PETpla.net Insider 04 / 2021

TOP TALK PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 04/21 www.petpla.net 11 Tony Ho: The majority of our sales are in Asia and Africa. We have installed production lines in over 80 countries and regions across the world and have set up several techni- cal service centres in other countries, to provide customers with convenient and efficient service and technical support, locally. PETplanet: Which countries and sectors do you see as offering the greatest potential for growth, and why? Tony Ho: Growth in the global food and beverage industry will con- tinue, especially in nutritious foods, plant-based beverages and products aimed to improve health, well-being and immune systems. We have gained an abundance of experience in technological develop- ment and application, as well as the project planning and management, at home and abroad. We believe that we can provide professional project solutions and technical services for customers in a growing number of countries and regions but we expect that countries in Asia and Africa offer the greatest potential for growth. PETplanet: Have changing demands over the past 10 years been driven primarily by the manufacturers and bottlers or by changing consumer needs? Tony Ho: Consumer demand for natural, fresh, healthy and nutri- tious food and beverage rises with improved living standards and chang- ing lifestyles, which drives requests for new production lines in manufac- turing companies, who also focus on safety, automation, integration and flexibility. We are implementing digitalisa- tion, networking and artificial intel- ligence and can provide complete “smart factory” solutions. These will help to reduce operating costs and improve production efficiency and energy usage. Labour intensity and management costs will also be reduced, helping return on investment (RoI) times to be cut. Food and bever- age quality, safety and traceability can be improved and made more reliable through the integration of production, packaging, inventory and logistics, linked with artificial intelligence. PETplanet: Your portfolio includes combination solutions, which can also be found with many other equipment suppliers today. Are these bloc solu- tions the way to go, for now and in future, and why? Tony Ho: Pressure on global resources is intensifying and, at the same time, we are seeing a growing trend towards ‘intelligent manufac- turing’. The combination, monobloc offers the advantages of smaller footprint along with lower operating costs, higher stability and efficiency, convenient maintenance, and intel- ligent management and control. They mean that flexible manufacturing can be made a reality for users. PETplanet: Which machine models or types are your best-sellers? Tony Ho: We are responding to market demand with a range of advanced technology and products, including the Combiblock blowing-fill- ing-capping machine for bottled water, edible oils, CSD, hot filling and aseptic product, and our Starbloc blowing- labelling-filling-capping unit. Aseptic PET bottle packaging solutions, intel- ligent warehouses and smart factory management systems are also in demand from our customers. PETplanet: Which are your overall top three application areas by machine sales? Tony Ho: In the field of beverages, bottled water, CSD and non-carbon- ated drinks are the top three applica- tion areas. PETplanet: Newamstar has been listed on the stock exchange since 2016. What impact has this had on the company? Tony Ho: Newamstar had an IPO in April 2016. Public listing encour- aged us to optimise our management system and build a better brand cul- ture. It means that, worldwide, cus- tomers are able to get a understand- ing of the company, through more channels, which enables us to build the better working relationships. PETplanet: What is the compa- ny’s strategy for future development and what investments are planned? Tony Ho: We will increase invest- ment in key markets, establish sub- sidiaries, strengthen exchanges and interactions with local partners, and jointly promote economic develop- ment. PETplanet: Around a year ago you have introduced Starbloc, a very compact all-in-one system. How did it perform since then? Tony Ho: Starbloc got good feed- back from customers and industrial experts. We are confident that it rep- resents the future development path. PETplanet: Sounds good; how many Starblocs are already in opera- tion, worldwide? Tony Ho: At present, several sets are on being trialled in customers’ fac- tories. We are very optimistic about its market prospects. PETplanet: Aseptic filling tech- nology is a significant part of your business. How did that evolve, and in response to what demands? Tony Ho: Newamstar is a pioneer of PET aseptic cold filling in China. No preservatives are added to drinks that are bottled using PET aseptic filling technology, so taste, colour and nutrition values can be maintained. These drinks, includ- ing fruit and vegetable juice, pro- tein, special-purpose, tea, coffee and plant beverages, satisfy con- sumer demands for tasty and healthy CSD blowing-filling-capping Combiblock