Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 4 May 2021

ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2021 47 come together in OML-1060 and much more with Stefan Hoh, Head of Market Segment Feed & Pre- mix, Bühler. Mr. Hoh, first of all, could you give some information about the content and objectives of the Bühler - Premier Tech partnership that started in 2019? What is the meaning of this partnership for the industry? As the market leader in food and feed process tech- nology, the Bühler Group has a strong presence in the global feed market. This combined with Premier Tech’s undisputed market leadership in high end packing lines has led to the formation of a powerful strategic partnership that leverages the strengths and solutions of each partner. Premier Tech leads the way in fully automated packing lines, while Bühler provides vast experience in semi-automated and manual packing lines. To leverage the partnership to its maximum we found- ed the 50/50 joint venture in China. The joint ven- ture therefore provides the best of both worlds for our customers, allowing us to build upon our vision of ‘innovations for a better world’. What steps have you taken since your partnership started? What kind of innovations and solutions have you provided to the industry? Together we have successfully developed the first product from the joint venture: the OML-1060, a fully automated packaging machine for granular products. It’s a more affordable iteration of an ex- isting high-end solution, manufactured to the same high-quality standards. This is just the start of a new series of fully automated packaging equipment that we will be introducing to the industry. The joint venture has also allowed us to streamline our op- erational day-to-day business processes to serve the industry and our customers in the best way possible. Can you give some details about your joint venture in China? At what stage is this joint venture now? Our joint research and development as well as manufacturing center is located at the Bühler prem- "We have successfully developed the first product from the joint venture: the OML-1060, a fully automated packing line for granular products. It’s a more affordable iteration of an existing high-end solution, manufactured to the same high-quality standards."