Food: let’s become a productivity partner

Year after year, the agro-food sector is becoming increasingly important and strategic for the growth of our group: just think of dairy, meat and cold cuts, olive oil industries. There are so many business opportunities: to be more aware of them will help us meeting this challenge. A challenge that Francesco Dragotto, Manager of the Food & Detergency Business Unit, perfectly illustrated on the occasion of the last Convention, explaining what are the strengths and opportunities that the whole group should take up.

In fact, despite the overall growth in sales (driven mainly by the sale of lubricants and detergents), not all of us are working hard to improve this segment. So, it's good to know what our strengths are, so that we can make the most of it.

Let’s start from a very simple but totally true consideration: our products stand out for their quality. To this, we add a wide range of equipment and our know-how on foams, CIP (Cleaning-In-Place) applications and filtration. Without forgetting the full range of enzymes for food processing, the new range of alkaline single-phase products Dairy MPV, Securten EP and X5S Green, the acid single-phase product Celon MPB, the odourless biocides of the Percisan family. And again: filter aids for oils and recovery fats.

But we are not talking only about internal opportunities. Let's also look at the stimuli coming from outside: one of our main competitors is experiencing a phase of profound restructuring. Let’s use this opportunity to our advantage! Another inspiration comes from cleaning operations, which are increasingly considered by food companies as a part of the production process. Also, let's not forget that small competitors are having problems with the Biocide Directive.

In light of these considerations, it’s time to move forward: "We should not present AEB products" says Dragotto, "but the potential cost reduction and the optimization of times possible thanks to our products, our procedures and our equipment."

The message is clear: we must become the partner for the productivity of our customers. Let’s revolve our approach to customers: focusing on single-phase proposals based on global costs and services, formulating audits on potential customers based on the total cost economy. Not only: when we propose equipment, we can also add products for cleaning, lubrication, foam and enzymes.

A good example of how all this is possible comes from Italy, where the sales of foam-based products have registered a turnover growth of over 20% in the past three years. The secret? The perfect combination among quality products, commercial actions, partnerships with contract cleaners, ad hoc equipment, equipment-based contracts, and presence during field trials.

We can really make a difference in Food. Just believe it!