Frito, Miller Brewing and P&G Gillette speak out

At PMMI’s MarketTrends conference, a panel of users communicated requirements and trends in “What Do Customers Want From Packaging Machinery Manufacturers?”

The bottom line is that more and more is being expected of machinery builders – make that solution providers – as the competition for packaging system sales has turned truly global. Innovation is the key, on a continuous basis, year after year, on 2 to 3 tiers.

As Corporate America downsizes its technical ranks and talent is lost though retirements, vendors are being called upon to develop innovation. And it’s not just for growth. With most new consumer products lasting only 3 to 4 years, it’s no longer feasible to wait for products to mature before working on margins.

What isn’t perhaps as clear to Packaging Automation is how machinery suppliers will get the resources to sustain the innovation these packagers are seeking. Which means that OEMs will need to find innovation partners of their own who can enable their breakthrough machine designs through advances in automation technology.

The new class of automation technology provider is (1) focused on the industry’s global issues, (2) with a track record of constant innovation and purpose-built packaging solutions, and (3) operating not as a hardware or software vendor but as a packaging community insider.

This has been the successful business model for ELAU in packaging automation. As recently as last summer, it had become clear that CPG manufacturers are opening their control specifications to wean themselves from status quo suppliers and admit solutions such as ELAU’s.

Read the whole story.

Read more about PMMI’s innovation initiatives.