UK’s 24-7 food distribution sector keeps Wolf UK’s packaging machines rolling
Date：2019-08-19
The demands of a 24-7 food distribution UK market is driving investment in sophisticated packaging machinery, according to Wolf Packaging.
The parent Wolf Group is a leading global manufacturer of commercial vertical and horizontal form fill and seal packaging machines for food and non-food products, and received orders for over 300 machines worldwide in 2018, with profitable revenue exceeding €30m.
Andy Neal, managing director, Wolf UK, who set the company up in December 2017, said automation is driven by the requirement for consistency and cost reduction.
“People are one of the biggest costs and are most effective where automation is not yet possible. With the use of automation, efficiency is increased, and data can be captured which adds value to the traceability process.”
Neal has been involved in the European packaging sector for many years and recognises that each region has its own unique characteristics.
“The UK is a 24-7 food distribution market which places particular demands on the manufacturers. Not all markets have this challenge.”
He said the UK food retail sector changes pack formats and designs to gain perceived competitive advantage. Wolf’s flexibility helps in this area.
“The main retailers are very demanding and price driven. They expect innovation.
“The food industry continues to focus on traceability. It’s all about data capture and information availability. More and more packs can be individually tracked via the use of software and quality systems such as X-Ray inspection. This means individual packs can be quarantined rather than batches or whole pallets.”
Neal said that the company is working with well-known brands and is determined to expand regardless of the political environment. “Brexit hasn’t changed Wolf’s commitment to the UK market. Having a UK base can only help with this logistic challenge however Brexit is resolved.”
