Wyma Europe

WYMA EUROPE

DERIVING THE BEST CROP FROM EVERY HARVEST powered by Inside Food & Drink

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WYMA EUROPE

I PROFILE

Wyma Europe is a long-established business that provides technologically advanced solutions for vegetable producers to deliver quality produce from field to fork. The Czech- and UK-based company is thriving by staying fully focused on meeting customer and market requirements. Andy Probert spoke to Managing Director Jason Gerrie about Wyma’s evolution.

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W

ith farmers and producers experiencing ever-tightening margins, maximising produce

quality and yield whilst minimising operating costs and process waste is crucial to remaining competitive. Deriving the best crop is the field of expertise of Wyma Europe and Wyma UK. Sitting strategically in Prague (Czech Republic) with efficient links to clients across the Continent, Wyma Europe is a solutions and innovations hub; designing, project managing, manufacturing, installing and servicing complete vegetable processing, cutting and peeling lines.

“As a local company, we support agricultural businesses across the EMEA region while having the backing of a globally strong parent group,” Wyma Europe’s Managing Director Jason Gerrie said.

A highly innovative business, Wyma has been at the forefront of delivering new optical cutting and trimming technology into the UK, revolutionising the parsnip and carrot industry. This is as well as being the main integrator in the world’s most advanced potato processing facility recently opened in Spain. Wyma’s technology delivers significant savings operationally for clients, and performance improvements in cutting accuracy, yield, quality and compliance with supermarket requirements.

Inside food & drink 153

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154 Inside food & drink

WYMA EUROPE

I PROFILE

Employing 50 people, Wyma Europe has

the last three years due to greater demand

doubled the size of its Prague headquar-

for its technology. Its client base is predomi-

ters to 4,000 sqm in the last 12 months,

nantly large-scale farming operations that

and looks after clients in Europe, the

process vegetables for fresh market supply

Middle East and Africa. Its UK operation,

to leading retail chains in the UK and Europe,

near Norwich, offers sales, service sup-

and further processing companies in the

port, project management, warehousing

root vegetable industry.

for spare parts and assembly potential.

While the company has recently been acquired by MHM Automation, Mr Gerrie

‘Global-local’ approach

remained confident: “For Wyma’s clients

Founded in 1962 in New Zealand, Wyma

and partners in the EMEA region, nothing

was sold in 2001 to the Barclay family, who

has changed: it is business as usual.

transformed it from a small domestic supplier

“Now we have the support of a

to a global company. Realising the potential

much larger parent company with great

of the existing technology, the focus went

automation and robotic capabilities that

on improving the design and taking Wyma’s

will allow us to offer even better added-

equipment to the world.

value innovation to our clients.”

It recently unveiled a new state–of–the– art facility in Christchurch (New Zealand)

R&D focused

from where its staff coordinate business

Wyma’s initial breakthrough was inventing

across Australia, Asia, and the Americas.

root vegetable polishing technology,

It now has machinery operating in over

but it has gradually transitioned from a

50 nations.

product-focused to a customer focused

Having established its European operation in 2010, Wyma Europe has doubled in size in

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solutions-based business delivering complete line integration.

“We are, and must continue to be, fully

Being market-driven, Wyma has designed

customer-centric in everything we do: pro-

and developed a complete range of prod-

viding great machinery, service and support

ucts and solutions for potatoes, carrots,

for the lifetime of that asset,” Mr Gerrie

parsnips, onions and other bulk root crops.

added. “If a client wants to build a green

“We have recently also released

field site, we can consult and engage with

new micron filtration and mud separation

them and work the entire process to a fully

technology and are developing poten-

functional operating line, or design and

tially game-changing bolt-ons to further

install lines into existing facilities.

enhance these water solutions,” Mr Gerrie

“Our approach is to be consultative – to

said. “We recognise each customer has

listen and understand customers’ needs.

different needs, produce varieties and

We look at the most efficient way to design

scales of operation. With a strong

and install lines to generate maximum

emphasis on collaboration, our team con-

yield and maximum productivity at the

figures and tailors post-harvest solutions

lowest operational cost. Energy, sustain-

to match those requirements.

ability and water management are key elements of the design process.”

“With 50 years’ experience, we still operate along a strong set of family

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WYMA EUROPE

I PROFILE

values and continue to do so as they align with clients, who, in the majority, are family-based businesses.”

Advanced technology In the last six months, Wyma Europe has delivered the most automated fresh market potato processing site in the world for Patatas Meléndez of Spain, a leading supplier of fresh market potatoes. “It is truly a benchmark for the potato industry globally,” said Mr Gerrie.

The project comprised two new Intake, washing, polishing and optical grading lines, plus distribution systems to an automated warehouse. It also provided 16 packing lines taking raw material from an automated store to the packaging systems.

Another recent project was the installation of the most advanced parsnip line in the UK for Frederick Hiam Foods. Wyma implemented a two-phase project plan that initially included a completely new intake, destoning, washing, polishing, presizing, water management and recycling system. Phase two saw the installation of six Roto-Cut optical trimming systems, buffering systems and a flumed feed to the post-cut Vege-Polisher.

The results have been impressive: the client has reduced water consumption by 30% and energy use by 25%. Product quality has dramatically increased with crop efficiencies rising from 60% to 95%.

“The upgrades have seen a significant improvement in product uniformity and presentation to box or bag,” Mr Gerrie explained, “making parsnips more attractive to the end customer and

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saving Frederick Hiams the cost of hand trimming to meet customer specifications.”

With Wyma’s European and UK business doubling in size, its capabilities have grown significantly from a service and sales distribution hub to one that offers an enhanced suite of solutions.

“We have a strong pipeline of projects for the next 24 months,” said Mr Gerrie, “and

“We have grown strongly because we

are working to double our business by

provide innovative solutions, with a cus-

2028.” Potential projects under discus-

tomer-centric view, and we work hard to

sion are based across EMEA.

achieve their objectives while fostering

“Critically important for our customers

long-term relationships. Based in the

is that we are local, in both Europe and the

Czech Republic, we are central for clients,

UK,” he added. “Our challenge has been to

with excellent distribution routes and well

change market perception that we are a

situated from a supply chain perspective.

New Zealand business selling to the world.

“We like to think we are a strong and

We are anything but. We are a European and

trusted post-harvest solutions partner,”

UK-based operation, with local expertise,

Mr Gerrie concluded, “helping clients con-

and localised relationships: we manufacture

tribute to providing fresh, healthy food to

and supply into our local markets.

consumers across the UK and Europe.” n Inside food & drink 159