A new filling machine is set to revolutionise the blueberry-packing industry, thanks to the ingenuity and hard work of New Zealand based BBC Technologies (BBC originally stands for Blue Berry Company). The CURO 16 prototype, just tested in Chile, made its debut in the United States at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, held in Savannah, Georgia between January 8 and 11. The machine has 16 filling heads, compared to 10 on the previous model. The added capacity means distributors can pack and process 240 ‘clam shells’ (the plastic containers blueberries and other small berries are sold in all over the world) per minute, compared to 180 previously - at high speed.
The CURO 16 fills up to 240 clamshells per minute
The added processing speed does not lead to any risk of damage to the blueberries being packed either, according to Jason Walker, Sales and Marketing Manager for BBC Technologies. “What’s important is the experience of our customers, with a focus on quality. That means low drop transitions between each piece of equipment. We have to make sure we make each transition as gentle as possible.”
The CURO 16 performed well in testing at BBC Technologies’ Chile facility, and units are already up for sale to interested parties. “We’ve just finished running in Chile. We did a product run of 10, and we’ve already sold 4,” says Mr Walker. Demand for the new machines is expected to be strong among the 25 countries which BBC Technologies exports to, with a strong focus on China and Asia in general. “Experts are predicting that China will be the biggest consumer of blueberries in the world within three or four years. The blueberry explosion doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon,” Mr Walker says, adding that the company has just received funding for a new office to be opened in China.
The CURO 16 is really a family enterprise story, with its heart firmly rooted in supplying excellent quality blueberries to customers around the world that are in tact and delicious to eat, according to Mr Walker. “This business has been running as a family business for 30 years, and for 30 years everything we do is really focused on the blueberry industry. The CURO 16 was designed in-house and manufactured in-house, we just send off the drawings for the cabinets etc and have them made up off site.”
Executive Director Geoff Furniss took over running the company from his father, who started manufacturing filling machines in the 1990's, and the company is now ranked 72 on the Technology Investment Network's Top 100 list of New Zealand's largest globally focused companies. Annual turnover for 2014 was around $20 million, according to an article from stuff.co.nz, and the Chinese operation is expected to be up and running by the end of 2015.
For more information
Jason Walker
BBC Technologies
Phone: +642102217088
E-mail: Jason.walker@bbctechnologies.com
Website: www.bbctechnologies.com