FOODMATE WELCOMES YOU
WELCOME TO ATLANTA
By Scott Hazenbroek | Presdident , Foodmate US .
Once again , I find myself pondering the welcome column for this edition of the Inside Track and I can only reflect on the last 10 exciting years since my brother David and I started Foodmate in November 2006 in the Netherlands , followed by the successful start up of Foodmate US in 2010 .
Foodmate started with a small group of industry veterans that shared a common vision to become a leader in cut-up and white and dark meat deboning solutions . Daring to dream big , passion for innovation , hard work and a relentless pursuit for customer satisfaction has put Foodmate on an unprecedented growth and success path , that honestly , I could not have imagined .
Our first big success started with the introduction of the OPTI Thigh Deboner . The OPTI Thigh Deboner was our big breakthrough into the US market and built our reputation as an innovative and reliable partner to the industry . As a result , many customers over the past years have trusted Foodmate and awarded us with contracts for large cut-up and dark meat deboning projects .
To support our growth , Foodmate has continued to invest in all aspects of its business resulting in a new 12,000m2 / 130,000 sf . headquarters and manufacturing facility in Holland . In the US , we are moving for the third time in six years to a 50,000 sf . facility which will house a 5,000 sf . Demo room and Inspirience Center .
We also continue to invest in our value-added programs such as the Asset Integrity Program ( Service Contracts ) and Foodmate Academy . In the last twelve months alone , we acquired 17 new AIP Contracts and have hosted 23 classes with over 140 participants in our Foodmate Academy .
Our Foodmate family has also continued to expand in order to support all this growth . We have been fortunate to have been able to hire many highly experienced and talented people that work very hard to fulfill the Foodmate Vision .
To David and I , every IPPE is exciting and we love exhibiting at this show ; and this IPPE is extra exciting . Our industry has reached a point where manual breast deboning can no longer meet the demand due to an increasingly tight labor market . Therefore our timing could not have been better , and there is no better show to introduce the new MAX 6000 Breast Deboner . The MAX 6000 debones 100 caps or wing of front halves per minute and can produce butterflies and fillets with or without tenders attached . The machine clips the tenders , removes the skin and the wishbone .
We invite you to an on-demand live demonstration in our booth to see the new MAX 6000 as well many other new products and solutions that we will be showcasing at IPPE 2017 .
As a final thought , David and I would like to thank our dedicated and hard-working employees for supporting our growth over the last 10 years and carrying out the Foodmate Vision .
We would be remiss if we did not also thank you , our customers , for your trust , loyalty and business , as without you we have no success .
Having said that , we can only look with full confidence to a future filled with innovation , growth and success .
As always , welcome to Atlanta and we look forward to greeting you .