NEWS GEA technology keeping Vivera at the forefront of the vegan market F
ood technology provider GEA’s range of equipment is playing a major part in helping a manufacturer of vegetarian and vegan convenience foods to diversify and expand into new markets, supplying retailers across Europe. Vivera offers an extensive selection of vegan and vegetarian products, ranging from meat and fish mimics through to vegetable-based burgers and bites. As one of the biggest producers of plant-based products in Europe, it is vital for the company’s processing equipment supplier to be flexible and totally reliable.
First established in 1990, Dutch company Vivera quickly built up a strong working relationship with GEA, which has now been it’s technology provider for more than 30 years. With it’s rich Dutch heritage, the GEA Food Solutions unit, previously known as Convenience Food Systems (CFS) has developed a partnership with Vivera which has gone from strength to strength to produce high quality vegetarian and vegan products ever since. Over the years, Vivera has been supplied with equipment for a variety of processes and is currently trialling GEA’s forming equipment, with
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a view to creating an entirely seamless production line comprised solely of GEA technology.
Erik Tempelman, Process Technologist at Vivera has credited GEA’s food processing machinery as a key factor in the company’s spectacular growth, which has been listed as one of the top three meat alternative producers in Europe and the number one brand in its country of origin, the Netherlands. Vivera products are available in all major retailers across the UK, the Netherlands and much of Europe and the company is planning to heavily expand its production capacity and business within the next 5 years. Try before you buy
Based at GEA Food Solutions in Bakel, the Netherlands, the GEA Technology Centre has also proved instrumental in the success of developments at Vivera. Prospective and existing customers are encouraged by GEA to trial new products and equipment at the centre before making any investment. The making of emulsions, for use in Vivera’s products for example, was perfected through trials there, with Erik commenting that “They have helped us test new
Government Support Withdrawal Sparks Energy Strategy Overhaul
anufacturers are increasingly re-evaluating equipment procurement strategies following concerns expressed over winter blackouts and the planned withdrawal of government financial support.
The observation from temporary hire specialists Aggreko comes in the wake of the news that the Government is poised to reduce assistance provided on business energy bills after March. This latest announcement, combined with a recent survey from trade body Make UK stating that two-thirds of manufacturers fear blackouts this winter, has led to concerns over the continued performance of the UK national grid. With this in mind, Matt Watson, European Manufacturing Sector Export at Aggreko Europe, is highlighting the importance of looking into other technologies to help maintain power baseloads at a challenging time for industry. “The energy crisis remains a pressing and ongoing concern across all walks of life in the UK, including in the manufacturing sector,” explains Matt. “With a recession expected and support being cut, the need to safeguard production output and profitability is more important than ever. Consequently, organisations need to act and evaluate new approaches if they are to avoid an ever-worsening situation of unreliable grid supply, and knock-on effects including expensive unplanned downtime.
“In order to mitigate the pressures associated with grid constraints, alongside energy availability and pricing, equipment specifiers at manufacturing sites are exploring strategies that were previously overlooked. With ageing grid infrastructure and global factors continuing to impact financial bottom lines, one thing is clear – the manufacturing industry cannot stand still, and it is encouraging that new ways of thinking and acting are being embraced.” According to Matt, decentralised energy solutions may provide an approach that can mitigate challenges posed by grid power constraints and build site resilience. Specifically, he is advocating that business stakeholders look beyond purchasing supporting generators that may be over or under-specified for rapidly fluctuating power demand and grid provision.
“A major consequence of volatile energy costs and supplies is that businesses are finding it more difficult to plan ahead,” concludes Matt. “Consequently, manufacturers need to expand their equipment approach beyond simply purchasing generators outright. Given the large fluctuations in fuel costs and required output, such an approach may be costly in both the short- and long-term. “Instead, we would recommend organisations look at alternative strategies, including the hire of load-on-demand, combined heat and power, and battery energy storage systems. With the business landscape continuing to look challenging for manufacturers, stakeholders must work more closely with suppliers to identify solutions that not only guard against power shortfalls, but also improve overall efficiency.”
machines until we were confident that all was well.” Looking to the future
Looking ahead, Vivera expects to continue taking full advantage of all the GEA Technology Centre has to offer, as it continues to grow, and consumer demand for an increasingly varied range of vegan and vegetarian products grows with it. As well as this, current world events and financial cycles are predicted to cause significant disruption to global supply chains. Many of the company’s products use wheat and as commodity prices rise and supplies become disrupted, new sources must be found. “These new products will all have to be tested” explained Erik, and GEA has a broad range of equipment available to meet diverse processing needs. Erik Tempelman is very proud of the products his company produces. “We deliver great products and our customers are happy,” he said. “My job is to make sure we do that as efficiently as possible, with the minimum of wastage. GEA helps me do that every day and our relationship is becoming stronger and stronger.”
Half Of Warehouse Operators Struggle To Forecast Demand Heading Into 2023
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new survey commissioned by ProGlove, leader in wearable barcode scanners, has identified the ongoing struggles of warehouses trying to predict demand patterns accurately. Of those surveyed, just 39 per cent of respondents felt they could accurately predict trends and activity for the holiday season.
Forecasting demand is one of the cornerstones of successful warehouse management. Yet, 51 per cent of respondents stated that forecasting demand was their biggest inventory management concern. In order to forecast demand accurately and avoid stock surplus or shortfalls, organisations need a predictable logistics landscape. Unfortunately, 2022 was not a year for predictability, and 2023 is already continuing on a similar trajectory. The war in Ukraine, inflationary pressures and the impact of the Covid outbreak in China on global supply chains are just a few factors creating an uncertain environment for warehouses this year.
1 in 5 (19%) respondents stated they weren’t prepared for the peak holiday season in 2022. Looking ahead, less than 2 in 5 (38%) expect supply chain issues to be largely resolved next year. The research, therefore, demonstrates that warehouses must develop resilience to counteract what is expected to be a turbulent year ahead. Instead of focusing on the external factors they can’t control, organisations need to look at their internal operations and focus on what they can control.
When asked whether they felt adequately prepared for the changing retail patterns of the peak holiday season, just 12 per cent of those surveyed said they felt ‘very prepared’. Employees are looking for the tools to build preparedness from the shop floor to the C-level. By factoring external instability into their operations as a constant, businesses can move beyond fretting and look to building advanced solutions.
Ilhan Kolko, CPO of ProGlove, commented, “Resilience comes from a well- equipped, motivated and safe workforce with transparent and extensive knowledge of their roles and processes. Investing in human-centred technology, and seeking out efficiency gains built around the human worker, can provide the stability warehouses are looking for. The findings in our survey confirm what has been self-evident to those in the warehousing and logistics industry for a few years. External factors are wreaking havoc on the ability of businesses to predict demand and prepare for new challenges. Organisations need to focus on building agile and efficient processes through data-driven insights into the internal workings of the shop floor. Building certainty in the warehouse protects from uncertainty outside of it.”
FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2023 5
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