Reflections and Expectations
services | 4 mins read
January 30, 2013
Alf Taylor, tna founder and Chief Executive Officer
2012 was a successful year for tna. We celebrated 30 years in business, expanded our team, opened new offices and extended our products and services. While the global financial crisis proved to be a test for most businesses, for us it opened up a lot of new opportunities for mergers and acquisitions and enabled us to further broaden our product and customer base. As a result, we have been able to build on our existing strengths in the snack industry, as well as expand into new sectors, including confectionery, seafood, and fresh and frozen.
The key to success
Although 2012 was a resounding success for tna, unfortunately not everyone made it through the year as well as we did. A lot of companies who were able to grow and diversify their product range in a healthy market, weren’t able to survive once the economic climate had changed. Good management and excellent financial control certainly make all the difference to a business. However without a well-performing team it’s not enough to make it through a recession. At tna, we’re lucky to have a global team of amazing, dedicated people, who each perform at their best at all times. This diminished the impact of the recession and allowed us to grow where others struggled.
A growing global market
One of the most interesting aspects of the food industry at the moment is the fact that despite the recession, there seem to be high levels of capital investment across the world. Although the food packaging sector has traditionally been more stable than other industries, there always used to be one region which could be considered a hot spot for growth. However, when looking at the current situation, it becomes clear that the industry is experiencing significant growth across many regions, including Latin America, North America, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. This is obviously great news for us.
Trend towards total solutions
One of the main trends driving global growth is the demand for increased system integration. Thirty years ago customers would purchase each individual component directly from a supplier without worrying about how this would affect integration. However, over the past few years the production chain has become more automated and more processes, such as purchasing, installations and maintenance, are being outsourced. After all, our customers are food processors and not experts in a broad range of automation technologies. By outsourcing all equipment services to one total solutions provider, like tna, operators do not have to employ their own engineers and can be sure that each of their processes is dealt with by an expert.
New drivers of innovation
Automation has changed the industry significantly. Where 20 years ago the whole manufacturing floor was filled with people, today manufacturers are often looking for one flexible machine that can produce the maximum number of product types, bag sizes etc. To do so, manufacturing sites require sophisticated automation that can satisfy expectations for performance, flexibility and integration. While automation might satisfy the demands for higher performance, it does not always offer the flexibility manufacturers expect. Let’s not forget that the most flexible system in the universe is still the human being. As a packaging solutions provider, it is therefore important to develop sophisticated technologies that offer the flexible and high performance equipment that the industry needs.
At tna, we have always been at the forefront of innovation, developing the fastest VFFS packaging system in the world to satisfy demand for more efficient production, flexibility and simplicity in design. Since our acquisition of the Cadalec group in 2012, we are now also able to offer the control and integrations technology our customers need to further optimise their performance. Contact us to find out how our sophisticated packaging technology can help your processes.
Here’s to another successful year ahead!
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Alf
