Country Maid Selects Rockwell Automation’s Plex Production Monitoring to Improve Production Visibility

September 14, 2026

By Anna Edwards, Marketing Communications Specialist

Rockwell Automation, Inc. has recently announced that Country Maid, a longstanding baked goods manufacturer known for its original Butter Braid Pastry, has selected Plex Production Monitoring as part of its digital transformation strategy to improve production visibility, standardize operational reporting and support continuous improvement initiatives across its manufacturing operations.

The implementation is being supported by Interstates, a Rockwell Automation Platinum System Integrator, and Van Meter, an electrical, automation and technology solutions provider.

As Country Maid evaluated options to modernize its production environment, the company identified several operational challenges:

• Limited real-time visibility into production performance across key production lines.
• No centralized system for downtime tracking and operational notes, making root-cause analysis more difficult.
• Employee turnover left inconsistencies in production knowledge, documentation and performance expectations.

Country Maid selected Plex Production Monitoring for its ability to provide real-time visibility into equipment status, downtime events, production rates and other key operational metrics.

Since the implementation, Country Maid has:

• Increased operational connectivity by digitally connecting production equipment.
• Introduced real-time Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) dashboards that reduce manual reporting.
• Deployed virtual display boards to improve communication during production shifts.
• Improved uptime and downtime tracking accuracy and visibility into operational performance.

“Plex is helping us create a more connected, data-driven operation where teams can identify issues faster, make better decisions, and continuously improve performance,” shared Marc Banwart, director of engineering and technology, Country Maid.

Country Maid also integrated Plex Production Monitoring with FactoryTalk Batch to automate production data collection and improve reporting accuracy. “Manufacturers need timely, accurate production data to make better operational decisions,” said Stacy Feeley, industry portfolio manager, Rockwell Automation. “With Plex Production Monitoring, Country Maid is creating a more connected manufacturing environment that gives teams greater visibility into performance and support ongoing improvement across its operations.”

Looking ahead, Country Maid plans to expand Plex Production Monitoring to additional work centers and continue identifying opportunities to improve operational performance across its facilities.