IDM ¦ Interview
PP and PET remain
the packaging materials
of choice
IMA Dairy & Food reports on current developments
Two years ago the entrepreneur Thomas Becker
took over a majority stake in IMA Dairy & Food.
Part of the deal were the packaging machine
companies Hassia, Gasti, Erca and Hamba. IDM
inquired about the development the group has
made during this period.
IDM: What happened in the two years you have the management
control of IMA Dairy & Food?
Becker: We have restructured the group's companies a little. For
example, Hassia now has three pillars, namely cup fillers for preformed
cups, FFS cups and portion packs and VFFS for stick packs
and sachets. We supply these machines either in aseptic or nonaseptic
execution. With the expansion of the IMA Dairy & Food
portfolio we were able to bring a lot more calm to the business.
In addition to the FFS area, sachets and stick packs have developed
very well. Food manufacturers who supply portion packs
often also have a need for this special type of packaging.
IDM: How has IMA Dairy & Food got through the crisis caused
by COVID19 so far?
Becker: Overall, we don't want to complain, but we have caught
a little black eye over the volatility of orders. In spring 2020, orders
for new machines fell sharply, but we were able to catch up
again from summer on – the famous catch-up effect. In the current
year we are back on a growth path.
IDM: With regard to the technologies you offer, where do you
currently see particularly important developments in the market?
Becker: We have a very large number of FFS machines installed
around the world. With the takeover of the majority in the punching
and forming tool specialist Intecma last year, we are now di-
Thomas Becker, majority owner IMA DAIRY & FOOD: With
an enlargement of the portfolio we were able to bring a lot
more calm to the business.
rectly involved in ongoing refurbishing work on our thermoforming
machines, which should be converted from PS to PET. Quite a
number of large customers are doing exactly that. PET has similar
shrinkage properties as PS, so that the switch to the more sustainable
packaging material PET can be easily accomplished.
IDM: Do you even see a future for Polystyrol?
Becker: The replacement of PS is mainly a topic in European
countries. On other continents there is, in my opinion, a limited
interest in the recyclability of packaging, while in other parts of
the world the idea of the circular economy is still subordinate.
Energy and cost issues of current developments, such as a switch
to modified PS, which can be reused after being broken down
into its molecules, are not known at the moment.
10 · July/August 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com
/international-dairy.com
