PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2015

PACKING / PALLETISING 39 PET planet insider Vol. 16 No. 09/15 www.petpla.net June 26, 2014 - We met: Mr Luís Rodrigues, Plant Manager Liquid Food in PET by Kay Barton F.r.t.l. Luís Rodrigues and Kay Barton at Mendes Goncalves’ front entrance The Mendes Goncalves Group which has its headquarters in Golega, also known as “City of Horses”, was launched in 1982 in the form of two separate and mutually cooperative companies, one concerned with bot- tling a vinegar mix and the other (in which the director at the time already held shares) with the production of the corresponding bottles. It was only very recently, in 2013, that the bottles divi- sion, in which production was based on 2-stage equipment from Nissei ASB, was purchased as a complete line and integrated in the form of a Group company. According to Plant Manager Luís Rodrigues who welcomes us in the main Plastics Division building which is currently undergoing renovation “At that time, the end of the 90s, bottle production was launched with an NSB20 from Automa, something that is now acceptable only in exceptional circumstances”. At the time when the bottle production plant was pur- chased, seven of the eight machines that feature today were already in situ. Alongside the old Automa unit, Mendes Goncalves runs a 2-stage operation focussing on the stretch blow moulding of 20 different types of bottles and these come in a total of around 5 different colours. In use are two PF8-4Bs from Nissei ASB, two 70-DPHs as well as one each PF4- 1BH, 12M and 12N. The dispensers come from Piovan. At present there are 19 people employed in the Plastics Unit who work in three shifts. As a rule there may be up to four to five machines running at the same time here. “We only started in May 2013 but from May 2013 to May 2014 we managed to get through about 700t of PET material and manufactured 37 million bottles”. The company obtains the material from the Spanish company Cepsa. The bottles thus produced within the Plastics Division are used exclusively within the Group which has in the meantime started manufacturing other liquid food products in addition to vin- egar within the bottling unit. Examples include ketchup and mayonnaise in squeezy bottles or spicy Piri-Piri with pineapple in a practical spray bottle. “Our products are available in big supermarket chains. For the “Conti- nente, Pingo Doce e Jumbo” chain we even manufacture the “Paladin” brand on an exclusive basis. We buy in the ingredients for our brands as we need them and then formulate our own recipes. Depending on the customer’s requirements, we are also happy to provide support with the development of individually designed packaging and customised flavourings. Basically our customers receive an all-inclusive package as we make everything ourselves apart from closures and labelling (exclusively paper labels are used). For these we go to appropriate suppliers. Mendes Goncalves keeps the lion’s share of its liquid food prod- ucts within the domestic market. As a result the export share in 2013 was only of the order of 20%. Luis Rodri- guez concluded: “The current situation is that an order has just been placed for new moulds as we are at present in the development phase when it comes to new products and designs.” www.mendesgoncalves.pt