PMMI’s 2022 report, “The Future of Automation in Packaging and Processing,” said that partnerships between food producers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is transitioning from the purely transactional to collaborative partnerships, an idea that OEMs are eager to embrace.

“Previously, price/ROI would have been the No. 1 (or close to No. 1) consideration when companies were choosing a supplier or a machine,” the report said. “But the age of the transactional relationship between the CPG and the OEM is giving way to one of collaboration, support and cooperation.”

Partnerships extend from setup and training through to exploration of the latest packaging materials and techniques.

“Our team of processing, baking and packaging specialists can help you develop new products, new process improvements, new packages, all in complete confidence,” said Mike McCann, packaging specialist with Reiser. “Bakers are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to collaborate.”

Mukul Shukla, vice president, North America, TNA, said TNA works to simplify integration of services and prioritizes supporting customers at all stages of growth.

“We foster long-term partnerships, considering ourselves as partners rather than mere commodity suppliers,” he said. “In addition, because we integrate everything we sell, we are able to provide invaluable insight on how customers can best utilize their investment, and inspire with new ideas for optimizing their businesses.”

Open communication and full disclosure are the hallmarks of a great relationship with OEMs, said Dennis Gunnell, president, Formost Fuji.

“The customers who are more open with information always always always get a better solution,” he said.

He cited the open communication between OEMs working on a customer’s line as one of the best innovations of those providing automation for bakers and snack makers. As companies understand technology better, learning how to work together and make better hand-offs has gotten easier.

“We hear people say, ‘I can go to this company, and they can give me everything,’ but you may not want everything they provide,” Mr. Gunnell said. “But we have the ability to communicate both up and downstream and to use similar protocols and to be on the same page. Probably the most innovative thing I’ve seen in the last few years is how you can take five or six completely different companies, put them all together and have them be seamless. To me, that is really awesome.”

He added that getting everybody on the same Zoom call or — better yet — in the same room can pay big dividends because if one OEM is having issues, keeping others informed promotes understanding and puts the other companies in a position to lend a hand if they can.

When it comes to communication between producers and OEMs, more is more.

“If we don’t listen to them and partner with them, somebody else will,” said Bill Kehrli, vice president of sales and marketing for Cavanna Packaging.

This article is an excerpt from the August 2023 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Packaging Innovations, click here.