Baking up success with customer-centric relationships

Shared values propel JLS® and Formost Fuji’s partnership forward

Q: What types of equipment does Formost Fuji manufacture for the baking industry and what sets you apart?

GUNNELL: Bakery is an industry we’re very strong in, whether it’s buns, bread, rolls, artisan breads, sweet goods or cookies. In terms of machines, we offer baggers and wrappers for bakery products, making us the only company in the world we know of that builds both, rather than focusing exclusively on one.

There are several things that set us apart, but the one that really sticks out is that Fuji technology has always been cutting edge. Many years ago, Fuji integrated heat pipe technology in our end sealers, a technology used by NASA on space shuttles which allowed them to safely re-enter the atmosphere. Another is induction heating technology in our fin sealers, which uses less energy, keeps temperatures much more stable, and has a longer life than old-style heaters. These are just a couple of the many advantages of technology Formost Fuji builds into every machine.

Q: When did Formost’s relationship start with JLS and what does it mean to your organization?

GUNNELL : The first project we did with JLS was years back, and the application was bagging flat bread. That was nearly 20 years ago! Coming back together over the last 5 or 6 years, we’ve come to realize that both companies operate on the same philosophy of putting the customer first. We know we can’t be everything to everybody so we work with great partners that can complement the strengths of each of us.

Gunnell has been with the company for 36 years. While his tenure at Formost Fuji has allowed him to be a part of many industries, Gunnell is heavily involved in the baking industry and currently serves as committee chair for IBIE 2022. He has also served on the BEMA Board of Directors for many years.

Q: Why are your flow wrappers a good match for JLS?

GUNNELL: In many ways our flow wrappers are a perfect fit for JLS, one of which is our shared focus on sanitary design. Formost Fuji incorporates sanitary design in our engineering, materials and attention to detail. For example, tool-less disassembly of components allows the operator to handle disassembly themselves, without having to call in a maintenance crew–all while becoming more empowered to effectively clean their equipment. All this fits right in with JLS’ shared goal of hygienic design, especially for industries such as bakery that require adhering to stricter food safety requirements.

Q: What are some unique applications you have collaborated with JLS on?

GUNNELL: We have a wide variety of products that we have worked on with JLS, including flat bread, snack cakes and more recently, growing to include applications such as sandwich assembly. We have one coming up where we’ll be working on ground meat on the discharge end of the wrapper, going from our wrapper to a JLS Osprey ® robotic case packer.

Q:How would you describe your partnership with JLS in two words?

GUNNELL: The two words that come to mind are ‘customer first’. Our shared values are an essential part of our partnership. We are responsible to make sure what we produce does what it’s supposed to do and we’re going to live up to it, and to partner with companies who feel the same is invaluable. The way we both look at it, we prioritize getting things working right and making sure the customer gets their needs fulfilled, and then we’ll sort out the particulars later.

This year, we’re putting the customer first by working together at IBIE, where a JLS Talon ® pick-and-place system will be featured in the Foremost Fuji booth, #1401. Because of the labor issues that the pandemic has brought out within the baking industry, this event will focus on our joint solutions that put our customers’ needs first and bring them the solutions they need in real-time.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EVENT AND REGISTER, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT BAKINGEXPO.COM