AMF Bakery Systems and Tromp Group integrate to unify global strategy

AMF Bakery Systems announced a plan to integrate Tromp Group, parent brand for Tromp Sheeting and Depositing Systems and Den Boer Baking Systems, under AMF to better serve commercial and retail bakers around the world. Effective immediately, the businesses will begin operating as AMF Tromp and AMF Den Boer with all operations continued in The Netherlands.

“This is the progression of the strategic alliance that began six years ago under the Markel Food Group. As we fold Europe’s best sheeting, depositing, baking, and handling technology into the world’s strongest bakery equipment supplier, we aim to put AMF Tromp and AMF Den Boer in the best position for the future: technologically, culturally – as well as structurally,” said Ken Newsome, CEO of Markel Food Group.

Following the integration, AMF will operate worldwide with unified project management systems and cohesive global sales and service teams to tackle the rapid pace of change in the baking industry. This is in direct response to the corresponding strategic challenges that bakers face in growing their product portfolios to meet evolving consumer demands.

“The addition of the Tromp and Den Boer team and technologies to AMF’s existing capabilities will protect the synergies that we’ve already established as partners under the Markel Food Group while leveraging the global support and service the AMF brand was built on,” said Jason Ward, President of AMF Bakery Systems. “With this improved alignment, our sales and engineering teams are better equipped to present the most optimal processing solutions while more effectively supporting our baking customers’ ever-expanding product needs from soft bread, buns, and rolls to artisan breads and a variety of specialty baked products including pizza and flatbreads, pastry and croissants, and cakes and pies.”

“AMF, Tromp, and Den Boer strengthen each other in a perfect way,” said Hans Herman Doude, Vice President of Sales for AMF Europe. “We see that industrial bun and bread bakers

++ Fazer considers closing Oulu bakery

Fazer has evaluated the efficiency of its bakery network and plans on closing the Oulu bakery and transferring its operations to other Fazer bakeries. Fazer will start collaboration negotiations that affect all 83 employees at the Oulu bakery. Adjustments of the business need to be considered as the consumption of pre-packed bread has decreased. Respectively, the popularity of products baked in-store has increased. The number of Fazer in-store bakeries continues to grow, and they will employ more bakers in the future. ”The focus areas of employment will change. The in-store bakery business is growing. In Finland, we have now 64 in-store bakeries do need to diversify their product range, for which Tromp and Den Boer have proven and innovative solutions. This next step in convergence will enable us to provide localized support, globally for our best-in-class equipment solutions, whilst ensuring better support for our long-time customers.”

About AMF Bakery Systems

AMF Bakery Systems is the world leader in bakery automation solutions supplying state-of-the-art commercial equipment for an ever-changing market. AMF’s systems set the standard in the baking industry providing complete solutions for soft bread, buns, rolls, tortillas, English muffins, artisan breads, pizzas, flatbreads, cakes, pies, pastries and croissants. Along with the latest bakery innovation, AMF provides expert design, applications engineering, production expertise, full-system integration, project management, installation, training, lifetime parts, and service support.

About Tromp Group

AMF Tromp and AMF Den Boer – formerly Tromp Group –provide technically leading unit equipment as well as fullyintegrated bakery solutions for the worldwide baking industry. Together AMF, AMF Tromp, and AMF Den Boer help bakers grow their product portfolio with confidence to produce soft breads, buns, sheeted artisan breads, pizzas, flatbreads, cakes, pies, pastries and croissants.

About Markel Food Group

The Markel Food Group family of companies (www.markel foodgroup.com) includes AMF Bakery Systems (www.amf bakery.com), Reading Bakery Systems (www.readingbakery. com), Tromp Group (www.trompgroup.nl), and Solbern (www.solbern.com). The companies serve as market leaders in the manufacturing and design of automated food processing equipment for bread, bun, baked snacks, cakes, pizza, pastries, and other specialty baking products. The Markel Food Group companies are subsidiaries under Markel Ventures, Inc., (www.markelventures.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Markel Corporation. +++ employing 450 people. In 2021, we estimate to have 100 instore bakeries with 600 employees. At the same time, we must adjust our business as pre-packed bread is bought less. In addition, material and energy costs have continued to rise and it is not possible to fully transfer the cost effects into prices”, says Managing Director Markus Hellström, Fazer Bakery Finland. Fazer’s bakeries locate in Vantaa, Lahti, Lappeenranta and Oulu. In addition, Fazer has 64 in-store bakeries inside grocery stores, where bakers bake every day. Fazer Bakery employs approximately 1,600 people in Finland. +++

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