corn sticks is offered. Do not opt ​​for Chinese cars. Of course, good examples of such equipment are produced in China, but very often, under the guise of Chinese machines, low-quality equipment made “on the knee in the basement” is sold. You need to buy equipment from proven companies that have been working in the market for a long time. This choice will allow you to have a guarantee for the supplied equipment and the possibility of its service and repair by qualified personnel.

Western equipment can also not be considered, its prices are high, and it will take a very long time to pay for itself. Among domestic manufacturers today there are quite a few whose products are of high quality and reasonable prices.

What do you need to start the production of corn sticks?

The production equipment consists of stick production line and packing machine. The purchased equipment is usually installed turnkey in production by specialists from the manufacturing company. Therefore, there should be no problems with setting up a workshop for the production of corn sticks.

Raw materials:

• corn grits;
• salt;
• sugar;
• sunflower oil.

Equipment:

• extruder with coating complex;
• packaging machine;
• belt conveyor;
• mixer (preparation of cereals);
• oil supply apparatus;
• vibrating tray;
• dispenser with mill (for powdered sugar);
• packaging machine.

The production of sticks can be fully automated. The quality of the product and its uniformity, taste characteristics can be ensured by the settings of the production line. It should be taken into account that such a line can be designed for round-the-clock continuous operation. The main thing is to ensure proper care of the equipment, carry out scheduled maintenance and repairs, and then you can operate it for many years.

You can choose a powerful line; in one shift it will produce up to 1 ton of finished product (about 120 kg/hour). In this case, the power consumption will be up to 30 kW hour. An extrusion line with such productivity can cost almost 1 million 500 thousand rubles.

It is still better for a novice entrepreneur to purchase a line with low productivity - up to 30 kg/hour. Such a complex will cost about 450,000 rubles. Installation and adjustment work - 100,000 rubles.

You also need to have your own transport to transport raw materials and products. To fully equip a small production facility, you will have to spend about 1 million rubles. You can achieve a stable income in about six months.

Documents required for organizing production

For launching a corn sticks production project You can register as an individual entrepreneur or a legal entity . OKVED for the production of corn sticks– 52.27.39, 52.1. Before starting work, you need to obtain permission from the SES and fire department.

This type of business is not subject to licensing.

In addition, you need to draw up documents for production - develop technological regulations and register them.

Requirements for production premises

It is advisable to choose premises on the territory of existing food factories. They are well adapted for this type of activity. If there is no such production nearby, warehouse premises will do.

It is important to pay attention to good ventilation in the production area. To carry out sanitary and hygienic procedures, you need to find a room with connected communications - water, energy supply.

For a small workshop with a stick productivity of 30 kg/hour, you need about 30 sq.m., the same amount is needed for a raw materials warehouse and the same amount for finished products. It is necessary to provide a living room for workers; its minimum area must be at least 20 sq.m.

Staff

For production, it is necessary to hire the required number of workers in accordance with the operating mode of the new production. If the production of corn sticks will be carried out in one shift, it is necessary to hire:

• extrusion line maintenance worker – 2 people;
• loader;
• packer

If a novice entrepreneur deals with product sales issues himself, there is no need to hire an intelligent sales manager. You can also do your accounting yourself.

Financial business plan

In online stores you can buy corn sticks in bulk at an average price of 100 rubles/kg by weight. Packaged sticks are sold for 350 rubles/kg. Accordingly, the cost of a ton of produced products will be, depending on the type of packaging, from 100,000 to 350,000.

To make one ton of corn sticks it costs:

• corn grits – 720 kg;
• powdered sugar – 130 kg;
• salt – 7 kg;
• sunflower oil – 130 l.

It is necessary to take into account monthly expenses for wages, taxes, and the creation of a stock of raw materials.

The line can produce 240 kg of sticks daily. During the year, the production will produce 60 tons of products worth 6 million rubles. The business project will pay for itself in approximately 3 months. Production profitability will be 25% according to plan.

Before organizing any business, it is worth finding out whether it is relevant in the consumer market or not. The production of corn sticks may not be a very relevant business, since the products are not among the necessary products for every day. At the same time, the consumption market for this product is growing steadily, it is in demand, and children and adults willingly buy it.

Brief business analysis:
Costs of setting up a business: up to 1 million rubles
Relevant for cities with the population:from 100 thousand people
Industry situation:average competition
Difficulty of organizing a business: 2/5
Payback: up to 1.5 years

Children love them as a tasty, sweet dessert; adults use them as a snack with milk or kefir. Corn sticks as breakfast cereals have been familiar to more than one generation in our country, since their production began in the USSR. Even then this product was very popular.

Starting with small capacities, over time the entrepreneur can expand the range and produce additional similar products from the category of breakfast cereals. The main factor for the successful development of this business is the presence of stable sales channels for products and 100% utilization of production capacity.

To organize a business producing corn breakfasts, you need reliable information about the product market, reliable suppliers of raw materials, and the required amount of start-up capital. You can collect and analyze information through a business plan. It must reflect the state of the local and regional market in relation to products and competitors and real opportunities to occupy a niche in this business.

In a business plan, it is necessary to work out each stage:

• business registration;
• selection of premises and its preparation;
• purchase and installation of necessary equipment;
• selection of specialists and workers to service production;
• justification of the chosen technology;
• marketing, establishing product sales channels;
• calculations of costs and return on production.

Business registration

The best option for registering a business is an individual entrepreneur, with OKVED codes – 52.27.39; 52.1. The manufacture of products in the form of corn sticks is not subject to mandatory licensing. But it is required to obtain the appropriate certificates for the products manufactured, so it is necessary to have a package of documents according to the technical specifications. To carry out the technological process, approvals from the sanitary and fire services are required.

Workshop room

The best option for locating a workshop may be production areas that previously operated various food shops. Premises adapted for food production are also suitable.

No less attractive is the option of building your own prefabricated industrial building from sandwich panels. The costs of this construction quickly pay off and your own premises become more profitable than renting the same space.

For a production workshop with a small productivity of up to 30 kg of products per hour, a room of 60 m² is sufficient. For a warehouse, another 30 m² is needed, for utility rooms - 20 m². All communications must be installed for all premises, from water supply to ventilation.

The essence of the technological process for producing corn sticks is the processing of small grains in a special unit called an extruder. In addition to this machine, the production line includes other equipment:

• mixer for corn grits;
• powdered sugar mill;
• dispensers;
• overpass;
• oil supply apparatus;
• screening plant;
• pan for panning;
• apparatus for packaging products;
• band conveyer.

The production capacity and cost of the entire production line mainly depends on the extruder options:

• unit with a capacity of up to 30 kg of corn products per hour;
• single screw extruder producing up to 100 kg of product per hour;
• twin screw extruder, with a capacity of up to 250 kg of product per hour.

Both domestic and imported equipment are presented on the Russian market.

Production technology

In accordance with the technological stages, the process of making sticks from corn grits looks like this:

• The cereal is cleaned on a vibrating tray.
• Then salt is added to it (1% of the total amount of the mixture).
• At a small percentage of humidity, water is added to the cereal and the entire volume is mixed.
• The resulting mixture enters an extruder, heated to 170°C-190°C. The mixture, under the influence of temperature and steam pressure, increases in volume, turning into a plastic mass. It is squeezed out under pressure into the outlet of the extruder, turning into a foam-like mass, multiplied in volume. A knife configured for periodic movements cuts off the squeezed-out air sticks, which are carried by a current of air to the receiver, where they are dried.
• The finished sticks are moved to a coating unit for adding additives: powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanillin, vegetable oil.
• Then comes the last stage - packing the sticks into packages using a filling machine.

To obtain one ton of corn products, the following main ingredients are required:

• corn grits – 720 kg;
• Sunflower oil – 130 kg;
• powdered sugar – 130 kg;
• salt – 7 kg.

Attention! Despite the simple recipe and fast technological process, the production of sticks has its own nuances. The ratio of products included in the recipes for their preparation is of great importance. Their taste depends on this. Therefore, it is important that this process be under the control of an experienced specialist - a technologist.

Supply of raw materials

The quality of the finished product directly depends on the quality of corn grits. In order for the supply of raw materials to be constant, it is necessary to establish cooperation with manufacturers of corn grits. In Russia, the production of corn and corn grits is carried out in the southern regions: Krasnodar, Stavropol Territories, and the Black Earth Regions.

Staff

In the technological process of a small workshop it is necessary to involve several specialists:

• extruder operators – 3 people for shift work.
• Technologist.
• Mechanics of a production line.
• Warehouse workers.
• Packers.
• Car driver.

In addition to these employees, the company's staff requires: an accountant, a sales manager, a marketer, and a production manager.

Marketing and sales channels

Cooperation between a small company producing corn sticks and chain stores or large grocery stores is not profitable, since they charge a high percentage for shelf space. In addition, they are reluctant to cooperate with unknown manufacturers. A good option would be to establish connections with small grocery stores and cafes. But the best option is to create your own retail outlets in shopping centers, markets, etc.

To promote products, it is necessary to use different marketing methods: outdoor advertising, bright packaging, advertising campaigns in local media, booklets for small wholesale buyers.

Competition in this type of business is quite high, therefore, it is necessary to actively search for new markets, using serious investments in an advertising campaign.

Costs and return on business

Initial investments in organizing a business, including the purchase of raw materials, equipment, and advertising campaigns, can amount to about 1,000,000 rubles. This amount is distributed as follows:

• The cost of the production line depends on the power of the extruder. A line designed for small volumes of products can cost about 750,000 rubles.
• Installation and setup will cost another 100,000 rubles.
• The purchase of raw materials for one month of work, with a consumption of 60 tons, will cost 120,000 rubles.

Direct costs for producing one ton of product:

• raw materials - from 20 thousand rubles.
• Packaging materials - from 5 thousand rubles.
• Salary for core workers - from 300 thousand rubles
• Payment of utilities – 50 thousand rubles.

The cost of producing one ton of corn products will be about 60,000 rubles (taking into account the costs of purchasing raw materials, packaging, wages and utility costs). The wholesale price of one ton of sweet sticks is 100,000 rubles.

A production line with a capacity of 30 kg of product per hour produces 240 kg per shift. At full capacity, the monthly output of corn sticks will be 60 tons.
The annual income from product sales will be 6,000,000 rubles. After deducting all expenses, net profit will be 4,500,000-5,000,000 rubles.

So, the production of corn sticks is a fairly profitable business, with a payback of 1.5 years, in which it is worth investing. But having decided to tackle it, you need to take into account the nuances raised in the article.

How are corn sticks made?