Marel’s largest fish processing sale
Marel has sold a new whitefish processing flowline to a seafood processor in northeast Chine – the company’s largest single sale to the fish processing industry.
The flowline features solutions specifically developed to meet the requirements of Chinese fish processors.
The Marel-led project enlisted Icelandic specialist equipment manufacturers 3X Technology and Skaginn to help implement this innovative milestone project.
“These custom-made Marel flowlines were exclusively designed for the Chinese market,” explains Marel senior consultant Kristmann Kristmannsson, “a market whose needs are changing - labour intensive industry is decreasing in favour of more automation. We couldn’t be more delighted at how this concept solution is developing.”
This contract highlights Marel’s strategy of focusing increasingly on rapidly growing emerging markets such as China. Marel’s commitment in China was underscored last year with the arrival of Henry Hsieh to head the team at Marel‘s Qingdao-based Fish Industry Center, a subsidiary of the company‘s main office in Beijing.
“My role is to grow Marel’s presence in China by using Marel’s solutions and knowledge to support the Chinese seafood processors,” says Mr Hsieh, “which involves building up sales and customer service and support from the foundation to further develop this market. From a sales point of view, we are initially focusing on Marel’s whitefish processing equipment and solutions.”
In a country the size of China, the ability to provide on-site service and backup is vitally important to customers. The Marel team in China understands this concern and is focusing on further strengthening its technical services capabilities.
“This record-breaking sale, and our expanded presence, represents the growing opportunities open to Marel in China. Moreover, consumer demand for more sophisticated products is also increasing, which generates further opportunities for other Marel products,” says Mr Hsieh.