Goya Foods and SOMIC: A Partnership Shaping the Future of Packaging
The Genesis of an Innovative Partnership
Disney Arrubla, the Engineering Director at Goya Foods, has always been passionate about innovation. He arrived in the U.S. in 2002 with a vision to support his organization with technology-driven solutions. Disney's first encounter with SOMIC was at the Pack Expo in Chicago nearly five years ago. Impressed by the compact yet high-performance machinery, he saw a potential partner who could elevate Goya's packaging operations. The need to replace aging equipment causing frequent downtime and inefficiency led Goya Foods to pursue a new packaging solution. The vision was clear: a flexible, efficient machine with a small footprint that could seamlessly replace the existing production lane. Disney recognized this potential in SOMIC, as he explains, "Nobody else would fit in our real estate except SOMIC. The machine fits the space, and the specifications fit our needs. SOMIC offered a smaller footprint with greater capabilities."
Exploring SOMIC’s Innovative Solutions
What stood out to Disney was the simplicity of SOMIC's operation, the compactness of its machines, and its innovative design. The collection and case forming principles of the machine reduce the number of stations required on the machine and simplify the process. This significantly reduces the overall size and complexity of the machine. The SOMIC 424 T2 case packer also caught his eye due to the flexibility of the system to handle both stand-up pouches and folded cartons. "This flexibility opened up opportunities for us, enabling us to be flexible in our style of packaging and achieve cost savings," he points out. Disney values SOMIC's innovation and the ease and compact design of its machines. He discovered the SOMIC 424 T2 case packer represented everything his company wanted in a high-performance, efficient machine. Using SOMIC’s technology, Goya Foods achieved its key change objectives: minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity, but that’s not all! The introduction of SOMIC's machine monitoring technology dovetailed perfectly with the Goya data collection strategy. The company started employing data-driven approaches, using case quantities, individual equipment metrics, production line efficiency, and downtime as its primary operational metrics. The SOMIC case packer fit perfectly with this strategy contributing to real time performance data from the production line.
The Power of Partnership: A Key Ingredient in Success
The alliance between Goya Foods and SOMIC wasn't merely transactional. It represents a partnership that embraces collaboration with a deep understanding of each other's perspectives. "A change in vendors means sitting at the same table – sharing benefits, engineer to engineer," as Disney puts it. The confidence that Goya Foods has in SOMIC is also anchored in the latter's focus on service and parts availability. The fact that SOMIC is bringing assembly, engineers, and service locally to the U.S. has further assured Goya Foods of its commitment. Looking ahead, Disney envisions a strong role for SOMIC in Goya Foods' future projects. "If I’m going to replace a cartoner or case packer in the other two lanes, I’m going to recommend SOMIC. I see no reason to put other equipment there when I see the quality of SOMIC's machines."
Looking Ahead: A Future Shaped by Innovation
Disney’s final words on SOMIC embody the spirit of their successful partnership, “I hope SOMIC keeps growing; they have great equipment, especially in terms of size and performance.” SOMIC echoes this sentiment with Goya Foods. The partnership serves as a beacon of innovation and progress in food packaging. SOMIC designs with customers in mind, as noted in its support of Goya Foods as the company continues growing its legacy. The future of packaging is not just on the horizon; it's here, redefining the present, one solution at a time.