In our latest interview, we sit down with Hayley Windsor, National Sales Executive at T Freemantle, to discuss the evolving landscape of food and drink packaging. With over 30 years of industry experience, she share’s what drew her to Freemantle’s “no-nonsense” culture and how the company is tackling modern challenges – from the rising demand for automation and robotics to the critical need for space-saving, sustainable machinery. We also dive into the strength of our ongoing collaboration, exploring how Henkel’s adhesive solutions play a vital role in ensuring their robust, UK-manufactured machines deliver the reliability and “simplicity as genius” that the market demands.
You’ve recently joined Freemantle, what interested you in T Freemantle and what does your role entail?
My interest in Freemantle really came about in my first telephone conversation with Richard Kitchen, our company MD, followed by my meeting with Simon Holt our sales director. Sometimes you just know when a company and the people in that company are the right cultural fit for you. I was looking for an established business closely related to the food & drink industry, of which I have been a part of for over 30 years, offering a role that would give me the opportunity to drive sales in a ‘food focused’ but relaxed environment, free from corporate nonsense and where I would have the opportunity to grow professionally, learning from those around me.
Primarily my role is focused on relationship management & how we can best maximise an existing customer base and the traction we have with it. I work closely with Simon supporting him with the developments of our ‘new business’ pipelines. We are constantly striving to expand our UK based customers and overseas distribution channels which is split 60/40. I also dedicate some of my time to our marketing efforts. It’s a sales & marketing role essentially but it’s also a role that allows me to share new ideas and ways in which we can become stronger as a brand and as a team.
When you look ahead, what do you think are the biggest opportunities for machinery manufacturers over the next ten years?
The economic unrest & cost of living crisis have really impacted businesses all over the world, manufacturers are therefore on a quest to reduce costs and increase precision as retailers drive prices down whilst demanding the kind of consistency only automation provides. This is therefore a perfect opportunity for end of line packing machinery like ours to increase our market presence and educate companies how upscaling can be guaranteed by the kind of sleeving and cartoning solutions we offer.
Summarised, there is an opportunity for incremental growth within this sector as wages are on the uprise and temporary agency staff can cause a lack of stability within business. Robotics, AI and sustainability will drive opportunity and where NPD departments for major retailers want more sku’s rather than fewer, there will be more need for automated capability to replace the time consuming , labour intensive manual handling businesses have struggled with in the past.
Manufacturing technology moves quickly – how do you personally stay on top of new trends and innovations to keep T Freemantle ahead of the curve?
This is true technological advancement has never been more ever changing but it’s still about staying true to what you manufacture. T Freemantle are never going to offer the most advanced machine on the market, but we build robust reliable solutions that are built to last. We also remain flexible and open to the changes and pain points food manufacturing sites have to deal with every day.
Our wraparound sleever for example showcases the innovation behind our ever- evolving machine designs with their new fully accessible, acrylic doors which increase ease of access, maximise visibility for maintenance and cleaning and allow operators to visually monitor the machines operation effortlessly.
Simplicity can be genius in its own way, as many of the environments that our machines end up in need an ‘easy to maintain solution’ as they have unskilled operators using the machines daily. We stay true to who we are but always look to improve.
Sustainability is such a hot topic across industries – how does T Freemantle bring green practices into its machine design and manufacturing?
T Freemantle was bought by Lifco in 2021, a global acquisition model with over 240 companies worldwide. They are heavily bound therefore by their sustainability policies and as a company run by them, we have to adhere to these strict guidelines.
Our machines use materials that are all CE approved and we keep our supply chain local. We have gone paperless and are investing in electric vehicles for our sales team. It’s all about the small sustainable changes we can make every day.
Don’t boil the kettle twice, make a brew for your colleague while you’re at it!!!
In your view, what makes T Freemantle stand out compared to other machinery manufacturers?
We offer a solidly made, quality machine that is simplistic but highly effective, at a price point that is right. Industries need a trustworthy machine delivering a solution it says it will deliver on.
All our new machines use our ultra hygienic open framed design which not only makes our machines 4 times easier to clean down than most of our competitors, but it also makes it fully accessible from almost every angle, making maintenance easy.
Our project management is highly attentive and our customer sales/service support is rated excellent. When we sell a machine we offer lifetime after sales care by our ‘preventative maintenance contracts’ offering. The majority of our customers feel reassured by the capabilities of our machines and the engineering support they get from us going forward post sale. So I believe these are some of the reasons we keep our competitive edge and offer a point of difference.
How does Henkel adhesive help you provide the best solution?
One, they have the best glue on the market and two, they have a superb team who are responsive and always so collaborative when it comes to servicing our customers with their adhesives. As our local industry partners, that reliability and efficiency is so important when a project is nearly over the line. They have never let us down and therefore we do not hesitate in recommending them to every one of our customer’s.
Shifting gears a bit – outside of work, what are some of your favourite ways to unwind or recharge?
I like being active and hit the gym most nights. On a weekend I love getting out in nature for a good old muddy hike or mountain climb. One of my favourite ways to unwind though would be a Friday night cook off, a load of delicious ingredients ,a good glass of vino and some good tunes. I am also a little obsessed with interiors and making things look like the kind of home you can have rather than that you have to have.
And just for fun – if you could invent any kind of packaging machinery, no matter how futuristic, what would it be and why?
Richard Kitchen our MD here at Freemantle wants to believe that one day there will be a market for a ‘green machine’ where every kind of packaging is completely edible/biodegradable and there is therefore zero waste. Sustainability heaven!! Finding a natural material that keeps the content as fresh as a cherry skin keeps a cherry, or a tomato skin keeps a tomato, now that would be an ideology worth striving for. Sincere apologies to the carton board/ corrugate people of the world however.😁
Interested in learning more about what T Freemantle has to offer or how we could help with your packaging adhesive needs? Contact us to get connected with one of our adhesive experts.
