2018 is set to be the biggest year, by some margin, for our customer’s adoption of technology. The willingness to adopt automated solutions, both the new and innovative AND the “tried and tested”, over the past 12 months has increased dramatically. And for good reason. Labour is in high demand and short supply, technology is becoming more accessible and the industry is growing… literally.
As such, from a supplier perspective, resources are being stretched, freight forwarders are being hounded and temperaments are being… tested. This comes from knowing that the start of any season (particularly in apples and kiwifruit) sees an inevitable initial chaos, followed by some grumbles and false starts (akin to starting up an old EH Special after years in the garage) and finally some level of normality prevails and things roll along nicely… until the next grower change.
What’s comforting is knowing that we’ve got this. Every year we wonder how we’re going to manage the “biggest season ever” and every year we surprise ourselves with how we perform under pressure. Pallet strapping and palletisation installs, bagging machines, check weighers, robotic apple packing…it’s reassuring to know that, despite some head scratching and a few choice words, our gear is backed up by a reliable and responsive team of quality technicians. Here’s to your success in 2018.