AMF Bakery Systems aligns with sweet baked goods equipment brand to strengthen global footprint

06-Feb-2019 - Last updated on 06-Feb-2019 at 17:12 GMT

Netherlands-based AMF – which specializes in bread and tortilla equipment – has integrated sweet baked goods and pizza equipment company Tromp Group under the AMF banner to better assist bakers to diversify their product offerings.

Tromp Group is the parent company for Tromp Sheeting and Depositing Systems as well as Den Boer Baking Systems, with operations in The Netherlands.

“The addition of the AMF Tromp and AMF Den Boer teams and technologies to AMF’s existing capabilities will protect the synergies that we’ve already established as partners under the Markel Food Group while leveraging the global support and service the AMF brand was built on,” said Jason Ward, president of AMF Bakery Systems.

The transition began six years ago when these brands and two others – Reading Bakery Systems, which supplies equipment for pretzels, crackers and cookies; and Solbern Food Processing Equipment, which specializes in rolled breads like tortillas and egg rolls – were amalgamated to form the Markel Food Group.

Better positioned

“As we fold Europe’s best sheeting, depositing, baking and handling technology into the world’s strongest bakery equipment supplier, we aim to put AMF Tromp and AMF Den Boer in the best position for the future: technologically, culturally – as well as structurally,” said Ken Newsome, CEO of Markel.

He added that, as a cohesive global unit, AMF will be able to help bakers keep up with the rapidly evolving shifts in the industry and consumer demands more efficiently and effectively.

AMF aims to fill a gap in the marketplace to provide all-encompassing baking solutions to companies diversifying their product offerings.

According to Hans Herman Doude, AMF Europe’s VP of sales, AMF Tromp and AMF Den Boer have ‘proven and innovative solutions’ for such variety and joining with AMF will offer localized support to customers around the globe.

Leadership shuffle

AMF has also shuffled its top line for sales and service support in North and LATAM America.

In the US and Canada, AMF sales director Blake Millard will turn his and his growing team’s attention to five dual-product segments: soft bread and buns, artisan bread and rolls, pizza and flatbreads, cakes and pies, and pastry and croissants.

Jamie Bryan, GM of AMF Tucker, will lead the project management and service teams for AMF Tromp and AMF Den Boer equipment in North America, along with his existing leadership for all AMF BakeTech equipment. AMF also recently hired two regional account managers, a project manager and service technician to cover this market.

The existing VP of sales for Latin America, Federico Martinez, will stay on board under the new AMF umbrella.