Innovative solutions in meat technology

Spring 2014 Dutch company NAWI and Danish-Canadian company SFK  LEBLANC merged into one company: SFK LEBLANC. “Do not worry, nothing has  disappeared”, Sales Director Alfred Klunder and CEO Ib Nykjær state. If  anything, the merger resulted in significant synergies: more knowhow  and a broader product range. Two enthused men tell their story.

NAWI is located in Borculo (The Netherlands). From here, Danish CEO  Ib Nykjær, along with Alfred Klunder, spends part of his time  maintaining contact with the company’s five other sites in Canada,  China, Denmark, Russia and the US, and, in addition, a global network of  local agents.

What is the history of both companies?

“Originally, SFK Systems A/S was a Danish company, once started within Danish Crown as a manufacturer of pig slaughter lines”, Ib recalls. “Over 10 years ago, we became fully independent, so we are no longer linked to DC. After the acquisition of Canadian company G.E. Leblanc in 2009, we went global. G.E. Leblanc was mainly specialized in cutting and deboning solutions. In North America, they owned 60% of the market. So after the acquisition, we not only got hold of a large part of the international market, we also had the expertise to offer our customers the full spectrum of pig slaughtering solutions, from slaughter to deboning.” But the adventurous management wanted more: Serve customers in the beef sector. “That is when NAWI came into play.”

Alfred Klunder continues: “NAWI was founded in 1980 by Gerard Nabers and Frans Wittebroek. They carried out maintenance work for Coveco Borculo. One thing led to another: With our we-can-do-anything mentality, we surely but steadily expanded our activities, growing into an all-round supplier of complete slaughter lines, cutting and deboning lines and logistics solutions for cattle and pigs. We too felt the need for a broader view: we wanted to grow our company beyond our geographic borders and enter international markets. A merger with SFK LEBLANC, which already had 5 sales offices and 4 production facilities worldwide, was exactly what we were looking for.

“Geographically we were also a good match”, adds Ib. “SFK LEBLANC was already well represented in North America, but less so in Central Europe. And that is where NAWI has built a good reputation over the years.”

Isn’t it a shame then that the name NAWI disappears?

Alfred laughs: “We did not want it to disappear. After all, in Europe, NAWI is known as the expert in cattle slaughtering.  Therefore, the name NAWI will remain, not as a company name, but as a brand name for our cattle, veal and sheep solutions.”

‘So what changes is our name; what remains are our quality standards, service and expertise'

Logistics and warehousing has always been one of NAWI’s strong points as well. How does this fit into the new organization?

“Our logistics solutions will remain part of our core product portfolio!” Alfred explains enthusiastically. “This truly is my passion. Merger partner SFK LEBLANC also saw the potential of our logistics solutions. Together we decided to put this product group more prominently on the market with its own brand: FP LOGISTICS, an abbreviation of Food Production Logistics. FP LOGISTICS focuses exclusively on hygiene sensitive environments. We provide solutions for suppliers in the food industry, such as vegetable processors and meat packing companies. Our expertise lies in crate-, box-, pallet- and dolav solutions, including warehousing. Whether you wish to stack, de-stack, buffer or wash in crate washers, when the transported product is hygiene sensitive, and when food safety is of the utmost importance, we supply it. The brand is based on the existing NAWI solution, supplemented with products from the SFK LEBLANC portfolio. We will expand from there. So what changes is our name; what remains are our quality standards, service and expertise. Our logistics solutions are based on lean principles:

We focus on eliminating all non-value added steps from the customer’s process. I like the challenge of trying to keep the cost price as low as possible and achieving optimum efficiency. Coming up with a concept that fits the needs of the customer, is what I love to do most. It is like building with Lego”, he jokes to his Danish colleague.  

Where will the new SFK LEBLANC put its focus?

“We sell high-end solutions for manufacturing and maintaining slaughter lines for cattle, pigs and sheep, as well as high-quality, fully-automated cutting rooms for these three branches. In addition, we focus on logistic solutions for hygiene sensitive areas. All designed to meet the most demanding standards in terms of hygiene, efficiency, reliability, flexibility and ergonomics”, replies Alfred. “Why such high standards? Laws and regulations differ from country to country. However, exporting companies from countries where the rules and regulations are not as strict, need to adhere to the regulations of the importing country. Therefore, the pressure on suppliers to meet the same demanding standards is high.

“We are still the same guys and the point of contact for our customers remains the same.  The merger is a matter of two companies reinforcing each other”

And this ties in well with Ib’s personal passion: “I want to provide people worldwide with safely produced meat”, he says. “Our customers get the most meat at the lowest possible cost, with the least environmental impact. Hence our slogan getting the most out of meat. We consider animal welfare extremely important.

In many countries, water consumption is an issue; we have managed to reduce this by 50% through clever design and smart software. Deboning is precision work: we strive to create optimum value. By reducing the costs for our customers, and by optimizing processes and automation technology, it is possible to work even more precise. The yield per slaughtered animal may be limited, but in large volumes a substantial yield can be generated. Tracking and tracing is also becoming increasingly important. This requires fully integrated systems. The costs of researching and developing new equipment and software are high, but necessary: Innovation is the key to winning and retaining customers. Customers often have a wealth of knowledge and thus ask for customized solutions.”

Where and how do you acquire the knowledge required for innovation?

Alfred: “Because we believe it is important to keep track of what the market wants, and because we want to be the leading supplier in slaughter technology, we have our own R&D department. That’s where we develop new equipment and test solutions with our key customers.”

Ib: “In addition, we get input from research institutes and suppliers. And we work closely with numerous universities in Europe and North America.”

How do you serve the ‘global meat market’?

“Part of our company culture is the desire to be close to our customer. Do not try to open up a Danish office in Russia. That simply does not work,” Ib knows from experience. “Even if you speak the language fluently, you still did not grow up in that culture. That is why we have local representatives in each country, who not only know the local language and culture, but also understand our company culture: the customer and the process take center stage. They understand how to communicate to the local customer. Thanks to our worldwide network, combined with local expertise, we truly understand the markets in which we operate. We have to, because our services go beyond our products; SFK LEBLANC is a full-service provider. Our global service network covers all our customers’ service requests, from 24/7 remote monitoring and on-site trouble-shooting, to maintenance checks and periodic inspections.”

What changes can customers expect?

Ib: “Some customers were concerned that a lot would change. There is, however, no reason for concern: Our portfolio has improved and we have gained a lot of technical knowledge.” Alfred adds: “We are still the same guys. The way we do business has not changed, and the point of contact for our customers remains the same. The merger is not so much a change, it is a matter of two companies reinforcing each other and consolidating business activities.”

Finally: How do you see the future?

“Bright!” Ib replies enthusiastically. “Promising,” Alfred smiles. “Together we have the strength to build a strong global company”, he adds. “We have already sold projects in areas where we previously did not have any customers”, Ib proudly continues. “We’ve got a really big potential all over the world.”

www.sfkleblanc.com