The company said that it now has sales, parts and service offices in Singapore and Beijing as well as a manufacturing facility in Tianjin, China.
Western style baked items, including breads, cakes, pastries and desserts, are becoming popular daily items in China as a growing middle class and an increasingly urban population gain exposure to such goods through travel, the media and Starbucks’ influence in the region, claims a US Department of Agriculture GAINS report on China.
The US-based bakery machinery manufacturer targets primarily the high speed bread, bun and soft roll baking market, and its president, Ken Newsome, said that having a manufacturing base in China will help it remain competitive in the region.
“We believe that the Asia Pacific market will be the dominant economic story on the planet over the next two decades,” said Newsome. “To be successful in that region, we must be fully present and engaged.
Tim Cook, VP of marketing for AMF Bakery Systems told BakeryandSnacks.com that it has been supporting the multinational and regional manufacturers of baked goods as they have set up in emerging regions.
And the company said that so far it has supplied the equipment for four bakeries in China, and that, in the last 24 months, it has been the lead supplier on new bakery builds in Turkey, Poland, and Brazil.
Cook said that AMF will be showcasing its latest product developments at the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) in September, and they include modifications to its dough mixers for greater batch consistency as well as new features on its dough extruding equipment that allow a gentle way of handling the product.
He said that AMF has been undertaking extensive research into robotics, which he said have come down in price over the last few years, and he also notes greater familiarity of use with robotic components among bakery and snack makers.
“Although robots are being applied in new areas of baking, there are still many processes where robotics could be incorporated in the future as further advances are made, and we have been exploring that with our customers such as automating basket and case loading,” added Cook.