The need for an effective solution for the bar needs of NFS’s customers.
The PTL bar line equipment met that challenge with its reliability and flexibility.
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Equipment that can be counted on and drives 95% of NFS’s revenue.
“The reliability of this line is of paramount importance as it drives 95% of our revenue.”
Matt Dausman
President
National Foodworks Services (NFS) specialises in new product development, testing, pilot-production and small, boutique/artisanal production runs of a variety of food products. Founded in 2016 with 20 employees, their clients range from entrepreneurs with little experience in the industry to global, enterprise-level businesses. Their 40,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Decatur, Illinois, is uniquely positioned to serve all food businesses from start-ups to multi-national corporations looking to develop new products.
NFS’s world-class manufacturing facility is home to a wide range of food processing equipment and machinery. When they decided that a new bar line was needed, PTL were already on their radar via ADM Research, who NFS had a working relationship with. Former ADM Development Manager, Dr Stan Andrews (retired) says that when NFS started looking for specific bar line equipment, PTL was the only supplier to seriously consider their complex requirements. “I contacted about five different companies,” he recalls. “PTL was the only one who took me seriously.”
“We were looking for a more effective way to serve bar needs of our customers,” recalls Matt Dausman, NFS President. “We’d heard of PTL through ADM, and although we did look into other options, PTL seemed like the right choice because we knew that it was used in larger facilities, which made scalability for our clients much easier.”
Stan was tasked with researching the type of equipment needed to produce snack and protein bars, and as many other types of snacks as possible. He recalls that the equipment needed to be very flexible in terms of what could be produced and the production runs. PTL ticked those boxes, and several more. “The PTL line is very flexible and versatile in manufacturing a wide variety of finished products,” Stan explains. “It’s also easy to operate and adjust.”
The bar line equipment supplied by PTL is an integral feature of NFS’s manufacturing facility, and an essential piece of equipment. “The reliability of this line is of paramount importance as it drives 95% of our revenue,” says Matt. “That’s why PTL’s support is key, but the main thing is that the bar line equipment is very reliable.”
Matt also underlines the flexibility of the PTL bar line, which is particularly important given the broad variety of customer types and sizes NFS service. “The many different types of bars we have been able to run on this line has really helped our flexible business model,” he explains. Stan goes on to underscore the importance of the chilling equipment required for the forming rollers to make the line as flexible as possible.
“We haven’t had any issues and the technical support has been super,” Stan adds. “It’s easy to clean, and very user-friendly. The support staff are very knowledgeable of the equipment and capabilities.”
The quality of the bar line equipment and NFS’s relationship with PTL has driven talk of future projects. “We have already had several discussions around future capabilities and additions to our current line,” Matt says. “It’s likely we’ll be going back to PTL for future equipment needs and new design possibilities.”
Like many of PTL’s customers, NFS is based in the US. Although PTL is located in New Zealand, Matt wasn’t concerned with the geographic challenge. “They overcame that barrier very well,” he explains. “Primarily by providing equipment that has very few maintenance/repairs issues.”
Matt goes on to explain that despite the physical distance, PTL has proven adept at dealing with complex challenges and urgent support issues.
“They have made themselves available around our schedule when needed,” he says. “Having the Managing Director Nick and key technical support team members at critical times has been extremely beneficial. They realise the challenge of working with overseas clients, and have yet to disappoint.”
Stan agrees, and goes on to say that PTL has consistently delivered on their promise. “They’ve been easy to deal with, and they’ve delivered on everything that they said,” he explains. “They came over to install the equipment, which is very reliable, performing exactly as we expect it to. The installation team was outstanding and worked hard to make sure we had all our questions answered.”
The relationship between NFS and PTL, although in the early stages, looks set to continue into the future. “They produce reliable manufacturing lines,” says Matt. “Not only that, but they’re always helpful in our partnership with them. We help to promote their equipment, and they refer clients to us. It’s a great business relationship.”
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