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The company offers industry-leading technologies in reverse packaging systems for secondary dairy and meat processors, large-scale automated box chilling and freezing systems for meat and dairy processors, and packaging systems. Its real strength lies in the ability to deliver integrated solutions that are customdesigned and developed to meet each food processor’s needs.
“We have delivered more than 1000 installations for food processors worldwide, including many of the world’s biggest names in meat and dairy,” says Richard Rookes, the CEO of MHM Automation.
MHM Automation prioritizes establishing strong connections with its customers. With an extensive range of systems, products, and services, the company offers exceptional solutions for its customers' facilities. Since MHM Automation often works with existing sites, it has the capability to design and deliver customized solutions that not only achieve the desired outcome but also fit seamlessly into the available space.
For example, MHM Automation provided a completely automated reverse packaging system for a cheese converter in the U.S. It delivered an integrated system to completely automate the process of taking 40lb blocks of cheese from the pallet to the production line, naked and ready for processing. This system was designed, manufactured, installed, and integrated with the rest of the existing production line. Subsequent to the initial installation, additions have been made to further automate processes. An automatic batching process separated the 12 types of cheese being produced and stacked them into totes or sent to the production line. MHM Automation also delivered an automated, operator-free solution for raw block palletizing, which included the development of a custom grip head to protect the product and ensure that the client adhered to the strictest hygiene standards.
In another example, MHM Automation helped a leading meat processing company in the U.S. increase production capacity, improve operational equipment effectiveness, streamline processing methods, and reduce product damage.
The solution included a robotic de-palletizer that automatically depalletizes frozen meat box pallets and a Universal Robotic Box Cutter (UBC) with a box size recognition vision camera allowing for multiple box size and type cutting. MHM Automation also provided a side tip de-boxer module tipping the contents onto a cushioned flight conveyor, which feeds the jumbo bin distribution conveyor. The emptied boxes were ejected and conveyed to a waste collection point.
Upgrading the meat de-boxing system from a manual process to an automated system improved health and safety, hygiene and sanitation, production capacity, and operational equipment effectiveness while streamlining processing methods.
Innovation is a core aspect of MHM Automation's business philosophy. Its products are renowned for their quality and hold a prominent position within their respective market niches. The company takes great pride in being more than just a commodity supplier; its focus is on providing world-leading solutions. MHM Automation places great importance on delivering solutions of the highest quality and always ensuring reliability.
It has also brought to the table the Gantry Palletizer and De-Palletizer. It is an affordable and reliable palletizing solution, ideal for low to medium throughput operations that may not be able to justify a robotic palletizer. The Gantry features MHM Automation’s proprietary vision system, which enables it to recognize and depalletize products in a random stacking pattern. In addition, the company has added a dedicated automation engineer in the U.S. to provide locally-based technical support for customers.
Currently, players across the food industry need to become more efficient while simultaneously addressing the ongoing challenge of labor accessibility. MHM Automation is at the top of its game to offer futureproof solutions that can increase manufacturing process efficiency and reliability.
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Company
MHM Automation
Management
Richard Rookes, CEO
Description
MHM Automation offers industry-leading technologies in reverse packaging systems for secondary dairy and meat processors, large-scale automated box chilling and freezing systems for meat and dairy processors, and packaging systems. Its real strength lies in the ability to deliver integrated solutions.
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It’s a move NZX-listed MHM Automation predicts will almost double the size of its business, with proforma annual revenue estimated to increase from $67.7 million in the 2022 financial year to $125 million and EBITDA expected to more than treble to over $15 million.
MHM Automation Chief Executive Officer Richard Rookes describes it as a pivotal transaction for the company. “18 months ago, we set a strategic goal to increase our annual revenue to $100 million, with a focus on gaining scale and further diversification. This acquisition effectively achieves that goal,” he said.
Discussions have been ongoing for a two-year period, as the two Christchurch-based companies understood the value of merging the businesses together to provide more scale, cross selling opportunities and operational synergies.
Mr Rookes commented Wyma was a natural fit with MHM Automation strategically, operationally and culturally. “Wyma increases the diversification of our business, by gaining exposure to post-harvest vegetable and fruit handling markets, and has an established footprint in Europe, which is a market that MHM is actively growing in our existing business."
“We are really excited about the opportunity to merge together two Christchurch based agri-tech, export focused businesses as we continue to grow and evolve” Mr Rookes said.
Wyma Managing Director Andrew Barclay agreed and said it was a move that would benefit both parties as MHM Automation was a globally respected company with excellent growth prospects.
“The sale of Wyma to MHM effectively ensures the continuity of our product and service offering, whilst also offering our customers access to additional technologies and capability that could benefit their business. It also provides our employees further professional scope, which is important as we look to develop our people” Mr Barclay said.
Wyma’s 170 employees will be retained as its business operations are merged with MHM Automation in the coming months. Mr Barclay will join the MHM Automation board of directors and will own over 20% of MHM.