The Krones Sales Regions are looking forward to drinktec 2013: EUROPE

The growth prospects for the food and beverage industries are auspicious: the planet’s population is rising, expenditure on food and beverages is increasing, and in the emergent economies, particularly, consumers have plenty of catching up to do. The saturated market in Europe does not permit many new business start-ups. Instead of launch new investment projects, producers are focusing more on preserving their in-place capabilities, on upsizing and updating them. Introducing additional product variants, handling new packaging forms, and reducing consumption levels – these are the most urgent concerns of European producers.

Klaus Holler, Senior Vice President Sales Europe, tells us how Krones is responding to European clients’ expectations, and how the drinktec will help in this.

Mister Holler, the drinktec is fast approaching. How important is it for the clients, particularly in your own region?

The drinktec is without a doubt the world’s premier trade fair in regard to innovations in the field of machinery design, and but also in regard to our clients’ own products. This time, too, participation at the fair will once again be exceptionally high.

What does the beverage market look like in your region? What Krones themes are of particular interest for your clients?

For our clients, there are quite a few stand-out issues:

• Energy and media savings, since the subject of carbon footprints is of concern not only to the industry’s big players
• High-speed machines, so as to reduce unit costs substantially and thus find it easier to get onto the discounters’ shelves
• Monobloc solutions, since these are space-saving, energy-economical concepts that fit in well with the carbon footprint issue
• Flexible, modularised solutions, enabling their users to produce at an affordable cost the number of different SKUs that retailers are demanding
• Machines and lines for aseptic filling, with reduced consumption of energy and chemicals
• The one-stop shop continues to be much appreciated, indeed demanded, by clients. This is one of Krones’ USPs, which with our full range of capabilities, from process engineering, filling and packaging technology all the way through to warehousing, puts us in a unique position

What do you personally expect from the drinktec? Is it still the industry’s most important sectoral meet-up?

There’s no doubt about how important it is. There is no other trade fair with equivalent prestige for our sector, and since for the Europeans it’s more or less on the doorstep, we’re bracing ourselves once again for a never-ending stream of visitors. And: in contrast to other trade fairs, this time, we’re again expecting some interesting deals to be closed during the fair.

As far as I’m concerned, there’s no event that’s as electrifying as the drinktec. Here, Krones showcases to optimum effect the bedrock on which we have built our reputation: market leadership based on cutting-edge technology, coupled with a receptive sensitivity to disparate cultural mindsets, enabling us to offer and successfully complete responsively customised concepts.