The facility will support tna’s Chinese manufacturing site in Qingdao, which it opened in 2011.
Appointed GM China
The office will be managed by Sean Xu, who recently joined the company as general manager, China.
Alf Taylor, CEO, tna, said Xu’s industry experience, customer service focus and market insights will be instrumental in helping local food manufacturers reach higher efficiencies, enhance food safety, reduce waste and improve food quality.
“The Chinese food industry is expected to grow faster than anywhere else in the world. It’s a competitive market filled with opportunities,” said Xu.
“Food safety and automation will be key issues over the next few years. There is also a growing number of time-pressed consumers with higher disposable incomes, who desire confectionery products with new tastes and flavors, making it an ideal market for our flexible starch moulding technology from NID.”
tna acquired NID in Australia in March this year.
tna’s timeline China
- 1997: tna sells its first two vertical form fill and seal packaging systems to a potato snack manufacturer in the Helongjiang province
- 2000: tna installs the first high speed bagger (a tna robag 2ci) in China
- 2011: tna opens a manufacturing facility in Qingdao
- 2017: tna opens TNA Solutions (Shanghai) Co. Ltd
It makes starch molding equipment for gums, jellies, marshmallows, fondant creams, liquorice and crusted liqueurs.
Its portfolio includes the NID M3000 Starch Molding Mogul, which imprints shapes into a bed of starch for liquid confectionery to be deposited; then ‘debucks’ the product from the tray while its Finishing Machines add shiny or sugar coating.
High GDP growth rate
Taylor said its portfolio in China includes baggers, conveyors, fryers and seasoning equipment to complete potato processing and confectionery molding lines.
"We're delighted to be opening another site here as we continue to expand our global footprint. The Shanghai office will make tna more accessible to our local customer base and give them better support,” he said.
According to GlobalData, October 2017, China’s GDP per capita grew at a CAGR of 8% during 2011–2016.
A high GDP growth rate coupled with a high proportion of younger demographics make the country an attractive investment destination for consumer goods companies and is expected to have a positive influence on the savoury snacks sector.
The sector was valued at $10,515.4m in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% during 2016–2021.
Increasing disposable income and growing employment rates are the key growth drivers for the savoury snacks sector in China. It is also one of the largest confectionery markets globally, with a value of $15,584m and a growth forecast of 8.6% CAGR between 2016–2021.