With almost 175 years’ experience, Spooner VICARS holds strong as one of the top three producers of biscuit manufacturing equipment worldwide. Managing Director Balaji Subramaniam and Sales Director John Price explained how the company has maintained this market leading position. Report by Imogen Ward.
ASa long-standing operator within the biscuit manufacturing market, Spooner VICARS has continued to amaze its customers with the very best products. Now, with a desire to expand, the company is determined to hold onto its caring attitude.
“Spooner VICARS is a very flexible company that is quick to take action on customers’ needs and requirements,” Managing Director Balaji Subramaniam said: “This has helped us maintain our strong position, but we have a long runway ahead of us as far as growth is concerned. Expansion brings its own set of challenges. That is why it is so important for us to balance growth with the preservation of our core values.”
Originating from an engineering company’s desire to improve the production of biscuits, Spooner designed and developed machinery that could produce hardtack biscuits for those who spent a long time at sea. Dense in nature and dry to taste – these cracker-like biscuits took a long time to spoil, making them the perfect companion for an extended voyage away from land. Following the fall in popularity for hardtack in the 19th century, Spooner VICARS diversified for the first time – developing sweet biscuits – and has continued to do so ever since. Now capable of manufacturing machines for the production of biscuits, cookies, crackers and bread, Spooner VICARS is a prodigy of production lines. The company’s
capabilities even cover cakes, pies and pet food, and after the subsequent acquisition of Spooner VICARS by the Middleby Corporation, these impressive capabilities are set to increase.
The A-PEX of achievements
Spooner VICARS’ latest line boasts improvements that enhance user experience. Following the completion of extensive customer research, the company discovered several areas that could be enhanced.
“We’ve got hundreds of sites all over the world that use our equipment,” said Sales Director John Price. “We communicated with a number of these customers to see how they would improve the design of their equipment. Top of the list was hygiene – which is hugely important in the food industry – so we improved the ability to sanitise the equipment. Upon customer request, we also made significant design changes that have resulted in a reduction in cleaning time.”
Alongside this, a
call for improved accessibility was acknowledged in the revamp of Spooner VICARS’ equipment. This made general maintenance and machinery unjamming much simpler.
With improvements completed, Spooner VICARS released its latest line, A-PEX in 2018. Unlike previous models, simplicity was key for A-PEX. Customers were interested in a line that was more standardised, which affected all the moving elements of the machines’ conveyors. This meant that every line could be easily customised to a client’s requirements.
“These lines can range from two metres in width, to 400 millimetres,” Mr Price explained. “These lines can also be about 20 to 30 metres long as well: with a lot of similar moving parts throughout the entire build, standardisation is essential.”
Included in the A-PEX range is the A-PEX Rotary Moulder and the A-PEX 400 Laminating and Sheeting Line. Two very different machines in design, but both essential elements of biscuit production.
According to Spooner VICARS, this update on the company’s traditional rotary moulder can process more types of dough than any other machine currently on the market. Utilising swift gear manoeuvres, excellent performance ratings and a minimal carbon footprint, these machines can perfectly shape the dough in seconds.
Alternatively, the 400 performs precise laminating and sheeting of crackers and
hard biscuits. With improved conveyor rollers that lift out and a quick release cut roller clutch, this machine is the most efficient model yet.
Innovation from India
With a desire to expand its global presence, Spooner VICARS entered the Indian market in 2007, when it was purchased by Stewart Systems Incorporated.
In 2017, Spooner VICARS expanded again, opening its Biscuit Innovation Centre, located at its factory in Bangalore, India. This facility includes a full scale 1.2-metrewide Laminating and Sheeting line, Moulding and Cutting lines (plus a hybrid oven), all of which are used to advance the company’s research and development, ensuring its machinery maintains its impre s sive lead in the market.
Mr Subramaniam explained the other benefit of having a Biscuit Innovation Centre: “At our facility in Bangalore, we have working examples of our machines, which is a huge benefit for our customers as it enables them to see the products first-hand. We offer demonstrations of all the lines, which really helps to sell the products to our customers.”
This year, the company successfully doubled its manufacturing space with the construction of a second manufacturing facility in India. Featuring an impressive
area of 78,000 square feet, the new facility took ten months to complete.
“Spooner VICARS is a business that has a lot of opportunity for growth,”
Mr Subramaniam explained. “We predict that demand for manufacturing in India will increase over the next ten years, and that is partially why we have made this investment.”
“Growth is a large part of our plans for the future,” Mr Price added: “We want to grow as a company, maintain our relationships with our clients and expand that crucial customer-base. We are up there as part of the top three manufacturers of this equipment in the world, and we plan to maintain that strong market position.”
A sustainable spoonful
With efficiency a hot-topic across all industries, Spooner VICARS is focused on making several sustainability-led improvements to ensure its production processes and machines offer customers the most efficient and eco-friendly choices
“We are working hard to reduce scrap production in our manufacturing processes, and we plan to minimise our fossil fuel usage,” said Mr Subramaniam. “Because India is a developing country, we do experience power cuts, which adds to the challenge of removing fossil fuels. To counteract that, we are exploring solar power to utilise renewable energy. We also have plans to reduce our use of oil-based products and have a wastewater treatment plant to ensure our wastewater is repurposed efficiently.
“Once you begin your journey towards sustainability, the genie is out of the lamp, s o to say; there is no going back. You can only improve from there.”
The company plans to continue i mproving its carbon footprint, and with the help of parent company Middleby, there is no doubt it will achieve its goals.
“We are very fortunate to have the support of Middleby Corporation,” Mr Price explained. “They are a prestigious group, that enables us to develop our designs and helps us achieve greatness.”
“Spooner VICARS is a very ambitious company, and it has the advantageous
backing of Middleby Group,”
Mr Subramaniam concluded: “So; we make sure to leverage the strength of the group, whilst maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit. There aren’t many companies around that can balance both successfully.”
