The modern-day Finnish produce market is chaotic and competitive. Customers demand short delivery times and this requires machines for quick packaging. To keep up with the market, Hanna and Raimo Alainen recently invested in an entirely stain-less steel Manter M10 Ca weighing machine for root vegetables and a SST Wicket packaging machine with a Manter tape-sealing unit.
“The professional weighing and packaging line by Manter does not just relieve us of a great deal of work, but also ensures better quality of the packaged product”, Raimo Alainen (I) shared with Arttu Pisilä.
In the Finnish village of Komossa, the Alainens, a married couple, own a business for growing and packaging carrots, beetroot and swedes. Just like their parents before them, these craftsmen supply local supermarkets with home-grown vegetables. “In this, we are focused on supplying a product of perfect quality combined with personable service”, stated Hanna. “This combination allows us to offer our customers an additional service and we have more to talk about than just the price of our products. It also gives us control over the entire process and the consumer receives the products just as he wants them. Fresh and flawless! This is important because the competition in the Finnish produce market is stiff”, added Raimo.
Quick and accurate
The Alainen family have five staff members in the packing facility to help get all the work done. Before the new Manter machine made its debut, small carrots were packaged with a simple Wicketbagger. The larger carrots, beetroot and swedes were packed by hand. This led to weight variations of the packages, because working by hand is less precise. Seeing as these Finnish growers are always looking to meet the needs of the market and increase their returns, they began a search for a professional weighing and packaging line. As the company produces and packages multiple products, it did not take them long to choose
Manter’s M10 Ca. The family chose this machine together with Arttu Pisilä, who works for the local branch of the Dutch company APH, the dealer for Manter in Finland. The slim and sturdy construction of the machine immediately appealed to Raimo, because he has a technical background. The family was also quite impressed with the knowledge and expertise of the local APH representative. “Each question
was answered professionally. That gave us the confidence to invest in a Manter machine”, explained Raimo.
“After it was delivered, the machine lived up to all expectations. The M10 Ca packages very accurately and reliably. Switching between products is no problem either”, was the experience of the Finnish family. The special Ca version of the ten bucket weigher has extra long buckets for longer products such as carrots. The long, vibrating lanes are fitted with a moving partition which prevents the products from getting stuck. The smart shape of the machine makes for the quick and accurate weighing of carrots, but also poses no problem for other products.
Thanks to its broad weighing capacity of 500 grams to 12.5 kilograms, the company can supply any desired packaging. The new line is also fitted with a Wicketbagger. This packaging machine is made for the use of pre-fabricated wicket bags. “We chose the Wicketbagger as it allows for the quick and easy exchange of bags. During the day, we pack various products and bags, each with its own fill weight”, explained Raimo.
Growing further
The Alainen family looks forward to progressive income growth in the future. “The professional weighing and packaging line by Manter does not just relieve us of a great deal of work, but also ensures better quality of the packaged product. This has left us confident that we can continue into the future with our level of quality, personal attention and service”, is the conviction of these dedicated growers and professional packers,
Hanna and Raimo Alainen.
For more information:
Manter International BV