WYMA EUROPE
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WYMA EUROPE
I PROFILE
Wyma Europe is a long-established business that provides technologically advanced solutions for vegetable producers to deliver quality produce from field to fork. The Czech- and UK-based company is thriving by staying fully focused on meeting customer and market requirements. Andy Probert spoke to Managing Director Jason Gerrie about Wyma’s evolution. 152 Inside food & drink
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W
ith farmers and producers experiencing ever-tightening margins, maximising produce
quality and yield whilst minimising operating costs and process waste is crucial to remaining competitive. Deriving the best crop is the field of expertise of Wyma Europe and Wyma UK. Sitting strategically in Prague (Czech Republic) with efficient links to clients across the Continent, Wyma Europe is a solutions and innovations hub; designing, project managing, manufacturing, installing and servicing complete vegetable processing, cutting and peeling lines. “As a local company, we support agricultural businesses across the EMEA region while having the backing of a globally strong parent group,” Wyma Europe’s Managing Director Jason Gerrie said. A highly innovative business, Wyma has been at the forefront of delivering new optical cutting and trimming technology into the UK, revolutionising the parsnip and carrot industry. This is as well as being the main integrator in the world’s most advanced potato processing facility recently opened in Spain. Wyma’s technology delivers significant savings operationally for clients, and performance improvements in cutting accuracy, yield, quality and compliance with supermarket requirements.
Inside food & drink 153
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editorial mention
154 Inside food & drink
WYMA EUROPE
I PROFILE
Employing 50 people, Wyma Europe has
the last three years due to greater demand
doubled the size of its Prague headquar-
for its technology. Its client base is predomi-
ters to 4,000 sqm in the last 12 months,
nantly large-scale farming operations that
and looks after clients in Europe, the
process vegetables for fresh market supply
Middle East and Africa. Its UK operation,
to leading retail chains in the UK and Europe,
near Norwich, offers sales, service sup-
and further processing companies in the
port, project management, warehousing
root vegetable industry.
for spare parts and assembly potential.
While the company has recently been acquired by MHM Automation, Mr Gerrie
‘Global-local’ approach
remained confident: “For Wyma’s clients
Founded in 1962 in New Zealand, Wyma
and partners in the EMEA region, nothing
was sold in 2001 to the Barclay family, who
has changed: it is business as usual.
transformed it from a small domestic supplier
“Now we have the support of a
to a global company. Realising the potential
much larger parent company with great
of the existing technology, the focus went
automation and robotic capabilities that
on improving the design and taking Wyma’s
will allow us to offer even better added-
equipment to the world.
value innovation to our clients.”
It recently unveiled a new state–of–the– art facility in Christchurch (New Zealand)
R&D focused
from where its staff coordinate business
Wyma’s initial breakthrough was inventing
across Australia, Asia, and the Americas.
root vegetable polishing technology,
It now has machinery operating in over
but it has gradually transitioned from a
50 nations.
product-focused to a customer focused
Having established its European operation in 2010, Wyma Europe has doubled in size in
156 Inside food & drink
solutions-based business delivering complete line integration.
“We are, and must continue to be, fully
Being market-driven, Wyma has designed
customer-centric in everything we do: pro-
and developed a complete range of prod-
viding great machinery, service and support
ucts and solutions for potatoes, carrots,
for the lifetime of that asset,” Mr Gerrie
parsnips, onions and other bulk root crops.
added. “If a client wants to build a green
“We have recently also released
field site, we can consult and engage with
new micron filtration and mud separation
them and work the entire process to a fully
technology and are developing poten-
functional operating line, or design and
tially game-changing bolt-ons to further
install lines into existing facilities.
enhance these water solutions,” Mr Gerrie
“Our approach is to be consultative – to
said. “We recognise each customer has
listen and understand customers’ needs.
different needs, produce varieties and
We look at the most efficient way to design
scales of operation. With a strong
and install lines to generate maximum
emphasis on collaboration, our team con-
yield and maximum productivity at the
figures and tailors post-harvest solutions
lowest operational cost. Energy, sustain-
to match those requirements.
ability and water management are key elements of the design process.”
“With 50 years’ experience, we still operate along a strong set of family
Inside food & drink 157
WYMA EUROPE
I PROFILE
values and continue to do so as they align with clients, who, in the majority, are family-based businesses.”
Advanced technology In the last six months, Wyma Europe has delivered the most automated fresh market potato processing site in the world for Patatas Meléndez of Spain, a leading supplier of fresh market potatoes. “It is truly a benchmark for the potato industry globally,” said Mr Gerrie. The project comprised two new Intake, washing, polishing and optical grading lines, plus distribution systems to an automated warehouse. It also provided 16 packing lines taking raw material from an automated store to the packaging systems. Another recent project was the installation of the most advanced parsnip line in the UK for Frederick Hiam Foods. Wyma implemented a two-phase project plan that initially included a completely new intake, destoning, washing, polishing, presizing, water management and recycling system. Phase two saw the installation of six Roto-Cut optical trimming systems, buffering systems and a flumed feed to the post-cut Vege-Polisher. The results have been impressive: the client has reduced water consumption by 30% and energy use by 25%. Product quality has dramatically increased with crop efficiencies rising from 60% to 95%. “The upgrades have seen a significant improvement in product uniformity and presentation to box or bag,” Mr Gerrie explained, “making parsnips more attractive to the end customer and
158 Inside food & drink
saving Frederick Hiams the cost of hand trimming to meet customer specifications.” With Wyma’s European and UK business doubling in size, its capabilities have grown significantly from a service and sales distribution hub to one that offers an enhanced suite of solutions. “We have a strong pipeline of projects for the next 24 months,” said Mr Gerrie, “and
“We have grown strongly because we
are working to double our business by
provide innovative solutions, with a cus-
2028.” Potential projects under discus-
tomer-centric view, and we work hard to
sion are based across EMEA.
achieve their objectives while fostering
“Critically important for our customers
long-term relationships. Based in the
is that we are local, in both Europe and the
Czech Republic, we are central for clients,
UK,” he added. “Our challenge has been to
with excellent distribution routes and well
change market perception that we are a
situated from a supply chain perspective.
New Zealand business selling to the world.
“We like to think we are a strong and
We are anything but. We are a European and
trusted post-harvest solutions partner,”
UK-based operation, with local expertise,
Mr Gerrie concluded, “helping clients con-
and localised relationships: we manufacture
tribute to providing fresh, healthy food to
and supply into our local markets.
consumers across the UK and Europe.” n Inside food & drink 159