Monin gains bottling line efficiency
- from Packaging World, April 2018 issue
Amid a flurry of network and cable television shows introducing consumers to elevated culinary sensibilities, the American consumer is more willing to experiment with flavors. According to Food and Wine magazine, more sophisticated attitudes toward food extend to home cooks and the foodservice industry alike. In this environment, Monin Gourmet Flavorings is really hitting its stride in U.S. production.
That’s not to say that Monin, headquartered in Bourges, France since 1912, is new to the U.S. The company’s syrups and flavorings have long reached chefs, baristas, and bartenders here via import distribution. But in 1996 the company established its Monin Americas production and packaging facility in Clearwater, FL, under the leadership of Bill Lombardo, CEO. Business grew steadily since then, but recently the growth graph is resembling a hockey stick.
Mike Brewster, Chief Production Officer, Monin Americas, was looking for a compact and versatile solution to supply all of their bottle styles to the production lines. They had some specific challenges based on its available floor space, line speeds, and backlog requirements. Mike had considered various options, but was repeatedly told they weren’t viable with the space available. So in 2017, Monin contacted A-B-C to work on a depalletizing solution that would speed things up while limiting line disruption and reducing waste.
A new A-B-C depalletizer has consolidated their glass and plastic formats into a single operation, and coupled with smart conveyors that ensure requisite bottle backlog at the front of the line and line-smoothing accumulation all along, Monin has gained bottling efficiency and reached their production goals.
