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Fairgrieve Compression Moulding is manufacturing a lighter and more cost-effective plastic starch tray – which will be launched to the confectionary industry at the 2022 ProSweets Cologne Exhibition.
Now at an ‘advanced stage’ of development, the project emerged from a series of continuous improvement sessions with our long-serving and experienced team.
Having identified opportunities to modify and redesign the plastic starch tray, it will now be sleeker and more cost-effective to produce – providing better value for bulk-buying customers.
General Manager Barry Davidson hopes the evolution will mark a ‘significant return to prominence within the confectionary sector’ after highlighting this mogul plant production component as a top priority following his appointment earlier this year.
Mr Davidson said: “These are exciting times with regards to the development of our new plastic starch trays. The initial spark for this came from engaging with and empowering our staff to consider where we could make inroads in the market by taking a new approach.
“A number of individuals have been really invested in this and it’s fantastic our staff identified the current trays could be significantly improved by redesigning and reengineering them. Now they will be more affordable for customers and more efficient for us to produce.
“What we have developed is a tray which has elements which are detachable. It is also almost 5kg lighter so it is cheaper to produce and distribute. Importantly, it still has the required strength and stability to make it a long-standing product.
“It is a product which could have a huge impact on the bottom line for our customers who buy and use thousands of these products.”
To develop the new tray, Fairgrieve has forged a partnership with a renowned international polymer specialist.
The project has received a further injection of momentum due to the interest and support shown by their chemists, who have developed a lower-density and lighter polymer specifically for the redesign.
Mr Davidson added: “We wanted to find a partner with similar aspirations in this market to ourselves and they’ve certainly shown a desire to work together to bring something new to the table. We hope it is something which can attract the interest of the big confectionary companies.
“Having spoken with their team, we were immediately impressed by their desire to work alongside us. Their chemists were also keen to formulate a suitable moulding compound of a lower density and weight.
“They have communicated really well with our team and fully agreed with the modifications we proposed.”
Showcase samples should be sent to potential customers before the end of this year, allowing them to place priority orders.
The new plastic starch tray will be officially launched at the 2022 ProSweets Cologne Exhibition, a must-attend event for all businesses in the sweets and snacks industry, next January.
Explaining the decision to relaunch a major product, Mr Davidson said: “Since the start of this project, all our team agreed that we had to bring something new to the table.
“We have a long-established reputation in this market and this is a great way to reintroduce ourselves – with a fantastic product to showcase to potential customers.
“This project sends a strong message to the rest of the sector. By working alongside a business which is well known to our potential customers across the UK and Europe, we truly believe we can return to prominence in this market.”