Sean Devenish, VP of Sales, at Unifiller
Considering the market volatility, supply chain disruptions, energy costs, and workforce scarcity, what does this past year look like for your company when you draw the line?
Due to Unifillers’ somewhat flat organizational structure, we have been very fortunate in that our executive management were able to swiftly react to these changing market conditions.
We made some rapid modifications to our short-term sales, marketing, procurement, and production strategies. Focus was on maintaining a stable workforce, increasing our raw material stocks, and outsourcing specific components to reduce the supply chain disruptions. These changes also resulted in additional market share.
What are your expectations for next year, keeping in mind the legacy of 2022, but also the current challenges?
We will continue focusing on strategic growth initiatives in the UK, China and the Asia Pacific regions by way of supporting and developing our master dealer network.
After the Asia Pacific, Europe is the fastest-growing region. Manufacturers in Europe are meeting up with the requirements of their health-conscious customers and strategizing on launching convenience packages of their products. Certain European countries, such as France, Germany and Italy, witness higher bakery products consumption.
How do you estimate the market will evolve and what is your priority list for 2023?
People must eat and for that reason, the food and bakery sectors are not as susceptible to the negative impacts of an economic downturn and high inflationary environments compared to other sectors. The market has largely been driven by changing consumer preferences for packaged ready-made meals and convenience foods.
The larger bakeries and packaged food companies are aggressively investing to increase their production output to improve their economies of scale.
Where did the growth opportunities come from and what is the most important lesson you have learned in recent times?
Proactive marketing initiatives and more recently, the return of trade shows such as the IBIE, IBA, Gulf Foods and the Pack Expo have provided us with new prospects and international growth opportunities.
What do you consider to be the most valuable asset you have in 2023 as a company?
The most valuable assets in Unifiller are by far, our people, company culture and the values we have instilled. The staff and corporate culture provide us with a competitive advantage which is extremely difficult for our competitors to copy or replicate.
As part of your growth strategy, how do you prioritize your investments versus your R&D efforts?
Unifiller’s investments into new R&D initiatives are generally a result of methodical market research and customer feedback that will drive the design and development of bakery and food processing equipment to increase the output rates, offer high customization levels that provide value-added benefits to our customers. The Compact Plus + Series depositor and our newly developed Total Care App is proof of that.
What was unexpected in 2022 and how did it impact your business?
The economic impacts of the Russian invasion in Ukraine were immediate and significant for a number of countries who were already experiencing the economic fallout of COVID-19 pandemic. The prices of global commodities such as food and oil continue to soar as a result of the crisis and the situation has not improved.
We had to give serious consideration to these macro factors which literally forced us to adjust our future growth strategies and the forecasted execution time frames.
Which are the most important drivers of change for your business in 2023? How do you plan to prepare for them?
The factors driving the bakery processing equipment market’s growth include the high labour costs, the need to increase production output with fewer staff, industry’s willingness to adopt new technology and robotics innovations into their production processes, and the advancement in bakery processing equipment materials.
What would you like to see happening in 2023 for your stakeholders and business environment (in terms of policy, regulations, and market) in order for your business to thrive more?
As a company that has recently been acquired by Hillenbrand, we not only need to conform to our new internal policies and procedures but have to maintain our market share and profit objectives. Outside of the organization, we must comply with the regulations associated with food processing machines that are related to good manufacturing practices, and the sanitary standards and procedures our customers adhere to in these segments.