TREND WATCH
AUTOMATION LEADS THE WAY
By Todd Graff | VP of Operations, Foodmate US
WELCOME ONCE AGAIN! AND WELCOME 2018!
WELCOME TO ATLANTA
By Scott Hazenbroek | President, Foodmate US
As much as we like Holiday Season, it serves as a reminder that the excitement of IPPE
is right around the corner!
My brother David and I always look forward to exhibiting at IPPE as it is the best
platform to introduce new technology and reconnect with our customers and friends.
Many of our customers have become accustomed to our commitment to innovate and
introduce new equipment at IPPE and this year is no different! Foodmate is once again
raising the bar and setting a new standard in Poultry Processing Automation.
To start with, this year at IPPE, Foodmate will introduce the new ULTIMATE Whole Leg
Deboner. The ULTIMATE marks the introduction of a new generation of Poultry Pro-
cessing Equipment that utilizes a combination of durable mechanics and cutting-edge
technology to ensure the highest quality, yields, speed and productivity.
The year of the Trump administration | It is difficult
to look at any industry in 2018 without reflecting on
the new Trump Administration. And while the econ-
omy has remained strong in many areas, there are
many concerns looming. Some of these concerns
are real and some are just born out of the political
discourse of an administrative change. Clearly the
poultry industry feels mostly confident substanti-
ated by several newly built processing facilities and
several more planned.
The current administration has taken aim at various
regulations regarding the definition of organic poul-
try and free-range requirements which could put
pressure on premium brands competitive advan-
tage. We are also seeing the trend of attempting to
slow the growth cycle of pullets in order to produce
a higher quality of meat.
Additionally, we have continued to see unemploy-
ment at a low rate of 4.1% nationally and pressure
on immigration laws, all of which will not bode
well for poultry processors. Average hourly wages
continue to steadily climb. Corn prices remain stable
and trending lower and oil prices, though up re-
cently, are still relatively stable. The economy is 9.5
years into an economic expansion with the average
lasting, in general, about 5 years so we need to be
on the lookout for a slowdown.
As an industry, the biggest concern should be main-
taining supply and demand. Pricing has allowed the
industry to flourish, it can also produce some greed
which leads to higher bird placements, larger inven-
tories, more supply and ultimately lower prices.
The good news?
Much of the uncertainty in labor, wages and im-
migration has continued to drive automation and
labor reductions to help control costs. However, the
skill-set in many poultry facilities still seem to be lag-
ging in maintaining more complex equipment. And
while we can try to educate and train, it is incum-
bent on equipment suppliers to do everything in
their power to simplify maintenance and preventive
maintenance programs. With Foodmate’s introduc-
Additionally, Foodmate will introduce a whole new generation of ChickSort Produc-
tion Control, Grading and Distribution Solutions. ChickSort 3.0 is the most advanced
user friendly, graphics based grading and distribution software on the market today
with seamless integration to Foodmate OPTI FLOW Cut-up Systems.
Finally, Foodmate will introduce a new Drum and Thigh Cutter that is specially de-
signed to handle large size variations while ensuring the highest percentage of ana-
tomical cuts.
2018 has just started, but this year is already shaping up to be another record year
for Foodmate, where our year over year record growth path seems to continue. To
support our continued growth, Foodmate will move into a new 130,000 sf (12,000m2)
world wide headquarters and manufacturing center in the Netherlands. This state of
the art facility will allow Foodmate to house more people to support our customers,
increase innovation and support increased manufacturing capacity.
To demonstrate all our new innovations and proven technology, we would like to
invite you for an on-demand demonstration at our Inspirience Center so you can see
our latest innovations in poultry operations.
tion of the Ultimate Leg Deboner, we have utilized
proven known principals from legacy equipment
and enhanced it with truly meaningful HMI infor-
mation. This information will assist technicians in
pinpointing issues and easy to understand language
and easy to understand performance of the equip-
ment. And mechanically, most customers who are
using Foodmate deboners, will feel very “at home”
working on the Ultimate while getting the benefit
of a “hang one-time” solution and individual leg cuts
based on that whole leg dimensions via integrated
X-ray.
With that, I would like to invite you to visit our IPPE
booth and talk to us about your automation needs.
Please give us the opportunity to show you the
latest in whole leg deboning, automatic knee cap
removal in thigh meat, and the latest in our vision
and grading.
Here’s to 2018!
LEARN MORE ABOUT
THE NEW ULTIMATE, THE INTELLIGENT WHOLE LEG DEBONER
08
FOODMATE R ANKS NO. 885 IN INC. MAGAZINE FASTEST
GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES ANNUAL LIST
Inc. magazine ranked Foodmate No. 885 on its 36th annual
Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fast-
est-growing private companies. The list represents a unique
look at the most successful companies within the American
economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent small
and mid-sized businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domi-
no’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many oth-
er well-known names gained their first national exposure as hono-
rees of the Inc. 5000. The 2017 Inc. 5000 was the most competitive crop in the list’s history.
The average company on the list achieved a mind-boggling three-
year average growth of 481%. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is
$206 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated
619,500 jobs over the past three years.
The Inc. 5000 is the most persuasive evidence I know that the Amer-
ican Dream is still alive,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric
Schurenberg. “The founders and CEOs of the Inc. 5000 tell us they
think determination, risk taking, and vision were the keys to their suc-
“We are very excited to be part of this select group of companies; and
are thrilled to have our incredible growth acknowledged, achieving
ranking #885 overall, #13 in our sector and #38 in our state”, said Scott
Hazenbroek, President and Founder of Foodmate US. “…This kind of
accomplishment is truly worth celebrating and it was made possible
by the hard work and dedication of our team and by our customers’
support and loyalty”, added Hazenbroek. cess, and I believe them.”
“We are very excited to be part of this select
group of companies; and are thrilled to have
our incredible growth acknowledged, achieving
ranking #885 overall, #13 in our sector and #38
in our state.”
SCOTT HAZENBROEK,
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF FOODMATE US.
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