APC Slicer was the answer for Needham Inc.
Diversification into the hotels, restaurants and institutions (HRI), export and retail markets, away from its established business of supplying steaks to the US Army, has led American food processor Needham Inc., to rely on its APC Slicer.
Based in Omaha Nebraska, Needham Inc. has found it difficult to employ enough skilled labour to meet its requirements. The APC was the answer. Easy to use, the operator is given his instructions at the beginning of the day and just loads the machine, presses the button and produces up to 25 different lines cleanly and very quickly.
Needham Inc president, Bill Needham says his APC does the job better than other slicers. "We do a good deal of custom processing now and with the APC this has been easy to increase. It gives us credibility with customers. I love showing it off - people are amazed by it."
A new contract to supply 180 gram steaks to Japan has led to the purchase of a second APC Slicer. "The export market to Japan relies on very strict tolerances. The Japanese want very precise portions and the APC is the only machine that can do it" Mr Needham added.
With 35 employees and annual sales of $17 million, Needham has successfully introduced a number of innovative products for the retail trade, including sliced beef steak and the 'Five Minute Gourmet' range which enables customers to prepare quality frozen meals from freezer to plate in just five minutes.
The accuracy and versatility of APC has been crucial in the development of this range as portion sizes have to be precise.
Other Needham products include pork chops, buffalo steaks, veal and lamb portions for the HRI sector and boneless pork chops for the Far East. "We thought the military were fussy," states Bill Needham, "but you should see the specifications on the portion weights for this export work. The APC is the only machine that can ensure we meet their requirements."
Needham Inc. is among a growing number of processors in the USA who have found that high standards of product appearance, portion weight accuracy and the ability to respond to a wide variety of customer orders are all possible with the APC Slicer.
