Growers from Latin America can test sorting machines with their own samples of produce as TOMRA Food opens regional headquarters in Chile

TOMRA Food and its two sister companies, Compac and BBC Technologies, have opened regional headquarters in Santiago, Chile, to enhance its support of food processors and packers across Latin America.

Michel Picandet, Head of TOMRA Food, commented: “TOMRA Food is growing in Latin America, as it is elsewhere in the world, and Chile is the perfect location for expanding our presence here. The new regional headquarters put us closer to all our Latin American customers to ensure they receive the best resources, service and support. This large facility hosts both Service and Sales personnel, affirming our commitment to the future in this region.”

Ken Moynihan, CEO of Compac, said: “Latin American region exports a significant portion of the global trade in fresh produce. Companies are looking to supply their customers 365 days per year, so they need to secure high-quality supply from the southern hemisphere. And to succeed in this high value market, exporters need the best packing lines, which is where we add value to their business.”

The new building is 810 square-meters, has offices, a meeting room, a spare parts store for greater spare parts stock, and a test and demonstration area that serves as a Customer Experience Center and Regional Training Hub.

The demonstration room in Santiago currently hosts five optical sorting machines: TOMRA 5A, TOMRA 5B, TOMRA 3C, TOMRA Nimbus BSI+, and Blizzard. In the upcoming months, customers will also be able to test here a Compac Single Lane Sorter with Spectrim, UltraView, and Inspectra inspection systems.

Now potential customers can test machines with their own samples of produce. “Our sorting and grading technologies are so powerful, because they can inspect the product externally and internally, that sometimes people have to see the results for themselves to believe them!” – says Jacinto Trigo, Compac’s Latin America Regional Director. Compac customers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru are already expressing interest in testing these machines, with their apples, avocados, citrus fruits, kiwis, mangoes, round fruits, and stone fruits.

Johan Germeys, Regional Sales Manager LATAM, TOMRA Food, shares: “We have already delivered many tests for customers on a wide variety of produce – fresh and IQF berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, IQF grapes, green beans, nuts, almonds and seaweed – and on every occasion, customers have been impressed by the results.”

If customers are unable to visit Santiago due to travel constraints or safety issues related to COVID-19, TOMRA arranges to conduct online demonstration tests. In light of the pandemic, TOMRA 's team still continues to work closely with customers by conducting virtual meetings and making training materials accessible online, reducing the need for workers to make any unnecessary journeys.

TOMRA Food also has regional headquarters in the USA, China, and South Africa, global headquarters in Belgium, and 32 regional offices around the world.

For further information check TOMRA Food, Compac or BBC Technologies.