Ishida acquires Qualitech Systems

Ishida Europe has acquired Qualitech Systems Handling, one of the UK's major suppliers of tray sealing solutions, including tray denesters, filling systems and sealing equipment.

Ishida Europe is very pleased to announce that it has acquired Qualitech Systems Handling, one of the UK's major suppliers of tray sealing solutions.

Qualitech manufactures a range of products including tray denesters, filling systems and sealing equipment.

Its capabilities complement those of Ishida Europe enabling the combined company to offer a single sourced solution for automated packaging of food products in trays.

The group is now capable of supplying a complete solution containing products from in-feed through weighing, filling, checkweighing to end of line case packing systems.

Ishida has traditionally supplied complete packing solutions to a wide range of applications.

The addition of the Qualitech equipment range and expertise broadens further the company's capability and scope of supply.

The history of tray sealing - the UK food industries were among the first in Europe to begin the adoption of top-sealed trays for food packaging.

Shrink-wrapped products in trays were coming under scrutiny because of risks of perforation and cross-contamination.

The new top-sealed format offered safety and hygiene during transport, handling and display.

It also readily enabled the product to be surrounded with a modified atmosphere, and offered excellent labelling and presentational possibilities.

Qualitech played a major role in this food industry shift.

As a UK agent for this technology, it introduced the use of top-sealed trays to many of the UK's food manufacturers and their customers, the major supermarkets.

Subsequently, Qualitech used its experience and applications know-how to build its own improved top-sealer, the Qualitech QX 775.

During this period, Qualitech broadened its range to incorporate other related high speed equipment including bespoke conveyors and elevators, tray denesters and filling systems (both reciprocating and carousel).

These complement Ishida's strengths in multihead weighing, checkweighing, end-of-line packing and turnkey project management.

Ishida Qualitech's new channels to market The acquired company will be known as Ishida Qualitech, and will continue to operate from its current site in Poole.

It will now have access to the whole EMEA market for its products, via Ishida's network of sales companies, distributors and agents.

Qualitech founder and former owner Kevin Witheford becomes Managing Director of Ishida Qualitech.

He comments: "The two businesses show great synergy.

In fact we've worked closely with Ishida on many projects over the years and we are extremely enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the Ishida group of companies.

"Future Ishida Investment in the R and D process will ensure that Ishida Qualitech will be able to focus efforts on new product innovation to meet the ever changing market requirements.

"It's not often you find such a good fit," says Graham Clements, MD of Ishida Europe.

"We want to offer our customers new ideas and solutions based on innovative engineering and proven applications experience.

The acquisition of Qualitech gives us both of these whilst complementing our existing range.

Back to top