The new TOMRA center in Valencia will be key to the development of the EMEA region

TOMRA Food, based in New Zealand, is a multinational company specializing in the design and manufacture of sensor-based sorting machines and integrated solutions for the calibration and processing of horticultural products. It currently has centers of excellence, regional offices, and manufacturing plants in the USA, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Moreover, it has installed over 13,800 units among the leading producers, packers, and processors worldwide. Fruit Attraction 2023 was the perfect moment to present their new center for Europe located in Valencia, representing a key geographical point for the European and African markets. We interviewed Roberto Ricci, recently appointed EMEA Director for TOMRA Fresh Food, about this new HUB for Europe. Good morning, Roberto. First of all, congratulations on your recent appointment. Could you briefly tell us about your position and new responsibilities?Since June of this year, I hold the position of EMEA Sales Director for TOMRA Fresh Food, the fresh products division of TOMRA Food. For TOMRA, it is crucial to put our customers at the center of our activity. Therefore, after ending our relationship with an exclusive partner last March, we decided to work directly with the market, as is successfully done in Latin America. For this, it was necessary to have leadership to organize work in the region. We thought it would be a good opportunity to create an EMEA region, covering Europe, the Middle East, and all of Africa. Previously, we worked in the EMENA region, including only North Africa. In which markets is TOMRA Fresh Food looking to develop with the establishment of this new center?The territories where we are most present are "historic Europe," namely France, Italy, and Spain. In recent years, we have also expanded significantly in Greece and Turkey. The next step is to start growing more in North Africa. Morocco is a rapidly growing market, and Egypt is the world's leading orange producer. South Africa is another very strategic and strong market, with constant growth in citrus but also in blueberries. Therefore, my focus is on developing the region, and a significant resource for us will be the facility in Valencia, specifically located in the city of Massanassa (Valencia). What will be the functions of the new center located in Valencia?The new TOMRA center in Valencia, operational since August, will reinforce the support the company provides to horticultural conditioning and packing warehouses in the EMEA region. It includes a machinery demonstration area and a customer training zone. Around 50 people, including the sales team, technical service, and project engineers responsible for developing equipment and facilities projects, as well as pricing and offers, are expected to work there. We will also have the Project Management Team. That is, the Valencia office will manage the projects for everything sold in the EMEA region. Project engineers will also develop, from Valencia, all the technical specifications for how the machine should be built. Therefore, it's not just about selling and providing service but supporting the project from the beginning. In this new center, spare parts and technical service will be crucial. By sharing the same time zone with many of our clients, we can easily provide remote customer support. Previously, South African clients were served from New Zealand, which posed a significant logistical challenge.