Enhancing your production with collaboration
An old proverb states: "if you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together." Collaboration, in other words, will always take you further. It’s a good lesson to consider, especially if you work in a competitive industry like ice cream manufacturing. Often, the secret to getting ahead is having access to the right experience, expertise and capabilities – all of which require close cooperation with the suppliers on whom you rely.
What does it take to build strong collaboration in today’s ice cream industry, and how do you get the most out of your supplier relationships? We put these questions to Tetra Pak experts who work closely with ice cream producers all around the world. Here, they share their thoughts about what to look for in a potential vendor as well as how those relationships can be a tool for navigating challenges and seizing new business opportunities.
The sweetest journey
Ice cream producers often turn to outside suppliers, with maintenance and service being one of the most common needs. In an industry with high seasonal demand, any unplanned downtime can lead to significant losses. Having support to stay up and running is therefore critical.
According to Esdras Ferreira, a Services Account Manager at Tetra Pak, close cooperation between manufacturers and service providers is not uncommon in the ice cream business. Nevertheless, many of the producers he speaks with are surprised to learn just how much they can boost operations through increased collaboration, whether it’s about solving immediate problems or planning for long-term improvements. He recommends considering vendor service capabilities as early as possible: to ensure your suppliers can meet your needs today as well as tomorrow.
“We see ice cream producers who are on a growth journey,” Esdras says. “They started small and partnered with small suppliers, relying on specialised service providers in their local market. But as the ice cream producer becomes bigger, they have bigger demands to deliver daily production. Their old service providers may not have the capacity to meet these needs, and operations begin to suffer because of the lack of availability.”
Part of the challenge Esdras sees is ice cream producers using different service providers for different needs: one supplier for certain types of parts, another for components, and others for maintenance. “They may go to a supplier with a challenge and hear ‘oh, this area is not my problem.’ As you grow, it becomes more important to have a partner with the capacity to answer all kinds of questions, regardless of the need you’re facing at any particular moment.”
Bruno Gomes, a Services Portfolio Specialist at Tetra Pak, explains that many growing ice cream producers mistakenly assume that larger suppliers will be “too big” for their needs. In reality, the situation is the opposite. A global vendor with a full portfolio can support everything: from the smallest part or component, to full preventive maintenance of the line, and even assistance via phone or digital channels when unexpected issues emerge.
“When you’re evaluating the cost of a service provider, it’s important to remember all the things you’re paying for,” Bruno says. “You’re not just buying service. You’re buying availability, and you’re buying expertise. You want a partner who has the capability to solve your challenges and get you what you need during critical hours, even in the evenings or on weekends. It’s not only about the services they can offer, but their ability to tailor those services to meet the specific demands of your operation.”
A recipe for success
What’s true for maintenance and service is also true when considering where to buy ingredients. A local seller may not have an offering that can adequately meet your needs as your business develops. “A smaller ingredients supplier might offer, for example, a good selection of chocolate. But they may not be able to sell you other important ingredients like oils or stabilisers,” says Miranda Zhang, Ingredients Sales Support Driver at Tetra Pak.
Miranda also notes that local suppliers may not understand the demands of ice cream production and, as a result, may not be able to provide the best ingredients for a given application. For example, it’s common that ingredient businesses will only offer general application milk powders, instead of functional milk proteins specifically developed for frozen desserts. While either can work in a recipe, an ice-cream-specific dairy ingredient is designed to provide the desired creaminess and mouthfeel as well as functionality like improved melting resistance.
“It’s also important to consider that a company who only provides ingredients won’t have the full production context,” Miranda adds. “They know their ingredients, but they don’t know processing or how their ingredients will work on different types of equipment. So, they can’t provide the support to solve challenges or to implement new ingredients into a recipe in the best possible way.”
In Miranda’s view, the biggest difference comes down to supply chain stability. Regional market shortages can have a big impact on small suppliers. A global partner, on the other hand, can source ingredients from a wide network all around the world, and they will have the buying power to get those ingredients at a better price. They will also have the necessary experience to help you navigate import regulations and tariffs in your market to ensure your supply chain remains uninterrupted.
Working with an international supplier also gives you access to international experience. Miranda explains that insights from around the world can help you stay on top of trends in your market, giving you a head start with new ingredients that have been tested and proven successful in other countries. This can be a big advantage when developing your next big product.
Thomas S. Karstensen, Tetra Pak’s Product Manager for Ice Cream Upgrades, agrees that the choice of supplier can have a major impact when it comes to product development – especially for companies that are on a growth journey. “The biggest ice cream producers already have their own R&D facilities for testing,” he says. “But smaller and medium-sized producers are very dependent on their equipment for normal production. They can’t take a line out of production to test new products. Maybe they have three weeks of downtime in the mid- or end-season, but they also need to perform maintenance and overhaul during this time, so that limits their development capabilities.”
Both Miranda and Thomas hightlight the value of a supplier who has the resources and capacity to perform product trials at scale, as well as the experience within ice cream production to support product ideation and development. This can make it easier to explore new ingredients and recipes, and it can even be useful when making other improvements to your equipment or line.
Some producers may be considering new technologies to expand their offering with other types of products or to improve existing recipes. As Thomas explains, there are often upgrade options that can accomplish what they are looking to do using their current set-up, at a fraction of the price of investing in new equipment.
Upgrades can also be a cost-effective way to overcome production challenges and improve operational efficiency. “For example, automation upgrades are a key focus for many ice cream producers,” Thomas says. “With turnover being a big issue in today’s industry, many plants want to automate their equipment and make previously manual lines easier to operate, thereby reducing the cost of frequently onboarding new operators.”
Upgrade capability is another area with stark differences between local and global service providers. “It comes back to experience,” Thomas explains. “Many local suppliers have only been around for a few years. Maybe they have overhauled two or three freezers. Compare that to a supplier like Tetra Pak, who has been working with ice cream producers for over 70 years and upgraded hundreds of freezers. Our customers get access to all that knowledge. It’s the difference between just making sure your equipment keeps on working and making sure it works even better than before.”
A comprehensive service portfolio for ice cream
No matter your needs today – or your plans for tomorrow – make sure you have the right expertise to drive productivity, profitability and sustainability. We’re with you at every step: from tailor-made service agreements for full peace of mind, to the ingredients and consumables behind your next great product, to upgrades that help you get more from your existing equipment.
Explore our portfolio of services for ice cream to learn more.
