Complementary filling and closing companies to offer innovative solutions for global food and beverage markets
Two Barry-Wehmiller (BW) packaging systems companies based in France, Hema (in Quimper) and Synerlink (in Puiseux-Pontoise), have aligned to bring complementary rigid packaging solutions to the global food and beverage markets. Hema—which previously operated as a brand under Pneumatic Scale Angelus (PSA), another BW Packaging Systems division—will bring rotary filling solutions to Synerlink’s equipment portfolio.
“By bringing Hema and Synerlink together, we can leverage our local talent and product lines to strengthen our position as a trusted partner and leader in rigid, eco-friendly packaging solutions for the food industry, offering a broader range of filling equipment, including both rotary and inline solutions,” said François Truffier, Synerlink president. “Hema brings proven technology with a wide range of filling machines—for plastic, glass and metal containers—operating at speeds up to 40,000 containers per hour.”
In addition to its technology, Hema brings 80-plus years of experience in several key markets, including liquid dairy products, edible oils, sweetened products, canned meats and sauces, dressings and condiments, which will broaden Synerlink’s reach in these strategic segments. Over the years, Hema has installed more than 3,500 machines that fill bottles, jars and cans across 100 countries. Moving forward, Hema’s filling expertise will be leveraged to expand Synerlink’s offerings for existing food and beverage customers and to deliver innovative and sustainable packaging solutions for the global food market.
“Although Hema is now part of the Synerlink organization, the Hema team will continue to work collaboratively with PSA’s thriving filling business and with each of our other divisions to continue our long-standing commitment to bringing integrated packaging solutions to our customers,” said Carol O’Neill, Barry-Wehmiller Group president, Packaging. “In the coming months, expect further communication from our leadership team as this exciting collaboration continues to evolve and drive value for our customers through our wide range of filling capabilities.”
Hema originally joined the Barry-Wehmiller organization in 2015 when it was acquired by PSA, a global leader in packaging machinery for liquid- and dry-filling, capping, can-seaming and labeling applications. Since then, Hema has operated under PSA, augmenting its filling capabilities, and allowing BW Packaging Systems to expand its presence as a global leader in filling and closing technology. Today, PSA continues its long history of developing innovative filling and seaming solutions from its Akron, Ohio, facility, and will continue to support its growing customer base with new equipment and aftermarket services. In addition, the division will maintain its support of the installed base of rotary filling machines for both Hema and PSA product lines.
“Since 2015, when we had the pleasure of acquiring the Hema business, we’ve enjoyed the collaboration with our team members in Quimper, leveraging each other’s expertise to design and develop value-added solutions for our customers,” said Bill Morgan, PSA president. “As we look to realign some of those capabilities with our sister division Synerlink, PSA remains focused on our foundational commitment to excellence and innovation in filling solutions. We look forward to an ongoing partnership with the Hema and Synerlink teams, leveraging our combined global talent to drive sustained growth and superior service for our customers.”
Synerlink creates world-class machines and services for cup-filling, bottle-filling and form-fill-seal rigid packaging solutions by bringing together some of the industry’s most trusted brands, including aprium, arcil, dairy pack, dinieper, ermi and, now, hema. Synerlink is one of several Barry-Wehmiller companies represented in BW Packaging Systems, which brings together the collective packaging capabilities of accraply, BW flexible systems, BW integrated systems, PSA and Synerlink.
The Covid-19 pandemic led to the country-wide lockdown on 25 March 2020. It will be two years tomorrow as I write this. What have we learned in this time? Maybe the meaning of resilience since small companies like us have had to rely on our resources and the forbearance of our employees as we have struggled to produce our trade platforms.
The print and packaging industries have been fortunate, although the commercial printing industry is still to recover. We have learned more about the digital transformation that affects commercial printing and packaging. Ultimately digital will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future.
Web analytics show that we now have readership in North America and Europe amongst the 90 countries where our five platforms reach. Our traffic which more than doubled in 2020, has at times gone up by another 50% in 2021. And advertising which had fallen to pieces in 2020 and 2021, has started its return since January 2022.
As the economy approaches real growth with unevenness and shortages a given, we are looking forward to the PrintPack India exhibition in Greater Noida. We are again appointed to produce the Show Daily on all five days of the show from 26 to 30 May 2022.
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