FPS and CMP Create Innovation Center to Accelerate Development of New Technology for the Food Processing Industry

Milton, PEI – Charlottetown Metal Products Ltd (“CMP”) and FPS Food Process Solutions (“FPS”) launch an Innovation Center located at CMP’s manufacturing complex on Prince Edward Island, Canada.  This significant investment in both people and place will focus on the development of new innovative hygienic food processing solutions.  With this commitment, the FPS and CMP team will continue to strengthen their partnership with universities and colleges, various government agencies, strategic suppliers, and the food processing customers they serve globally.

Renovations of the 10,000 sq. ft. (930 sq. meter) Innovation Center will be completed over the next year.  There are currently 7 innovation projects in the pipeline.  The first project to be completed was the development of a state-of-the-art End-to-End Solution for packaged food products. Several key technologies were incorporated into a forty-foot conveyor loop to handle the transfer, alignment, merge, and diverge of packaged food products to and from chillers, freezers, and other processing equipment.  Projects now underway focus on full process line solutions that bring operational efficiencies in the areas of energy utilization, process automation, and increasing production yields. 

“This investment will enable rapid acceleration of new product development and reduce time to market of several technologies we have currently in concept phase,” said Kees Jansen van Rosendaal, Director, New Product Development. 

The Innovation Center will be staffed with dedicated process engineers, design engineers, controls specialists and technicians with broad experience across the food processing industry.  Growth plans are already underway to add 10 additional team members that will complement the 165 employees currently on staff at CMP.  Financial support has come from Innovation PEI to help make this innovation center a reality. In addition, CMP is receiving advisory services and research and development funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) to support innovations in food processing and full line optimization.

 "I am delighted we have this opportunity to re-invest company profits into innovation.  We are working hard to build a better future with advanced food processing machinery and process line solutions,” stated Trevor Spinney, President, Charlottetown Metal Products Ltd.

Jeffrey Chang, President, FPS Food Process Solutions Corp, added, "FPS has had a longstanding commitment to innovation which has fueled our rapid growth since company inception.  Through our combined efforts, our continued focus on innovation has resonated well with new and existing customers".

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ABOUT FPS FOOD PROCESS SOLUTIONS

FPS Food Process Solutions, a global leader in turn-key freezing and cooling equipment, employs over 900 staff around the world. Established in 2010, FPS has a combined 780,000+ sq. ft (72,500 sq. meters) of space in 19 locations including its Canadian headquarters, manufacturing, and warehouse facilities as well as international sales offices across five continents. For more information, go to www.fpscorp.ca

 ABOUT CHARLOTTETOWN METAL PRODUCTS LTD

Charlottetown Metal Products Ltd is a subsidiary of FPS Food Process Solutions Corp., a global leader in turn-key food freezing and cooling equipment. CMP has been manufacturing hygienic processing equipment for food manufacturers around the world for over 65 years. Based just outside Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, CMP has over 35 engineers and designers, 100,000 sq. ft. (9300 sq. meters) of manufacturing space, and a dedicated installation team to provide global clients with innovative food processing solutions. CMP is one of PEI's top employers with over 165 staff. For more information, go to www.cmpequipment.com

 

 For more information contact:

 Shirley Wong | Communications Manager
Phone: 604 232-4145 Ext. 1239
shirley.wong@fpscorp.ca                              
www.fpscorp.ca

FPS Food Process Solutions Acquires GEM Equipment of Oregon as Part of Strategic Product Diversification

Vancouver, BC – FPS Food Process Solutions (“FPS”), a global leader in freezing and cooling equipment, today announced it has acquired GEM Equipment of Oregon. This acquisition allows FPS to diversify its product offering to include GEM Equipment’s well-known fryers and blanchers.

FPS and GEM Equipment have a long history of crossing paths, each providing processing equipment for potato processors – FPS for freezing and GEM Equipment for blanching and frying. Together, FPS and GEM Equipment can now offer food processors a wider range of solutions, starting with custom built end-to-end French Fry and specialty potato lines – from blanching to freezing.

“As part of the acquisition, GEM Equipment will have access to new global markets and a wider, more diverse range of products and industry sectors,” said Chris Imdieke, CEO, GEM Equipment of Oregon, Inc.

“This acquisition provides additional value to existing and new customers. Since acquiring Charlottetown Metal Products (CMP) in PEI and Total Solutions Ltd (TSL) in New Zealand, we have grown the FPS family to serve domestic and global markets. With GEM Equipment, our enhanced product portfolio provides customers confidence in making FPS their partner of choice for all their food processing needs,” stated Jeffrey Chang, President, FPS Food Process Solutions Corp.

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ABOUT FPS FOOD PROCESS SOLUTIONS

FPS Food Process Solutions, a global leader in turn-key freezing and cooling equipment, employs over 900 staff around the world. Established in 2010, FPS has a combined 780,000+ sq. ft (72,500 sq. meters) of space in 19 locations including its Canadian headquarters, manufacturing, and warehouse facilities as well as international sales offices across six continents. For more information, go to www.fpscorp.ca

ABOUT GEM EQUIPMENT OF OREGON

GEM Equipment of Oregon specializes in designing and manufacturing large-scale processing equipment, predominantly for the French Fry potato industry including robust blanchers and fryers. Founded in 1969, GEM Equipment has manufacturing facilities in Woodburn and Mt. Angel, Oregon, as well as a recent expansion in Abilene, Texas. For more information, go to https://www.gemequipment.com/

For more information contact:

Shirley Wong | Communications Manager
Phone: 604 232-4145 Ext. 1239
shirley.wong@fpscorp.ca                               
www.fpscorp.ca          

Food Standards Save Lives

FPS Food Process Solutions Celebrates World Food Safety Day 2023 By Upholding Hygienic Standards in Food Processing

Vancouver, BC – FPS Food Process Solutions (“FPS”) celebrates World Food Safety Day 2023 by keeping to its promise of upholding hygienic standards in food processing. This year’s theme “Food standards save lives” launched by the World Health Organization (“WHO”), calls on established food safety practices and standards, which ensure food safety and quality.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are four steps where food contamination can occur – during production, processing, distribution, or preparation. As an industrial food freezer manufacturer, FPS knows that upholding hygienic standards in the food processing stage is a major step where contamination can occur. Through detailed attention to sanitary freezer design and best manufacturing practices, FPS has been leading the way in ensuring safe food processing can be achieved during this stage.

Bacteria including salmonella, campylobacter, listeria and E. coli, are some of the most common foodborne pathogens that affects millions of people every year. One of the most effective ways to reduce bacterial growth is through temperature control. Known as the “danger zone”, the risk of microbial activity between 4°C – 60°C (40F – 140F) can lead to foodborne diseases and illnesses. As an expert in freezing and chilling, FPS utilizes structural and mechanical engineering concepts to ensure bacterial growth is significantly reduced while retaining the quality and integrity of the food product when it undergoes the freezing or chilling stage.

Bacteria, however, can still proliferate through cross contamination, as it can be found on surfaces and even in the air. FPS employs a holistic design that includes:

·        Fully welded enclosure builds to reduce external entry points while maintaining safe temperature levels

·        Elimination of bacteria harbourage points that can catch and hold food debris with minimal lap joints and bolting

·        Externally mounted fan motors to keep lubricants, oils, and foreign matter from entering the food processing stage

Lastly, all equipment, be it an FPS freezer or not, must be cleaned seamlessly from the inside to reduce and eliminate potential contaminants such as leftover food debris, mould or even industrial cleaning chemicals used to clean freezers that can, in turn, enter food products. As part of its hygiene promise, FPS provides the Recirculating Clean-in-Place (CIP) System, a dishwasher cleaning concept that cleans freezers from the inside, significantly reducing labor and energy costs. With a fully welded stainless-steel floor that slopes for effective drainage, leftover cleaning chemicals are removed, thus removing the potential of chemical contamination in the next batch of food products used in the freezer.

FPS’s mission is to ‘revolutionize hygienic standards’ in the food processing industry. As a major OEM supplier to multinational food manufacturers around the world who have come to expect the highest in hygienic standards, in the end, it is the consumer who wants assurance safe food is on the table. At FPS, we are doing our part.

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ABOUT FPS FOOD PROCESS SOLUTIONS

Established in 2010, FPS has a combined 640,000 sq ft (59,458 sq. meters) of space in 16 locations including its Canadian headquarters, manufacturing and warehouse facilities as well as international sales offices across five continents. For more information, go to www.fpscorp.ca

Shirley Wong | Communications Manager

t: + 1 (604) 232-4145 Ext. 1239

shirley.wong@fpscorp.ca                      

www.fpscorp.ca                                  

FPS Food Process Solutions Opens Middle East/Africa Hub in Morocco

Vancouver, BC – FPS Food Process Solutions (“FPS”), a global leader in turn-key freezing and cooling equipment, opens a new Middle East/Africa (MEA) office in the port facility of Tanger Med, Morocco. The FPS MEA office will act as a hub for business activities as it offers full logistics and operational efficiency for the Middle East/Africa region – a value-added benefit for FPS customers. This includes the provision of sales, parts, service and retrofits.

“Capitalizing on this entry point into the market gives both FPS and customers world-class hub services and huge savings that only the Tanger Hub Port Facility can provide. By utilizing the Hub’s infrastructure, we can reduce costs, provide greater efficiency and still meet world class standards. This will only help to meet customer expectations, a massive benefit for both sides,” stated Jeffrey Chang, President, FPS Food Process Solutions Corp.

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ABOUT FPS FOOD PROCESS SOLUTIONS

Established in 2010, FPS has a combined 640,000 sq ft (59,458 sq. meters) of space in 16 locations including its Canadian headquarters, manufacturing and warehouse facilities as well as international sales offices across five continents. For more information, go to www.fpscorp.ca

Shirley Wong | Communications Manager

t: +1 (604) 232-4145 Ext. 1239

shirley.wong@fpscorp.ca                               

www.fpscorp.ca          

FPS Food Process Solutions Opens Mexico Operations to Serve Latin America

Vancouver, BC – FPS Food Process Solutions (“FPS”), a global leader in turn-key freezing and cooling equipment, opens a new facility in Monterrey, Mexico. The new office will oversee Latin American markets including Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, and Peru.

The 10,600 sq ft (1,000 m2) facility is fully operational, providing sales, engineers and parts and services. The new office will provide support not only for Latin America but for Canada and the US as well.

“Latin America is by and far, a major export market. Our goal is to help drive production capacity as well as hygienic standards to meet global demand,” stated Jeffrey Chang, President, FPS Food Process Solutions Corp. “With exponential growth in the meat, poultry, produce and bakery sectors, we are in the right place at the right time to meet this demand.”

FPS currently services major clients with global connections. With these anchor clients, FPS Mexico is confident in bringing in additional longstanding customers over the next several years to grow Latin America into a multimillion-dollar business.

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ABOUT FPS FOOD PROCESS SOLUTIONS

Established in 2010, FPS has a combined 650,000+ sq. ft (60,997+ sq. meters) of space in 15 locations including its Canadian headquarters, manufacturing and warehouse facilities as well as international sales offices across five continents. For more information, go to www.fpscorp.ca

For more information contact:

Shirley Wong | Communications Manager

Phone: 604 232-4145 Ext. 1239

shirley.wong@fpscorp.ca                               

www.fpscorp.ca