+ 44 (0) 1400 283090
Bühler invites to virtual interpack tradeshow |
| The interpack tradeshow in Düsseldorf, Germany, is an important milestone for the consumer foods industry, taking place every three years. As is the case with many events and tradeshows in the last weeks, interpack has been postponed in order to mitigate the risk of spreading the coronavirus. The show was originally scheduled from May 7-13, 2020. Customers should keep the dates May 11-15, 2020, in their schedule, as Bühler will invite to a virtual interpack under the motto “Creating food sensations” with digital showrooms, chats, and webinars to present its latest technologies and solutions. |
 “The interpack 2020, like many tradeshows around the world, has been cancelled to keep people safe and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. This cautionary decision is a positive step for the health and safety of our customers and employees,” says Germar Wacker, CEO of Bühler’s Consumer Foods business. “The current challenges require us to explore new ways of reaching out and preparing for the future. In this case by running events digitally and discovering the potential of virtual events. We ask all our customers and interested people to keep the interpack dates in their calendars,” he adds. Within the next days, Bühler will invite everyone who had planned to travel to Düsseldorf to join the company’s virtual booth online, get inspired by new end-product compositions, meet Bühler experts and sales people in chat rooms, or enter technical presentations online. “There are so many challenges and opportunities in the consumer foods market today that deserve new solutions,” says Germar Wacker. “We want to invite all our customers to explore these solutions in a completely new, virtual format which also allows for individual discussion.”
Bühler presents new sustainable, energy-efficient solutions At interpack, Bühler planned to showcase its full range of processing solutions along the entire value chain. Under the motto “Creating food sensations”, the aim was to inspire customers with innovative end products, from chocolate mass to enrobed baked goods, from molded products to wafers and biscuits. Sustainable innovations that help reduce waste, water, and energy usage in the bakery, chocolate, confectionery and roasting industries would have been presented to encourage visitors to contribute to a better future.
At the same time, Bühler wanted to showcase new solutions for food safety, healthy ingredients, and higher efficiency. Since the last interpack three years ago, Bühler has put immense efforts and investments into innovation to meet the growing requirements of the market and of its customers, for example with significantly higher energy-efficient solutions and less waste.
Bühler’s interpack solutions to be presented in the virtual space With last week’s announcement of the interpack cancellation, it will not be possible to present these solutions physically and to meet face-to-face with customers. “Though the news that interpack has been cancelled means that we will not showcase our latest innovations to customers in person, we will take this occasion to focus on digital communication alternatives, virtual presentations, and online conversations to keep our customers fully up-to-date,” says Wacker. “In every challenge is an opportunity. In a world of change, perhaps we will discover that virtual tradeshows offer efficient, impressive, and modern platforms to communicate and exchange about the developments and the state-of-the art solutions for a prosperous future of the consumer food markets.” Bühler is pleased to welcome customers in a virtual space from May 11-15, 2020. Further information will follow shortly. |
Company Shop Group spearheads innovation and growth in surplus stock redistribution
Company Shop Group spearheads innovation and growth in surplus stock redistribution
Company Shop Group, the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus food and household products, has announced a significant increase in the amount of stock it has saved from going to waste – including 8% growth in non-food items such as household products, personal items and homeware.
The news comes a week after industry body WRAP confirmed a 96% increase in food surplus redistribution across the industry between 2015 and 2018, equivalent to an extra 65 million meals a year – much of which was handled by Company Shop. In 2019 alone, the Group, which encompasses commercial redistribution business Company Shop and award-winning social enterprise, Community Shop, redistributed 25,179 tonnes of surplus food and drink – equivalent to 60 million meals.
The announcement also follows the release of the Group’s latest impact report, Corporate Surplus Responsibility, which tracks, recognises and celebrates the sustainable environmental, economic and social impact delivered by Company Shop Group across the industry and within the communities it serves across the UK.
The impact of the Group’s success has hugely benefited the 144,929 members who have passed through the Company Shop and Community Shop doors. Members, who work in food manufacturing, NHS and emergency services saved, on average, 53% off the normal retail price on their shopping with the Group. This resulted in a massive saving of £53m across the membership base, helping to stretch hard-working family budgets by providing high-quality, low cost products.
Celebrating the transformative social impact delivered by the pioneering redistribution model, the report also highlighted how the Group had supported over 6,259 community households in the last five years, through the life-changing work provided by Community Shop. The transformative model, powered by the donation of surplus stock from the industry, is building stronger individuals and more confident communities. Over 90% of members have reported that they are eating more healthily; have experienced improvements in their physical wellbeing and feel more confident about money. Through Community leadership programmes, they are also connecting groups of motivated individuals who can negotiate and plan to make a long term difference in their own communities.
Over the last decade, the Group reported it has returned well over £125 million to the industry by purchasing surplus stock from the FMCG supply chain. In the last year alone, Company Shop paid its retail and manufacturing partners over £18.2 million by unlocking valuable surplus stock within the waste stream.
Reflective of the Group’s significant expansion over the last 12 months, with the opening of its first Scottish store in Renfrew, the substantial extension of its Corby superstore and the launch of its first social supermarket in the North West in Halton, the Group is now an employee of choice for over 837 colleagues across England and Scotland.
John Marren, Chairman and Founder Company Shop Group:
“Since our last impact report, I challenged everyone, including myself, to do more to be the best we can be for our industry, our people and our planet. I am incredibly proud and grateful for what we have achieved at Company Shop Group over the last year, as evidenced with our Corporate Surplus Responsibility report, and I remain very excited about what is still to come.
“It has been a phenomenal year for us, having won our second Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category and most recently opening three new sites at the close of 2019. We therefore have more stock, more stores and more members at the top of our agenda for 2020 and I look forward to working with all our colleagues and industry partners to keep increasing our impact, as we aim for extraordinary every day.”
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive Officer of the British Retail Consortium, said:
“Similarly to the BRC, Company Shop Group has been at the forefront of the sustainable business agenda for over 50 years, helping retailers, manufacturers and brands redefine and minimise waste at every stage of their processes. Where the supply chain faces challenges with their surplus, Company Shop Group has long been providing solutions.
“The 2019 sustainability report demonstrates how Company Shop Group has been dynamic and responsive to the increasing demand from industry. This is a celebration of the positive impact of great partners and collaborations and I urge the industry to keep working together to help build the more sustainable future we all strive for.”
Erudus launch API Integration with ERP software house Merlin
Erudus launch API Integration with ERP software house Merlin
Erudus have teamed up with ERP software house Merlin for an API integration that will streamline the communication of nutritional and allergen data to even more businesses across the ever-growing foodservice landscape.
With the introduction of new regulations and legislation such as Natasha’s Law, the demand for up-to-date, accurate and honest food data is set to rocket and Merlin join a growing number of API integration partners Erudus are excited to be working with to streamline and simplify the communication of such data.
Ashley Jones, Sales and Marketing Director of Merlin says: “The food and drink distribution industry has been a key market sector for us since the early days of the business, and we’ve recognised the vital importance for our customers to have instant access to accurate and up to date product information on ingredients and allergens; so we jumped at the chance to develop an Erudus integration.”
Erudus hope that Merlin having their data on tap will not only help attract new business but will also save their existing customers hours of time each month by having access to a single source of accurate information that would otherwise be spent manually importing data.
Erudus COO Jon Shayler explains “Integration partnerships allow us to push food product data even further across the industry, supporting brands, wholesalers and caterers alike. It’s a time-consuming process for the foodservice chain to manage product specification data and exploring options with companies such as Merlin allows us to reach more people and make their life easier.”
Phil Nicholson, Sales & Marketing Manager of foodservice Wholesaler Q Catering, who use both Erudus and Merlin software says “Our office and telesales team are frequent users [of Erudus], and now that the API link has pulled through relevant allergen and nutritional data and imagery into Merlin, they are in a position where they can answer product questions literally at the click of a button. Reps in the field benefit from the same luxury, as they can research product data whilst using Merlin – instead of having to open up Erudus separately or make unnecessary telephone calls to colleagues. It also helps us greatly in our advancement towards online ordering and a transactional web presence.”
Bühler appoints Irene Mark-Eisenring as new Chief HR Officer effective September 1, 2020
Bühler appoints Irene Mark-Eisenring as new Chief HR Officer effective September 1, 2020
Irene Mark-Eisenring will take charge of Bühler’s Executive Board function of Chief Human Resources Officer from Dipak Mane effective September 1, 2020. Dipak Mane is stepping out of this function to pursue other important management tasks within the organization, supporting the CEO and the Executive Board.
Irene Mark-Eisenring will begin her new role as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Executive Board Member as of September 1, 2020. “The skills and qualifications of our employees, their commitment, and their passion are essential for Bühler as a technology company. We are extremely happy to have found Irene Mark-Eisenring as an experienced leader and human resources expert for this key function. She is the right personality to shape the future of our work for, and with, our people for the next phase of our company,” says CEO Stefan Scheiber.
“I am assuming this function with great motivation,” says Irene Mark-Eisenring. Bühler has a long and successful history in the training, education, and development of its own people and also in providing training for its customers. The company is well positioned to evolve along with the new opportunities and challenges that digitalization and other trends present. “I look forward to working with the global Human Resources team to further develop the attractiveness of Bühler as an employer and to create tangible value for our customers and for the company on the basis of our highly-skilled and dedicated workforce. Our people are key for the future success of Bühler,” Irene Mark-Eisenring adds.
Broad human resources background
Irene Mark-Eisenring joined Bühler in 2016 as Head of Corporate Personnel Development. She has been responsible for setting and implementing strategies in the fields of global human resources (HR) development, HR marketing and employer branding, talent and performance management, strategic recruiting, and Diversity & Inclusion. Irene Mark-Eisenring has a broad human resources background, with a 20-year track record of managing HR projects and holding leading HR roles, primarily in the financial industry. She graduated in Business Administration from the University of Applied Sciences in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and has expanded her studies with additional diplomas in personnel management, profiling, psychology, and project management. Irene Mark-Eisenring is also on the local Board of the Business & Professional Women Network Eastern Switzerland.
Dipak Mane will continue to support CEO and Executive Board
Dipak Mane has significantly contributed to increasing the market leadership position of Bühler over the past decades. Dipak Mane has held leadership roles at Bühler since 1992. As a successful business-unit manager and in building up the business for Bühler in India, he was instrumental in creating a leading position for Bühler in the market for rice processing technologies, among others. In 2015, Dipak Mane assumed the function of CHRO and member of the Executive Board. He successfully shaped Bühler’s global HR strategy over many years. At the same time, he collaborated closely with Irene Mark-Eisenring so she could take over as his successor. Dipak Mane will assume new, important management tasks within Bühler. “We owe our sincere thanks to Dipak Mane, who, in the past years, profoundly shaped the positive development of Bühler. We are excited that we can continue to count on Dipak Mane’s broad experience. And, are very happy to have found the ideal successor for him in Irene Mark-Eisenring,” says CEO Stefan Scheiber.
Customs Clearance Consortium Attracts International Attention
Customs Clearance Consortium Attracts International Attention
A meeting of the Customs Clearance Consortium, created last year by supply chain specialists Oakland Invicta specifically to address the shortage of Customs agent capacity, attracted an international delegation from sectors including food, automotive, pharmaceutical, manufactured goods, footwear, clothing, retail products and general cargo.
Representatives from the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Lithuania and Germany joined Consortium founder members for the meeting in Birmingham, with the Consortium’s appeal quickly growing as a way of steering through the customs processes due to change when the UK leaves Europe.
Oakland Invicta Commercial Director Robert Hardy commented: “We’ve spent two years talking to European logistics providers large and small, who all share the same Brexit issues and concerns. The Customs Clearance Consortium was launched specifically as a solution to address the extra customs processes created by Brexit.”
As well as leading the Consortium, Robert’s vast experience covers running the largest 24hr Customs freight station in the UK, Freight Director of P&O Ferries handling two million truck movements per year and as Commercial Director of EurotunnelPlus, with one million truck movements per year. Developing its young team of university experts who hold a BSc in Mathematics, MSc in Economics and a BSc in Travel and Tourism, training is ongoing both internally and with the UK Customs Academy, the team is already at level 4 in the Academy programme and working towards its Master of Customs Administration qualification by the summer.
Added Robert: “Our wide knowledge of the Customs processes means we’re in a unique position to bring key industry players together and we have the capacity to deal with this additional volume. We estimate we could be handling in excess of 5,000 transactions per day.
“The Consortium’s experience in this arena puts us ahead and delivers a number of advantages including capacity, reduced pricing and peace of mind, with members encouraged to work together to create transport and warehousing solutions across Europe and covers most trade sectors.
“Understanding Customs is one thing but understanding how to apply those processes on the ground is a skill. We often say, having the ingredients doesn’t make you a chef! Businesses need to be ready. Do not think that a Boris deal will mean no paperwork. It’s essential to understand ‘incoterms’ and their impact on trade and the customs processes.”
Robert Hardy is set to speak in Ireland, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic.
2ZERO20 – AN UPDATE ON OUR COMMITMENT
2ZERO20 – AN UPDATE ON OUR COMMITMENT
In June 2018, Brakes made a number of packaging commitments including the removal of hard-to-recycle problematic plastics from its supply chain by the end of 2020.
Hugo Mahoney, Brakes CEO, highlights some of the achievements to date: “When we launched the 2ZERO20 commitment, we were the first foodservice wholesaler to make a pledge to remove black plastic. Since our announcement, we’ve made some fantastic progress and radically changed our supply chain approach removing more than 1,000 tonnes of hard black plastic.
“As you’d expect from the UK’s leading foodservice company we have a number of initiatives to reduce waste and our environmental impact across our supply chain, and our supplier partners are collaborating to help us achieve our goals.”
BRAKES’ 2ZERO20 PLEDGE
2018 COMMITMENT:
- Eliminate all non-recyclable hard black plastic from all our own brand products in our supply chain by 2020, starting with immediate effect with all new own brand products we introduce into the business
- Work collaboratively with industry experts and partners to find new innovative plastic solutions to replace any non-recyclable hard black plastic material we currently provide, such as ready meal trays, which cannot be identified in many recycling plants
PROGRESS:
Working with our suppliers and industry experts, we have now removed 96% of hard-to-recycle plastics by volume equating to 1,041 tonnes. The remaining SKUs are generally smaller items such as screw tops and we are on target to meet our 2ZERO20 commitment
2018 COMMITMENT:
- Introduce a clear labelling system on all future packaging to help customers improve recycling rates
PROGRESS:
Since we raised this issue, it has been taken up by the Government and we have paused activity while we await the outcomes of this. If nothing comes from Government, we will introduce our own scheme, but we would prefer to have one, clear industry scheme.
2018 COMMITMENT:
- Continually reduce other unnecessary packaging for all our customers, working with experts to identify other problematic, non-recyclable, non-reusable, non-compostable packaging and issue clear milestones to eliminate by 2025
- Work with suppliers to find alternatives to any problematic materials and unnecessary single-use items, with a focus on hard black plastics and in particular items within our catering disposables range, such as hard black plastic food containers and straws.
PROGRESS:
We have set up a Packaging Forum to share best practice and discuss potential alternatives. This is attended by a number of branded and own label suppliers as well as industry organisations. The brief for the Forum is to look beyond plastics to other problematic materials and potential solutions. We have also removed a number of lines and introduced alternatives for example wood alternatives for plastic cutlery.
We have also:
- Signed up to The UK Plastics Pact. We are the first delivered wholesaler to join, and we will contribute to four industry-united targets by 2025
Hugo Mahoney concludes: “We are very pleased with our progress to date, but we recognise that we must go further and continue to lead the industry. We are therefore committed to working to ensure that we create a better tomorrow.”
+ 44 (0) 1400 283090
