Tomra Food has inaugurated a new center dedicated to fresh fruit and processed food projects. The location, in Valencia, is well connected and in the heart of a major horticultural and nut growing region. The center's proximity to its customers and partners will enable the company to show the performance and benefits of its optical sorters with on-site demonstrations.
The center will also act as the main HUB for Southern Europe and North Africa, and serve as a training, service and spare parts center, extending Tomra Food's presence in the EMEA market. The move is part of the company's regional restructuring in the EMEA region.
As a global company, it required a more focused approach which the company's new EVP and Head of TOMRA Food Harald Henriksen, addressed with the creation of a regional structure for the organization.
Karel Strubbe, the new SVP and Head of Tomra Food for Europe, Africa and the Middle East explains: "We want to work directly with the customer in as few time zones as possible. This enables us to be more agile, to establish an even closer relationship with our customers and ultimately to work better locally. It is vital to improve the speed and quality of communications to always offer the best service."
The Spanish fruit and vegetable and nut sector – which is key for the company – is highly concentrated in the eastern Levante region and surrounding area. That's why the new center in Valencia, which is now fully operational, is an important step in strengthening this personal approach and fostering a close relationship and communication with the producers.
Tomra Food's team will manage the company's European projects from their base in the Valencia center. The site will be the hub for demonstrations of large and small fruit applications.
The center also serves as an after-sales service hub in the EMEA region and stores spare parts to reduce delivery times. A local technical team of 15 people, headed by Team Leader Jorge García Cascales, provides support to the almost 400 machines in fresh and processed food installations in Spain and Portugal, and also serves other countries in the region.
Alejandro Palacios, Tomra Food's regional sales manager for Southern Europe, says: "For us, demonstration centers are very important. They enable us to show our customers what our sorting machines can achieve for them. The majority of demonstrations at the Valencia center are for citrus, blueberries, and whole potatoes."
Jesus Hernandez, sales manager of Tomra Food Spain: "Tomra is a European company. In the short term, we have set ourselves the goal of becoming the sales leader in the EMEA Region – a position we already hold in other regions such as the United States, South Africa and Australia. Tomra's new center in Valencia is the company's response to the specific needs of the market."
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Tomra
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