Focus on core business
Quite apart from that, the company placing the order cuts costs
as well as saving time – especially in administration and preparatory
work. There are no further costs for plant adjustments,
training and personnel, no need for investments in operating
supplies or the firm’s own premises and plant. The customer can
concentrate fully on its core business, for instance research &
development or marketing and sales. In times when there is a
shortage of skilled labour and temporary workers are hard to
find, service providers can help to handle peak demand or safeguard
the basis for a regular supply. So nowadays there is an
ever-greater demand for experts who can offer an “all-round
carefree package”.
The whole production chain, from raw
materials to packaging
The contract manufacturer SternMaid specializes in the production,
filling and packaging of food ingredients and supplements
in powder form. On various blending lines, filling machines
and a fluidized bed processor it manufactures premixes
for the downstream food industry and finished products such
as dietetic and whey drinks, protein preparations and dry beverage
bases for the retail trade. The service chain extends from
blending and processing through contract packaging to procurement
of raw and packaging materials, warehousing and
delivery. Even the development of new formulations or the
enhancement of existing products can be arranged within the
Stern-Wywiol group of companies. “Our customers decide individually
which services they wish to make use of, depending
on their needs,” Commercial Director Mark Riemer explains.
“Some only want to have bagged goods filled into FIBCs, for
example, while other companies outsource the entire production
chain and opt for an overall solution.“
It makes sense to outsource processes if, for example, the
company’s own plant is working to capacity or if it simply
lacks the necessary technical equipment or does not wish to
invest in it. For instance, if a manufacturer of dietetic drinks
receives an enquiry for a very large delivery but his own production
capacity is exhausted, contract manufacturers can
absorb such peaks.
As Mark Riemer says: “Outsourcing is an interesting option
for smaller firms that are expanding but hesitate to make
additional investments. For after all, plant of one’s own binds
capital, space and personnel. And there is no endless planning
and construction phase if you engage a contract manufacturer.
Larger companies, on the other hand, may want to reorganize
their production processes and outsource only a part of them.”
For well-known brand manufacturers, especially, it is becoming
more and more important to have a second-supplier
strategy to safeguard their own ability to deliver in the event of
large orders or as a buffer against crises. But enhanced quality
or additional know-how may be arguments in favour of outsourcing
to contract manufacturers, too.
Service providers as partners
The know-how of service providers like SternMaid is not restricted
just to handling the products. They know the market,
Ingredients ¦ IDM
can identify the latest trends and give their customers comprehensive
advice, for example on suitable packaging. In this way,
customers benefit from their partner’s long years of expertise.
One current example is ecological aspects such as sustainability
and recyclability that are becoming more and more
important to many customers. At SternMaid, customers can
have their products filled into spiral-wound cardboard cans
with an aluminium-free interior lamination. A sealing machine
for cardboard can bottoms is also available, making it
possible to replace the traditional tinplate bottom and thus
improving recyclability.
“Customers’ expectations concerning the range of services
offered by a contract manufacturer have increased enormously
over the past few years,” says Mark Riemer. Contract
production now includes a diversity of services from mechanical
packaging through making up to quality assurance,
warehousing, logistics and procurement of raw materials,
that go far beyond mere production processes like blending,
granulating or microencapsulation. That is why we continuously
invest in new plant and machinery in order to respond
even more flexibly to customers’ needs and the demands of
the market.”
SternMaid GmbH & Co. KG
www.sternmaid.de
No.1 specialist
in reconditioned
dairy machines
Milk
Yogurt
Butter
Margarine
Processed cheese
Cheese
+31(0)348-558080
info@lekkerkerker.nl
www.lekkerkerker.nl
2.000 machines
in stock
Warranty
Fast delivery times
Low investment
Complete projects
March/April 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com · 25
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