PDF (6.5 MB) - GEA Group

The international magazine of the GEA Group Issue 09 August 2009 

THE SWEET LIFE: 

TREATS FOR EATS 

Brazil becomes 

world player 

Fruitful future 

for juice

GENERATE is published by the GEA Group 

Aktiengesellschaft, a globally successful 

technology group with more than 250 

companies in 50 countries. 

Listed on MDAX stock index, the company 

focuses on specialty mechanical engineering – 

especially process engineering and equipment. 

GEA Group technologies are applied in the 

food, chemical and petrochemical industries, 

the energy sector, air treatment and 

shipbuilding as well as the pharmaceutical 

and cosmetic industries. The GEA Group is one 

of the world`s market and technology leaders 

in 90 per cent of its businesses. 

In 2008 the group employed more than 21,000 

people who generated sales of more than 

EUR 5 billion. 

AIR TREATMENT 

Welcome to the ninth issue of GENERATE, 

published by the GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft. 

FARM Technologies 

THERMAL ENGINEERING 

Emission Control 

REFRIGERATION 

PROCESS Equipment 

MECHANICAL Separation 

PROCESS ENGINEERING 

PHARMA SYSTEMS 

Contact 

GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft 

Dorstener Straße 484 

44809 Bochum 

Tel: +49-(0)234-980-0 

Fax: +49-(0)234-980-1087 

www.geagroup.com 

Dear Readers, 

One of GEA’s fundamental strengths 

is that much of our technology plays a 

key role in the engineering processes 

of the products we continuously 

consume on a daily basis, like, for 

instance, energy, food and beverages. 

But what you may not know is that 

our products are also used to help 

create some of life’s little luxuries, 

like coffee, chocolate, candy bars and 

ice cream. And when times are tough, 

as they currently are in many of the 

world’s economies, sales figures from 

the confectionery industry suggest 

that people are more inclined to buy 

chocolate to cheer themselves up. 

It stands to reason: when you can’t 

afford life’s big luxuries, you tend to 

settle for the little ones. Our special 

feature in this issue is all about the 

luxury treats that delight taste buds 

all over the world. 

Historically, GEA has positioned itself 

in countries and markets where we 

believe there will be growth. In this 

issue, there is a feature on Latin 

America, focussing in particular on 

Brazil. Brazil is probably the least 

talked about of the so-called BRIC 

quartet of dynamic economies, but 

many commentators believe it is now 

the most likely to meet the predicted 

growth forecasts. Brazil has a lot going 

for it in terms of natural resources 

and a stable democracy and we hope 

our businesses based in the country 

will continue to play a role in its 

development as a regional superpower. 

Also, read in this issue how GEA 

expertise is helping Ricola, a famous 

Swiss throat lozenge company, stay 

true to its roots by using only herbs 

grown in Switzerland but making the 

most of modern processing technology 

to make its production more efficient. 

You can also find out about how 

the modern consumers’ thirst for 

new products is enabling the juice 

industry to venture into new fields with 

innovative drinks that also happen 

to be good for us. 

At GEA, we always work hard to 

maintain the spirit of innovation that 

drives our business forward. We were 

one of the biggest exhibitors at the 

ANUGA FoodTec and ACHEMA trade 

fairs, where we showcased a wide 

variety of products, and we will also 

be present at drinktec, the world’s 

most important event for the beverage 

and liquid food technology industries 

later this year. 

Jürg Oleas 

Chairman of the Executive Board 

GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft

FEATURE STORY 

Life’s little luxuries 

The food and drinks that 

sweeten people’s lives 

Climate House 

The world’s weather comes 

together – under one roof 

LIFESTYLE 

Juice industry presses ahead 

HOW TO DO IT 

Making orange juice 

Going with the flow 

at drinktec 2009 

GEA showcases products at 

world fair for beverage and 

liquid food technology 

Q&A 

A Welsh dairy farmer talks about 

the health of the industry 

Nature’s remedy 

Swiss mountain plants are key 

to a famous herbal product 

Latin spirit 

Brazil flexes its 

economic muscles 

A DAY IN THE LIFE 

Lutz Wolf thinks big in the US 

ART IN ENGINEERING 

LAST WORD 

Global news from GEA 

GENERATE MAGAZINE ISSUE 09 1

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1032 

1008 

A unique attraction in Bremerhaven, Germany, 

lets you go globe-trotting without even 

having to leave the building. 

1008 

1012 

1016 

1004 

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High 

LOw 

Some 600,000 people a year are expected 

to flock to the climate house for a 

chance to travel the world and experience 

different climate zones – including extreme 

heat and cold – in just one day and place. 

rainy day in the north German town 

of Bremerhaven nine years ago inspired 

the creation of a unique climate 

theme center. The downpour prompted 

Dr Carlo Petri, from Europe’s leading 

leisure specialists Petri & Tiemann, to 

consider the phenomena of weather 

patterns and atmospheric conditions. 

As the center’s website acknowledges, 

Petri is the brains behind Klimahaus ® 

Bremerhaven 8° Ost, which opened to the 

public in June 2009. Some 600,000 people 

a year are expected to flock to the climate 

house for a chance to travel the world 

and experience different climate zones – 

including extreme heat and cold – in just 

one day and place. 

The ‘journey’ takes visitors around the globe 

along the eighth line of longitude. Starting 

and finishing at Bremerhaven, it takes in the 

Blümlisalp glacier in Switzerland, Sardinia, 

the Niger desert region, a rain forest in 

Cameroon, then on to Antarctica, Samoa, 

Alaska and the island of Hallig Langeness in 

the North Sea. 

the sophisticated fan and air conditioning 

technology, there is no danger to health and 

no risk of catching a cold.” 

Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8° Ost covers a 

total of 11,500 square meters of exhibition 

area. In addition to the journey round the 

world, there are two other sections entitled 

‘elements’ and ‘perspectives’. 

The elements area explains the physical 

and meteorological principles underlying 

the phenomena of weather and climate. 

A large cylinder containing the four 

elements – fire, water, earth and air – 

enables people to experiment with the 

weather inside the Klimahaus. You can 

even create your own thunderstorm. 

Earth' past and future is the focus of 

the perspectives section and there’s an 

opportunity to forecast the weather. 

Finally, visitors can find out how much CO 2 

they produce daily and learn practical ways 

of reducing it. 

All-in-all a good day out – whatever the 

weather in Bremerhaven. 

Simulating, in one 5,000 square meter 

exhibition area, cool, high-altitude, alpine 

temperatures, the furnace-like heat of 

North Africa, the bitter cold Antarctic and 

rain forest humidity is a triumph of modern 

air treatment technology. More specifically, 

the fan coil units supplied by GEA Air 

Treatment – GEA fan coil units, with volume 

ratings of 535 to 1,305m3/h and cooling 

ratings of 1.45 to 4.73 kW – realistically 

create cool and windy climate zones and 

also provide the required climate control of 

the building zones. 

Go globe trotting in one day: at the Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8˚ Ost. 

A total of 31 GEA Power-Gekos and 

seven GEA Flex-Gekos were installed 

in collaboration with specialists from 

ventilation and air conditioning contractors 

Axima Deutschland. 

Amazingly, even in the cold sections visitors 

don’t have to wrap up like arctic explorers. 

As Roland Wiemann, Director of the Eastern 

Sales Region of GEA Happel Klimatechnik, 

explains: “Even though visitors experience 

very realistic climate extremes, they don’t 

need to dress especially warmly. Thanks to 

Jurassic theme park 

GEA Air Treatment is an experienced supplier of air handling and conditioning equipment 

to the leisure industry. Three of the company's systems are helping to recreate the earth’s 

climate as it was millions of years ago when dinosaurs ruled the world. 

Gondwana – the Prehistorium, a dinosaur theme park in Landsweiler-Reden, Germany, 

opened in December 2008. It takes visitors on a trip through the Silurian, Jurassic and 

Cretaceous periods in a 4,000 square meter complex. 

Two of the GEA Air Treatment units filter and pre-adjust the air temperature in the entrance 

and exhibit halls, creating realistic conditions for visitors as they explore prehistoric oceans 

and get close to dinosaurs like the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex. The units use the thermal 

energy from the exhaust air to regulate the air temperature, saving energy and conserving 

resources. A third smaller, extra-flat, unit provides good air exchange in the adjacent rooms. 

1032 

1012 


ooking at the rows upon rows of fruit 

juices on our supermarket shelves it 

would be easy to think that this readymade 

superfood had been around for 

centuries; but you’d be wrong. while it’s 

probably true that mankind has been 

enjoying fruit juice throughout recorded 

history, its fragile chemical nature has 

meant that until comparatively recently it 

was impossible to keep it fresh for more 

than a few days. 

GENERATE eXaMines whY, 

for TodaY’s Modern JUiCe 

ManUfaCTUrers and healTh- 

ConsCioUs CUsToMers, The 

JUiCe is worTh The sQUeeze. 

New technology 

it is said that in the case of orange juice, 

overproduction of oranges in California 

way back in the early 1900s prompted the 

creation of the fruit juice industry we know 

today. at that time almost all the crop was 

sold as solid fruit and the juice industry, in 

the days before home refrigerators, was 

practically non-existent. 

The producers had become overburdened 

by a glut of fruit that nobody knew what 

to do with, and the industry faced the 

possibility of having to destroy around 30 

per cent of its trees. fortunately it was 

around this time that new pasteurization 

techniques were coming onstream and 

the growers hit on the idea of turning the 

fruit into juice at source, using the new 

technology to preserve its shelf life. at the 

same time the new national railway network 

was completed, allowing easy access to 

america’s big cities and eager consumers. 

a new industry had been born. 

4

The Us has now slipped from being the 

world’s largest producer of orange juice, 

having been overtaken by the Brazilian 

state of são paolo in the 1980s. Brazil now 

accounts for almost 50 per cent of the total 

world production, with the Us delivering 

around 37 per cent* (read more about 

Brazil on pages 24-27). 

Global industry 

surprisingly, while the basic techniques for 

producing good quality fruit juice had been 

known for many years it was not until after 

the second world war that the industry 

really took off throughout the world. and 

it wasn’t until the 1980s that the present 

bewildering range of exotic juices started to 

appear on supermarket shelves. at last the 

world could enjoy the tastes and textures 

of unfamiliar fruits from every corner of the 

earth simply by taking a carton from the 

fridge and pouring the contents into a glass. 

although orange juice still remains the 

world’s favorite, the imagination of the 

juice manufacturers knows no bounds. 

exotic cocktails, made from fruits like 

papaya, mango, pomegranate and passion 

fruit presented in equally exotic cartons, 

compete for our attention, all promising 

good health and well being for the 

discerning customer. 

Health benefits 

papaya, for example, seems to have 

particularly beneficial qualities due to 

its high levels of vitamin C, magnesium, 

luterein, betacryptoxanthin and beta 

carotene, which – as any nutritionist worth 

his salt will know – helps keep skin healthy, 

eyes clear, and is even said to protect 

against certain types of cancer. Cranberry 

juice, on the other hand, is said to help 

people suffering from cystitis and can 

also prevent the formation of kidney and 

bladder stones. 

drinking pomegranate juice has been 

shown to stabilize the levels of men's 

antigen prostate level, or psa. it is also 

thought that pomegranate juice increases 

blood flow to the heart in people with 

ischemic coronary heart disease. 

The list is seemingly endless and the 

amazing thing is that, unlike most foods that 

are good for us, fruit juices actually taste 

nice as well. 

Juicy trends 

with all these apparent health benefits 

it’s not surprising that the relatively 

new phenomenon of the ‘Juice Bar’ is 

gaining in popularity, with pioneers of the 

trade offering ready-made franchises to 

entrepreneurs keen to get a foothold in the 

market. in high streets and shopping malls 

from sydney to new York the brightly lit 

bars create tempting concoctions of every 

kind of juice imaginable. 

during the last decade designer juices 

like naked, which has become part of 

the giant pepsiCo group, and innocent, 

now part-owned by rival Coca-Cola, have 

made massive inroads into the traditional 

juice market by introducing super-quality 

smoothies and other premier health-drink 

products. This highly profitable section 

of the juice market is aimed squarely at 

the well-heeled, health-conscious, gymsubscribing 

customer, as well as those 

simply looking for an occasional treat. 

with the increase in public awareness of the 

benefits of healthy eating it is likely that this 

premier section of the market will continue 

to flourish despite the current economic 

downturn. highly populated developing 

countries like China and india will provide 

enormous potential markets for both 

mainstream and premier fruit juice 

products in the future. 

They say that necessity is the mother of 

invention, but when those early Californian 

orange growers came up with a solution to 

the problem of their unwanted fruit, they 

could never have imagined shelves full of 

vanilla, banana and acai berry smoothies. 

*BBC news Channel website http://news.bbc.co.uk 


making orange juice 

orange juice, sometimes described 

as packaged sunshine, is the 

world’s citrus juice of choice. The 

technology used for processing 

the raw products into juice is 

similar across the world. oranges 

are grown on commercial farms 

across the world but orange juice 

production is dominated by Brazil 

and the Us. here are the landmark 

stages in the oranges’ journey from 

the tree to the breakfast table. 

HarvestiNG 

farms generally grow varieties of oranges 

that mature at different times to enable 

them to produce a steady supply of fruit. 

ripened, the oranges are hand-picked and 

delivered to industrial processing facilities 

where they undergo quality control checks 

before industrial processing begins. 

CleaNiNG/CrusHiNG 

The fruit is washed and cleaned and sorted 

according to size. Jets of water spray the 

oranges as they pass along conveyor belts. 

despite being washed, their sweet citrus 

scent remains. no two oranges are exactly 

the same but on average an orange is 43 per 

cent juice and 57 per cent peel and pulp. 

JuiCe extraCtioN 

Traditionally, oranges have been pressed 

manually to separate solids and liquids but 

automatic processing, allied with gentler ways 

of treating the oranges to produce more juice, 

have helped facilitate the industry’s widespread 

growth. oranges are fed into huge juicing 

machines (known as extractors) and the juice is 

extracted from fruit as well as separated from 

the peel and oil in a series of processes. There 

are two main extraction methods: one cuts the 

fruit in half and the juice is extracted by rotating 

squeezing heads and the second uses circular 

cutters to extract juice by cutting through 

the top and bottom of the oranges, which are 

placed in cup-shape holders. The pulp content 

is adjusted by centrifugal technology according 

to the individual requirements. a range of Gea 

technology and equipment including separators 

and decanters (see panel, right) are used in 

these processes. Juice is then ready for 

concentration or pasteurization. 

6 

extractOr 

pump 

FiNisher 

hYDrOcYcLONe 

cLariFier 

ceLLs 

cOLLectOr 

taNk 

saND/sOLiDs puLp

pasteurizatioN oF NFC JuiCe 

when the orange juice is not concentrated 

but sold as nfC (not from concentrate) juice, 

it has to be pasteurized (heated rapidly for a 

short time) to kill any harmful bacteria. This 

process also extends the products’ shelf live. 

The industry is constantly striving for ways to 

make pasteurized orange juice look and taste 

like its freshly squeezed equivalent. 

paCkaGiNG/traNsportatioN 

The product can now begin its journey 

to customers across the world. it is 

either bottled on site, using state-ofthe-art 

bottling technology, or stored 

in refrigeration tanks before being 

loaded into tankers, driven to ports 

and transported around the world 

in specially refrigerated ships. 

CoNCeNtratioN 

The majority of the world’s orange 

juice is manufactured for export so 

turning the juice into concentrated 

juice gives it a better stability for 

storage and transport and makes 

it more cost-effective. To make 

concentrated juice, the juice passes 

through evaporators, which draw off 

the water through heat to produce 

a juice that is five times more 

concentrated than freshly squeezed 

juice. This concentrated orange juice 

is frozen for transportation and is 

then reconstituted in the country it is 

exported to through defrosting and the 

addition of water and flavorings. 

Citrus oil reCoverY 

essential oils are a valuable byproduct 

of the citrus juice production 

process, especially oils from lemons 

and grapefruit but also from oranges. 

The oil itself is in the citrus fruit’s 

peel. it is released during pressing 

in the extractors and washed off. The 

oil in the peel wash water is then 

concentrated by separators in a twostage 

separation process. 

Juice 

pump 

buFFer 

taNk 

heater 

cONceNtrate 

buFFer 

taNk 

pump 

evapOratOr 

Gea eNGiNeeriNG FOr the Juice iNDustrY 

Various GEA Group companies are involved in all the key stages of the citrus juicing 

industry including production, bottling and refrigeration. 

Leading the way in beverage technology expertise is GEA Westfalia Separator 

Process, part of GEA’s Mechanical Separation Division. GEA Westfalia Separator has 

been the market leader in centrifugal separation technology for over 100 years and 

its range of separators, decanters and membrane filtration help manufacturers to 

ensure maximum yield and the highest product quality. GEA Westfalia Separator’s 

range of separators and decanters are used in the extraction process, resulting in 

higher product yields and consistently high quality juice and oil. GEA Hovex, also 

part of the Mechanical Separation Division, supplies desanding cyclones to protect 

the downstream equipment from the erosive effect of the sand. 

A number of companies from GEA Process Engineering are also involved in the 

production process. GEA Niro’s freeze-drying technology improves juices’ shelf life 

and reduces storage and transportation costs. GEA Wiegand’s evaporation 

technology (taking out water from solids by thermal energy) is used to concentrate 

juices. By extracting the flavors from the thin juices to create a thick concentrate, 

the juice can be reconstituted close to the fruit’s original flavor after transportation 

and storage. GEA Filtration technology is used for reclaiming CIP (Clean In Place) 

chemicals for reuse in the CIP process. 

GEA Procomac, which is also part of the Process Engineering Division, is a 

specialist in cutting-edge bottling and packaging technology. It designs, 

manufactures and services complete cold aseptic and ESL (Extended Shelf Life) 

filling lines for juices in PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. Its customers 

include Tropicana, one of the US’s biggest juice manufacturers. 

Finally, GEA’s Refrigeration Division, in the shape of Grasso and Grenco, is involved 

in the refrigeration of juice. The product is transported in ‘juice carriers’, specially 

designed bulk vessels that can hold up to half a million refrigerated liters of juice. 

GENERATE MAGAZINE ISSUE 09 

7

8 

This September the eyes 

of the world’s beverage 

industry will be turned 

on Munich for drinktec 2009.

nyone who has ever attended the 

Oktoberfest will tell you that the 

city of Munich really knows how to 

throw a party. 

It therefore seems appropriate that the 

Bavarian capital should also play host to 

drinktec 2009, the biggest event for the 

world beverage and liquid food technology 

industries. Held every four years at the 

New Munich Trade Fair Center, drinktec is 

widely regarded in the sector as the premier 

platform for launching new products on the 

global market. 

For six days, September 14 – 19, drinktec 

will be the hottest ticket in town, attracting 

70,000 visitors from more than 160 

countries. And, despite the recession, 

the twelve exhibition halls have been fully 

booked for months. This year there will 

be 1,500 exhibitors from 60 countries, 

showcasing the latest technology for 

producing, filling and packaging and liquid 

foods. It’s also the only drinks trade fair to 

feature entire production chains that can 

be demonstrated in action. 

This year, for the first time, the spotlight 

will be on milk and milk-based drinks, 

with the presentation of Dairy Technology 

Awards and a dedicated lecture program. 

The awards will recognize technical 

innovation in the European dairy and food 

industry in the categories of: process 

and automation, packaging and filling, 

environment and sustainability, process 

management and IT, logistics and food 

safety. A survey by the fair’s organizers 

showed that nearly half of the exhibitors 

were also aiming their product range at 

the milk and liquid food segments. 

The GEA Group is in no doubt about the 

impact that attending drinktec can have on 

business and eleven of its companies will 

be represented. Dr Stefan Pecoroni, Head 

of the Business Unit Beverage Technology 

at GEA Westfalia Separator, underlines this. 

“Even in a tougher business environment, 

investment is continuing in the global 

beverages industry,” he says. “Information 

and communication between suppliers 

and customers are essential for making 

investment decisions of this kind. For GEA, 

drinktec is the top market place for this. 

Our strong presence again demonstrates 

how highly we rate this fair.” 

This year GEA Westfalia Separator is 

celebrating its 100th anniversary in the 

field of beer separation. Since its first 

separator was used to clarify beer at a 

Vienna brewery in 1909, the company has 

led the way in centrifugal technology. 

And the revolution continues with the new 

GSC 250 separator which will be on show 

at drinktec. With a capacity of up to 800 

hectoliters per hour, the machine is the 

largest brewery centrifuge featuring GEA 

Westfalia Separator hydrostop. This special 

and patented ejection system produces 

maximum yield with minimum beer losses. 

In addition to brewing, GEA Westfalia 

Separator also offers an extensive range 

of decanters, separators and mechanical 

separation lines for the beverage, food, 

chemical, pharmaceutical and renewable 

resources industries. 

GEA Brewery Systems was formed by the 

merger of the two internationally renowned 

companies Huppmann and Tuchenhagen 

Brewery Systems. With the combination of 

hot and cold process area in one company, 

GEA Brewery Systems is a globally-unique 

competence center for breweries. At 

drinktec it will be presenting its extensive 

know-how and vast engineering experience 

in brewing technology and the manufacture 

of brewery equipment. Engineering experts 

and sales managers will be available at the 

stand to give visitors competent advice. 

Bottling specialist GEA Procomac is 

presenting a guided path through INSIDE 

ASEPTIC, which showcases the technologies 

for sterilizing containers and caps. 

A fifth generation of Unibloc Spin carousel 

with wet PAA (peracetic acid) sterilization 

system, which can reduce the total cost 

of ownership, will be on display, along 

with a carousel from the GEA Procomac 

VHP (vaporized hydrogen peroxide) 

sterilization technology. In addition, GEA 

Procomac presents the new STERILBEAM 

caps sterilizer unit, going beyond the 

Chemical AGE, which uses energy-based 

technology. GEA Procomac Packaging is 

showing POLARIS, its layer preparation 

system suitable for medium to high 

speed production. 

Visitors to the GEA Wiegand section 

of the stand will be shown a model of 

an evaporation plant which is used to 

concentrate a variety of products within 

the food industry. The company is a 

leading designer, manufacturer and 

supplier of evaporation plants, distillation 

plants and membrane filtration plants. 

It also supplies systems for the chemical 

and pharmaceutical industries and for 

environmental application. 

Heat exchangers are an important part of 

beverage and liquid food manufacture and 

GEA will have three companies represented 

in this field at drinktec. Dairy specialist GEA 

TDS is exhibiting its range of VARITUBE 

heat exchangers for heating, cooling, 

pasteurizing and ultra heat treating 

a variety of products. GEA PHE Systems 

will have its NT 50 and VT 20 plate heat 

exchangers and GEA EcoServe will highlight 

its servicing credentials for all makes of 

plate heat exchangers. 

GEA Tuchenhagen will have valves, cleaning 

devices and pumps on display. In particular, 

the new T-smart valves offer a cost-effective 

shut-off device during clean-in-place 

operations. This cuts down on cleaning 

cycles so that the production process can 

run more economically. The VARIPURE 

cleaners require fewer chemical cleaners 

and less energy and also produce less waste 

water, providing an environmentally-friendly 

solution while lowering costs. 

Accuracy and reliability are the key 

selling points of electromagnetic flow 

metering technology which will be the main 

feature of the GEA Diessel exhibits. The 

company, which has been developing and 

manufacturing flow meters for more than 

40 years, provides complete plants and units 

for liquid processing, along with testing and 

prequalification services. 

GEA Niro Soavi, which specializes in 

dynamic high pressure homogenization 

technology, will be showing its new Ariete 

5315 homogenizer. 

Finally, keeping cool is another important 

factor in the manufacture of beverages 

and liquid foods. This is where GEA 

Refrigeration comes in. It is a leading 

manufacturer of compressors for industrial 

refrigeration, offering state-of-the-art 

technology for all stages of production 

and storage. On show will be the Grasso 

V 1100 (piston compressor) and other 

new products. 

Come and see us in hall A4, stand 314. 


CHampaGNe, CHoColate, iCe Cream, 

CoFFee aND CaNDY – Just a FeW oF 

tHe little iNDulGeNCes eNJoYeD 

arouND tHe WorlD. JuLie MitcHeLL 

looks at HoW luxurY FooD aND 

DriNk sWeeteN people’s lives. 

pHotoGrapHY: Will tHom 

stYliNG: saBriNa JarD 


Despite its souND 

NutritioNal 

CreDeNtials, tHe 

HumBle spiNaCH is 

Never GoiNG to Be 

First CHoiCe For a 

tastY sNaCk or a 

reWarDiNG treat. 

pinach is good for you according to 

health experts. it’s packed with vitamins, 

essential minerals such as iron and 

copper, antioxidants and dietary fiber. in 

the famous popeye cartoons spinach is a 

nutritional powerhouse, providing the sailor 

hero with super-human strength for fighting 

the bad guys and rescuing olive oyl. 

But, even though many children – and adults 

– have been wowed by popeye’s antics, 

they’ve not been inspired to blaze a trail to 

the vegetable counter. far from it. in fact the 

parental exhortation to “eat your greens” is 

almost universally met with defiance. But 

offer children chocolate, candy, potato chips 

or ice cream and it’s a different story. 

despite its sound nutritional credentials, 

the humble spinach is never going to be first 

choice for a tasty snack or a rewarding treat. 

similarly, the english mantra of “an apple a 

day keeps the doctor away” hasn’t deterred 

trips to the candy store. 

it seems that some foods, for all their 

goodness, are not what you would consider 

‘fun’. look at it this way: you won’t find 

spinach – or any other vegetable or fruit for 

that matter – on sale at a fairground. apples 

may put in an appearance but only under a 

coating of toffee. what you are most likely to 

find are ice cream and cotton candy. 

also known as candy floss in the Uk and fairy 

floss in australia, this is a confection made 

from spinning colored sugar into a soft, fluffy 

mass which resembles a large cotton wool 

ball. it is widely believed that cotton candy 

made its debut to a wide audience in 1904 

at the st louis world’s fair and it has been 

synonymous with fairs ever since. The Us 

has even designated a national Cotton Candy 

day on december 7. 

like cotton candy at the fair, certain 

snacks and confectionery are considered 

to be part of the quintessential experience 

of a particular activity or event – popcorn at 

the movies, for example, hot dogs at the ball 

game or chocolate eggs at easter. 

More than a fuel 

The desire for tasty treats demonstrates 

the complex relationship that humans 

have with food. doctors and nutritionists 

will tell you that a balanced diet of protein, 

carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals 

is important for maintaining a healthy 

body. But, as civilizations have developed, 

eating has become more than a means of 

fuelling the body’s needs – it’s inextricably 

linked to entertainment. That is why food 

and drink are so often central to cultural 

and religious festivals, carnivals and social 

gatherings. Birthdays, weddings, Christmas, 

Thanksgiving, ramadan, the hindu festival 

diwali, to name but a few, all have specific 

culinary associations. 

Throughout history feasts and banquets 

have been the cornerstone of a multitude of 

celebrations. in many instances they’ve been 

an occasion to show off power and wealth. 

12

treats CaN Be BotH a reWarD WHeN 

tHiNGs Have GoNe Well aND a ComFort 

aFter a BaD DaY. 

what we normally class as luxury food and 

drinks are mainly the preserve of those with 

a large bank balance. The rarity value of 

goods such as vintage wines, Beluga caviar, 

kobe beef and white truffles gives them a 

high price tag and therefore an exclusivity 

that underlines the status of those lucky 

enough to afford them. on the other hand 

there are products once considered luxuries 

– coffee for instance – which, thanks to mass 

production lowering their price, are now 

widely available. 

World of treats 

There are many and varied affordable treats 

served up around the world. vienna has 

sachertorte and Belgium and switzerland 

are famed for their chocolate. There are 

rice crackers from Japan, caramelized 

sorghum kernels in Burkino faso and 

koba ravina (made from rice flour, brown 

sugar and ground peanuts) in Madagascar. 

Many snacks and confections are enjoyed 

worldwide. But there are others, such as the 

deep-fried spiders loved by Cambodians, with 

limited global appeal. 

Considerable time, energy, money and 

resources go into making products which, 

you could argue, are non-essential food and 

drink. we wouldn’t starve without them, 

particularly as most have little or no real 

nutritional value. we don’t need to be hungry 

and thirsty to enjoy a glass of wine, a cup of 

coffee, chocolates, ice cream, salted nuts 

or potato chips. we consume them because 

they simply taste great and make us feel 

good. Treats can be both a reward when 

things have gone well and a comfort after 

a bad day. 

The comfort value of chocolate and other 

confectionery soars during periods of crisis 

which is why these industries are widely 

seen as recession-proof. and it would seem 

that they are continuing to buck the trend 

during the current global downturn. while 

businesses in other industries are struggling 

to stay afloat and cutting jobs, chocolate 

and candy manufacturers are reporting 

increased sales. 

Cadbury’s profits were up 30 per cent in 

2008 and nestlé’s grew by more than ten 

per cent. spanish cocoa and chocolate 

specialist natra reported a 50 per cent 

increase in sales during 2008 while lindt 

& sprüngli achieved above average organic 

growth of 5.8 per cent in local currencies. 

london department store selfridges so far 

this year sold 80 per cent more chocolate 

than in 2008, and sales of other confectionery 

were up 30 per cent. > 

2008 Wins! 

cAdBurY’s 

Profits 30% 

nAtrA's 

sALes 50% 

Lindt & sPrÜnGLi 

GroWtH 5.8% 


TASTY TREATS FACT FILE 

Food is the main ingredient at festivals and 

celebrations throughout the world. Here’s a 

taste of some of the well-known events, plus a 

few unusual ones, as well as some interesting 

facts and figures about treats. 

CANADA CONSUMPTION 

8.7l 

3kg 

UK CONSUMPTION 

6l 

10kg 

FINLAND CONSUMPTION 

14l 

6.6kg 

05 

USA CONSUMPTION 

18.3l 

SWITZERLAND CONSUMPTION 

10.1kg 

06 

08 

5.5kg 

02 

04 

10 

01 

ITALY CONSUMPTION 

9.2l 

11 

3.3kg 

Snack favorite the potato chip 

was invented by accident at 

Moon’s Lake House restaurant 

near Saratoga Springs, New York, 

in 1853. According to legend a 

customer kept complaining that 

his fried potatoes were too thick 

and soggy so the chef, George 

Crum, decided to get his own back 

by making them so thin and crispy 

that they couldn’t be eaten with a 

fork. And the rest is history. 

CHILE CONSUMPTION 

5.6l 

BRAZIL CONSUMPTION 

1.1kg 

03 

The biggest sundae was made 

in California in 1985. It was 

3.6 meters high and used 

17,666 liters of ice cream. 

14

Belgian chocolate manufacturer Guylian 

has given new meaning to the term ‘extra 

large eggs’. The company is listed in the 

Guinness Book of World Records for making 

the biggest ever Easter egg. It took 26 

chocolatiers 525 hours to make the 8.32 

meter high egg, using 1,950 kilograms 

of chocolate bars. 

TASTY TREATS KEY 

Cocoa growing regions 

Average consumption of ice cream 

(per person, per year) 

Source: Canadian Dairy Info Centre 

Average consumption of chocolate 

(per person, per year) 

Source: CAOBISCO 

'Did you know' fact 

Festivals of food (See key below) 

CHINA CONSUMPTION 

MALAYSIA CONSUMPTION 

2l 

1.9l 

0.1kg 

07 

JAPAN CONSUMPTION 

0.01l 

1.9kg 

01 Easter eggs – the Greeks dye hard-boiled eggs 

red as part of the Easter celebrations. Traditionally 

people tap their egg against someone else’s. The 

person whose egg is the last to crack gets a year 

of good luck. 

02 Know your onions – in the US the Vidalia onion is 

the state vegetable of Georgia. It is celebrated with 

eating contests, cook-offs, dancing and a rodeo. 

03 Oyster delight – in May Randburg’s Brightwater 

Commons in Johannesburg is transformed into 

food-lover’s paradise for the two-day Oyster, Wine 

& Food Festival. 

04 La Tomatina – held in Bunõl, Spain in August where 

people honor tomatoes by throwing more than 100 

tonnes of them at each other. 

05 Foodies delight – every August Preuvenemint- 

Maastricht in the Netherlands hosts an international 

food tasting festival. 

06 Envies Culinaires – is a four-day gourmet 

extravaganza in Lille, France. Delights on offer 

include fresh lobster, nougat, waffles, wine tasting 

and cookery demonstrations. 

07 Mooncake – an essential part of China’s 

Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the country’s most 

important events. The mooncake consists of a thick 

paste, usually made from lotus seeds, enclosing 

a salted egg yolk to symbolize the moon. 

08 Oktoberfest – Munich’s world famous beer festival 

in October when visitors drink their way through five 

million liters of beer over 16 days. 

If you thought making a car was 

a piece of cake – you’d be right. 

A team of bakers made a life-size 

replica of a Skoda Fabia for a 

television advertising campaign, 

using cakes, sweets, chocolate 

and marzipan. 

09 

AUSTRALIA CONSUMPTION 

18l 

5.7kg 

09 Yum In My Tum – is a food festival for children, 

held in Perth, Australia. Youngsters learn about 

food production and try their hands at cooking – 

and tasting. 

10 Truffle Festival – held in Alba, Italy to celebrate the 

white truffle season. Famous chefs from all over the 

world are invited to attend a truffle auction where 

the most exotic specimens sell at more than EUR 

1,500 a kilogram. 

11 Noche de Rábanos – sculptures made from radishes 

are displayed in the main plaza of Oaxaca city in 

Mexico on December 23. The radishes are specially 

grown and can weigh up to three kilograms and 

measure 50 centimeters in length. 


ICE DREAM 

Legend has it that the ice cream cone was invented 

accidentally. During the St Louis World’s Fair in 1904 

the ice cream seller ran out of cardboard dishes. A 

waffle seller at the next stall came to the rescue by 

rolling up waffles into cones to hold the ice cream. 

Whatever the truth of this the ice cream cone is a 

ubiquitous feature around the world, especially on 

a hot summer day. As the mercury rises, so do ice 

cream sales. Of course ice cream is still enjoyed 

year round, particularly in Finland which has the 

highest consumption in Europe. Other big consumers 

are the US, Australia and New Zealand. NASA even 

commissioned a freeze-dried variety in the late 60s 

so that the Apollo astronauts could enjoy ice cream 

in outer space. 

Ice cream has been around for centuries. Originally 

it was made with ice, collected from frozen lakes 

and mountains, flavored with honey and fruits. 

What we recognize as ice cream – a combination 

of milk, cream, eggs and sugar – was invented 

much later. It remained a rare and expensive treat 

reserved for special occasions until industrial 

refrigeration arrived in the 20th century and made 

mass production possible. Since then ice cream 

parlors have sprung up around the globe and there’s 

a mind-boggling choice of flavors available from the 

humble vanilla and strawberry to the more exotic 

rocky road and chocolate chip cookie dough. The US 

manufacturer Baskin-Robbins has created more than 

1,000 varieties. 

Interestingly, former British Prime Minister Margaret 

Thatcher has a place in the ice cream revolution. 

Before she became a politician she was part of a 

chemical research team that discovered a way of 

doubling the amount of air in ice cream to produce a 

lighter texture and reduce manufacturing costs. This 

proved popular with consumers and vendors who 

could more easily fill a cone from a tap. 

Fast forward to today and GEA Niro Soavi has 

developed high pressure homogenization and valve 

technology that makes ice cream even softer and 

lighter. It comprises a homogenizer that blends the 

ice cream ingredients into a stable and uniform 

emulsion. The NanoVALVE then effectively 

disperses the emulsion, reducing the size of the ice 

crystals. The finished mixture contains more air, 

enhancing the flavor and making it smoother and 

easier to digest. 

FOOD OF THE GODS 

No food stimulates the senses quite like chocolate. 

It’s the ultimate affordable luxury. Its versatility 

makes it a sought-after ingredient the world over 

for snacks, candies, desserts, cookies and ice cream. 

You can also drink it, on its own or as flavored milk. 

Chocolates make desirable gifts and, molded into 

a variety of shapes, chocolate is an integral part of 

many festivals – as Easter eggs, coins for Hanukkah 

or heart-shaped candies for Valentine’s Day. 

Until the 16th century, chocolate was unknown 

outside Central and South America. The name 

derives from the Aztec word xocolatl, which means 

bitter water. Initially chocolate was purely a drink 

until mechanization made it possible to extract the 

cocoa butter from the solids. 

Today, cocoa beans are grown in many parts of the 

world, with Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Brazil, 

Nigeria, Cameroon, Malaysia, Equador and Papua 

New Guinea being the main producers. 

There are three main types of chocolate: the dark 

variety comprises varying proportions of cocoa solids 

and cocoa butter and is often sweetened with sugar. 

Milk chocolate is sweetened and has added milk 

powder or condensed milk. White chocolate is made 

from cocoa butter, sugar and milk. 

Dark chocolate containing a minimum of 70 per cent 

cocoa solids is growing in popularity. Particularly 

as doctors have found that cocoa powder contains 

antioxidants that reduce the formation of harmful 

free radicals and also lower blood pressure and 

cholesterol levels. 

Zotter, the Austrian chocolate manufacturer, has 

gone a step further by using a GEA Westfalia 

Separator CD 305 decanter to reduce the fat content 

in the cocoa mass. As one of the new key components 

in the center of the production chain, the decanter 

obtains cocoa mass which has the right consistency 

for conching. Here, the fat content, as well as the 

grain size distribution, are key aspects. Conching is 

where the cocoa and sugar particles are refined to 

give the finished chocolate its flavor and smooth feel. 

In the past the consistency of the cocoa mass had to 

be adjusted by adding sugar, which generally had a 

limiting effect on the production of dark chocolate. 

GEA Niro contributes to the chocolate industry, 

supplying a range of agglomeration systems for 

making chocolate powder for hot chocolate drinks. 

Flower power 

It seems appropriate that Mexico, the country that 

gave chocolate to the world, should also be the origin 

of vanilla, one of the most sought-after spices. 

Vanilla extract is used in a wide range of food and 

drinks and it’s the most popular ice cream flavor. 

The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés is widely 

credited with introducing vanilla to Europe in the 

1520s. Vanilla, which is Spanish for ‘little pod’, is 

the only edible orchid. Most of the world’s vanilla 

production is concentrated in Madagascar, Mexico, 

parts of South America and Tahiti. 

Harvesting the pods is very labor-intensive which 

is why vanilla is the second most expensive spice 

in the world. 

Saffron, another flower derivative, claims the top 

spot in the exclusive category. It comes from the 

stigma of the saffron crocus, which is native to 

South West Asia. Each flower has three stigmas, 

so collecting them is a painstaking process. Saffron 

is used to flavor and add a distinctive yellow color 

to a variety of dishes. 

In Mexico the 

incidence of diabetes 

is predicted to rise 

40 per cent by 2012. 

16

the foods and drinks we consume 

for pleasure are multi-billion 

dollar industries that create jobs 

and make a huge contribution to 

the global economy. 

Big business 

Sadly, while people in the developed world 

happily satisfy their cravings for treats, nearly 

one billion people in poorer countries go 

hungry every single day. For them a treat is 

enough food and clean water. 

The richer countries are not blind to their 

plight and efforts are being made by the UN, 

governments, aid agencies and charities to 

alleviate poverty and hunger in the developing 

world. Mass fund-raising campaigns, such 

as the Live8 concert held in London in 2005 

and, more recently, the Professional Football 

Against Hunger match weekend in Europe in 

March 2009, are helping to make a difference. 

Money raised from these events finances 

projects to enable poor communities to grow 

and produce their own food. 

It’s worth noting, in this context, that the 

foods and drinks we consume for pleasure 

are multi-billion dollar industries that create 

jobs and make a huge contribution to the 

global economy. According to the World 

Cocoa Foundation the livelihoods of 50 

million people depend on cocoa from which 

chocolate is made. And, around two-thirds 

of the world’s cocoa is grown in West Africa. 

Coffee is another big global employer, from 

the farmers in Africa and South and Central 

America to the people working in coffee bars. 

Traditionally trade tends to discriminate 

against poorer producers but, thanks to the 

efforts of the World Fair Trade Organization, 

farmers and workers in developing countries 

are getting a better deal on exports to 

developed countries. To achieve a Fair Trade 

certification companies must be committed 

to paying no less than market prices. Certain 

brands of coffee, tea, wine, cocoa and nuts 

are among the products bearing the Fair 

Trade mark. 

Not so sweet 

Although widespread snacking is good for 

business, there is a downside. It’s often 

said that the foods that taste the best are 

the ones that are bad for you. Sadly, most 

treats are loaded with fat and sugar and, if 

you consume them in large quantities, you 

will likely gain weight. 

Obesity rates are soaring in the developed 

world and so too are the associated health 

problems of heart disease and diabetes. In 

Mexico the incidence of diabetes is predicted 

to rise 40 per cent by 2012, killing 100,000 

people in that year. The fact that Mexico tops 

the league table for cola consumption is 

believed to be a contributing factor. 

Growing rates of obesity-related diabetes 

in the UK prompted a Scottish doctor to 

suggest that chocolate should be taxed. 

He warned that many people were eating 

their entire daily calorie quota in chocolate, 

in addition to normal meals. His comments 

made good headlines but such a tax is 

unlikely to be imposed. 

A major problem when trying to lose weight 

is combating the craving for tasty treats 

which, because of their high calorie content, 

are temporarily off your menu. Of course 

there are numerous low-fat or sugar free 

options to choose from. Maybe the best 

way is to think of tasty treats as just that – 

something you eat occasionally as part of 

a balanced diet. 

The GEA Niro Soavi NanoVALVE (see page 16) makes ice cream 

lighter. The product is forced through a homogenizing valve under 

high density fluid-dynamic energy, breaking down the particles 

to nanometer size. 

GEA and luxury foods 

The wide availability of tasty treats and snacks, 

as with most other foods, could not be achieved 

without cutting-edge engineering, processing and 

refrigeration that enable manufacturers to make, 

store and distribute products across the world. 

GEA is one of the leaders in supplying innovative 

equipment and expertise throughout the food and 

beverage production chain. 

It’s more than likely that the ice cream in your 

freezer has been made with milk and cream that 

has had contact with GEA’s milking and processing 

equipment. The Farm Technologies Division is a 

world-class supplier of technical innovations and 

systems for all stages of the milk production process. 

Your ice cream may also have been frozen and 

stored by refrigeration equipment supplied by 

GEA Refrigeration Division companies. In addition 

to complete refrigeration systems and components, 

used throughout the food, brewing and beverage 

industries, they supply a wide range of spiral and 

tunnel freezers used in food processing. Refrigeration 

is also an important step in the production of 

candy bars. 

Mechanical separation is an important part of food 

and drink manufacture and another area in which 

GEA leads the way. GEA Westfalia Separator supplies 

a range of market-leading separators, decanters and 

mechanical separation lines to the dairy, beverage 

and food sector. 

GEA Process Equipment Division is another 

contributor to the dairy and beverage industries, 

offering a range of customized solutions, including 

heat exchangers, pasteurizers and homogenizers, 

plus top quality sanitary valves and pumps. Plate 

heat exchangers from GEA PHE Systems are used 

during the heating or cooling processes involved in 

the production of smoothies, ice cream and yogurts. 

So too is GEA Process Engineering Division. Led by 

GEA Niro, it provides complete process lines and 

products, including evaporators, spray dryers, fluid 

bed dryers, extraction plants and freeze dryers for the 

food, beverage and dairy industries. 


BEN LLEWELLIN seTs oUT 

The ChallenGes faCinG 

dairY farMers in The 

Uk and eXplains whY 

he reMains CoMMiTTed 

To The indUsTrY. 

pHotoGrapHY: CHris moYse 

18


lower house farm, in the heart of 

pembrokeshire in wales, has been in the 

llewellin family since the 1800s. Ben, the latest 

to follow in the family tradition, looks after the 

dairy herd with his wife nia and his parents 

George and anne. at a time when low milk 

prices are forcing many of the Uk’s dairy 

farmers out of the industry, Ben and his 

family have made a significant investment 

in new milking equipment. 

Q. Did you always plan to become a 

dairy farmer? 

A. Yes, i hoped to continue the business, 

although, at one stage, i considered 

becoming a vet. i wanted to go as far as 

i could with my education and i took a 

degree in agriculture. after graduating 

in 2004 i came back to the farm. 

Q. What is the size of your farm and how big 

is the herd? 

A. there are more than 120 hectares divided 

into grazing land, fields for growing maize 

to feed the cattle and grass silage for winter 

fodder. We also have woodland and streams 

for which we receive money to preserve them 

as wildlife habitat. the herd comprises 200 

Holstein cows and 130 heifers [young cows 

that have not yet calved]. in addition, when 

Nia and i married she brought ten Jersey 

cows to the farm plus 12 heifers. 

Q. isn’t it a lot of work for just four people? 

A. it’s very much a team effort – we all 

work as hard as each other, starting and 

finishing at the same time. milking times 

are 5.30am-9.30am and 4pm-7pm and the 

hours in between are spent on management 

of the herd, looking after the fields, and 

dealing with slurry. it would be lovely to take 

more weekends off but it’s just not possible 

because our profits depend on the work we 

put in. everything is streamlined to make the 

business as efficient as possible. We would 

love to employ someone but the way the 

industry is at the moment it’s very difficult 

to find someone who is willing and able to 

put in the effort. 

Q. What made you decide to reinvest in your 

farm at a time when the uk dairy industry 

is shrinking? 

A. two and a half years ago we were at a 

crossroads. the old milking parlor was 

taking far too long to collect milk and it 

was about to die on us. either we had to 

reinvest in new equipment or sell up and do 

something else with our lives. Nia and 

i wanted to continue the farm because we 

love the countryside and the lifestyle. 

We now have a herringbone parlor from Gea 

Westfalia surge. it holds 16 cows in each side 

so 32 cows can be milked at a time. From 

the parlor the milk goes through a filter and 

cooling system into a tank. 

20

Each cow wears a pedometer to measure 

their activity and, when they walk over a 

metal ring at the back of the parlor, the data 

is fed into the computer. If a cow shows high 

activity it means she’s on heat and ready to 

be inseminated. 

Q. Is it true that cows know when it’s time to 

be milked? 

A. Yes and they’ve also got used to listening 

to the radio while they’re being milked! If we 

don’t have the radio on, they’re distracted. 

Cows like to follow a routine – it’s amazing 

how often they will go into the same cubicles 

to sleep at night and when they’re kept in 

during the winter. The cows all have different 

personalities and we give each one a name 

which continues through the generations. 

Q. How much milk does your herd produce 

and where does it go? 

A. We sell to First Milk, which is the UK’s 

largest farmer-owned cooperative. The milk 

usually goes to a cheese factory down the 

road in Haverfordwest. But, if there’s a milk 

shortage, it will be taken to a bottling plant. 

We get 1.6 million liters of milk per year from 

the herd. On average a cow produces 8,500 

liters. Some cows will give you 6,000 liters 

and others 13,000 liters, even though they’ve 

been fed exactly the same – it’s all down to 

breeding. Improving the breeding to enable 

cows to be more efficient at producing milk 

is what interests me most. To achieve this we 

have to choose genetically elite bulls. Each 

bull has a list of approximately 25 different 

traits and we select those that can overcome 

our cows’ weak points. 

Q. What is the milk life of a cow and how 

often do they calve? 

A. Six and a half years is the national 

average and in that time they would have 

three to four calves, although we have one 

cow that is expecting her 12th. We try and 

alter the calving pattern to take advantage 

of higher milk prices in the autumn. But this 

can be difficult to maintain because they are 

kept inside during the winter so it costs 

more in feed. 

Q. There have been reports in the press 

about Welsh livestock being under threat 

from bovine TB. How big a problem is it? 

A. Bovine TB is crippling the industry in 

Wales because farms are prevented from 

selling stock, particularly bulls which are 

expensive to keep. We lost 22 cows last year 

– some of our best breeding stock – and 

two bulls.* Even though pasteurization kills 

any TB in the milk, the animals still have to 

be slaughtered. 

The disease was under control before 

badgers became a protected species. 

Because they no longer have any natural 

predators the balance has shifted and 

the badgers have multiplied. The Welsh 

Assembly has now authorized a pilot 

badger cull. Ideally we want a two-sided 

attack on the disease so that cows and 

wildlife can co-exist. 

Q. What other challenges does the UK dairy 

industry face? 

A. The biggest problem is that the milk 

price has been poor for so long that it is 

getting harder and harder to stay afloat. 

It’s not high enough to be able to reinvest 

and have a good living standard. At one 

time the collection and selling of milk 

was all done through the Milk Marketing 

Board. But this was deemed to be a 

monopoly and was broken up in the 1990s 

into three co-operatives. Then individual 

private companies came in, which gave 

supermarkets more choice about where 

they bought their milk and more 

bargaining power. 

Farmers in other EU countries have been 

sheltered from this because they have had 

government support to keep prices high. 

But now the price has collapsed in Europe 

and there’s an oversupply, compared to 

a shortage here. The recession and fall 

in the pound makes it more expensive 

to import. Hopefully this will encourage 

our Government to value the British dairy 

farmer. Another issue is that produce that 

is imported but packaged here can be 

advertised and sold as being British. 

There’s also more paperwork now. The dairy 

industry is much more heavily regulated – 

which is right really. It makes it easier for 

products to be traced back to the farms. 

Q. Are you confident for the future? 

A. The number of dairy farmers going out 

of business every year is frightening and 

very few young people are coming in – the 

average age of a dairy farmer is late 50s. 

If we can survive this exodus I believe that 

there is a future because the British public 

will always want fresh milk. 

* According to the Farmers Guardian more 

than 12,000 cattle infected with bovine TB were 

slaughtered in Wales in 2008 – 52 per cent more 

than the previous year. 

System provider for all farm sizes 

Wherever cows are being milked, GEA Farm Technologies 

is there, helping to produce a quarter of the world’s 

milk. Since 1926 the company has led the way in the 

development, production and delivery of system solutions 

for successful dairy production. 

Today GEA`s Farm Technologies Division, with its main 

office in Bönen, Germany, is a worldwide leading 

manufacturer of technical innovations, integrated 

product solutions and effective animal hygiene products 

for cost-efficient milk production. Manure technology 

and barn equipment round off the profile as a system 

provider for all farm sizes. 

Once the milk leaves the farm, its route to the 

consumer, as milk or other dairy products, is likely to 

go via equipment from GEA. The company’s Air 

Treatment, Emission Control, Refrigeration, Process 

Equipment, Mechanical Separation and Process 

Engineering divisions all play a role in the dairy market, 

providing a range of manufacturing equipment, process 

lines and storage solutions. 


tHeY saY Nature is tHe Best remeDY 

For HumaN ailmeNts aND, For more 

tHaN 70 Years, HerBal proDuCts 

From a FamilY-oWNeD sWiss CompaNY 

Have suCCessFullY sootHeD 

tHe tHroats oF GeNeratioNs oF 

CoNsumers. aND tHe seCret, it 

WoulD seem, is all iN tHe loCatioN. 

The Swiss mountain areas provide the ideal soil and climate for growing 

the herbs used in Ricola products. 

o grow and process the herbs for 

making ricola products anywhere but 

in switzerland you would have to move 

mountains – literally. 

for it’s the alpine soil and climate, together 

with organic cultivation and harvesting 

methods, that are essential to the flavor 

and give the brand its identity. 

ricola’s herbal candies, pastilles, drops 

and teas are renowned throughout the 

world for refreshing and soothing the 

mouth and throat. for this reason they are 

particularly popular among singers and 

actors – Madonna, Mariah Carey, placido 

domingo and Cate Blanchett are among 

many famous customers. 

Quality herbs 

every year 230 tonnes of dried herbs go into 

making the ricola range, all of which are 

grown in switzerland to strict national Biosuisse 

guidelines. no artificial fertilizers, 

herbicides or pesticides are used. 

“from the fields to finished candy, every 

process is documented and subject to strict 

guidelines and quality controls,” explains 

Thomas aeschlimann, ricola’s division 

Manager, herb Cultivation. “The quality of the 

herbs can’t be improved during processing 

which is why it’s important to get everything 

right from the start.” 

“Growing herbs is a difficult and complex 

business as each herb needs its special 

habitat, climate, fertilization and care. we 

deliberately use only certified, organic herbs 

which are cultivated in the swiss mountain 

areas. and the swiss mountains only exist in 

switzerland – nothing will ever change that!” 

There are over 100 independent farmers 

contracted to ricola, most of whom have 

between 15 and 25 years’ experience in herb 

cultivation. The relationship has advantages 

for both parties. ricola can keep tabs on 

regular delivery and quality and the farmers 

are guaranteed a regular income. 

Harvest time 

Because different parts of different 

plants are used – leaves, flowers or roots 

– harvesting is done at different times. 

so, for example, if only the leaves are 

required, there is no need to wait until the 

plant flowers to harvest it. also the duration 

of the cultures varies considerably: ribwort, 

for example, is grown on a year-to-year 

basis while the elder trees – from which 

the flowers are harvested – can live up 

to 25 years. 

after harvesting the herbs are carefully 

dried to retain their natural flavor. again, 

ricola applies strict criteria to the process. 

“each herb has its own specification,” says 

aeschlimann. “no ifs and buts – everything 

is defined.” 

The dried herbs are then transported to 

ricola where they are processed, stored 

and blended, before the ingredients are 

extracted. Traditionally, the liquid extracts 

were clarified by a filtering system. But 

then, three years ago, the company decided 

to switch to a more efficient method that 

would improve the quality of clarification at a 

reduced cost but without affecting the flavor. 

detlev Jüttner, Branch Manager for Gea 

westfalia separator switzerland, says that, 

following pre-tests at its subsidiary and a 

successful separation trial at the University 

of applied science in wädenswil, ricola 

acquired a Gea westfalia separator decanter 

for clarifying the liquid extracts. “Because 

the decanter is enclosed, it’s more hygienic 

and provides a better extraction process with 

no flavor lost,” he explains. “so it’s much 

more efficient for ricola.” 

aeschlimann agrees: “we achieved the 

aim of making the process more efficient 

and to our high quality standards.” he adds 

that ricola employees were fully involved in 

making the changes and that it was relatively 

easy to learn the new process. “Besides, the 

Gea westfalia separator suppliers were very 

friendly, highly qualified and proactive.” 

ricola was founded in the swiss town 

of laufen in 1930 by emil richterich. The 

name is formed from the first two letters 

of richterich & Compagnie, laufen, which 

was his original confectionery business set 

up in 1924. 

in 1940 richterich hit on the recipe for herb 

lozenges using a mixture of 13 natural swiss 

herbs, including peppermint, sage, thyme 

and cowslip. This original herb Cough drop 

is still being made today and the recipe 

remains a closely-guarded secret. over the 

years the company has expanded its range 

with new flavors, including lemon, cranberry, 

orange and elderflower, plus sugar-free 

varieties. The products are available in 

50 countries. ricola is still family-owned 

and based in laufen, with offices in asia 

and the Us. 

Ricola Original Herb Cough Drops are made to 

a secret recipe involving 13 natural Swiss herbs. 


24 

latiN ameriCa is oNe oF tHe WorlD’s most 

Diverse aND FasCiNatiNG reGioNs. maNY oF 

its CouNtries are riCH iN Natural resourCes 

aND its populatioNs are GroWiNG rapiDlY. 

Brazil is tHe reGioN’s eCoNomiC superpoWer 

aND its suCCess storY looks set to CoNtiNue. 

GeNerate FiNDs out WHY.

t was in 2001 that Jim o’neil, Chief 

economist at investment bank Goldman 

sachs, coined the term ‘BriC’ to describe 

the world’s four most dynamic economies 

– Brazil, russia, india and China. 

of course, a great deal has changed in the 

eight years since then. But the word has 

stuck, and few would now doubt that the 

emergence of the BriC economies has 

changed the balance of global economic 

power irrevocably. Their presence at the 

G-20 summit in london in april 2009 was 

proof positive that these countries now 

have a place at the top table. 

while south america has a long history 

of financial meltdowns, no-one expects 

it this time – despite the chaos in more 

advanced economies. Brazil, for example 

– without doubt the regional economic 

superpower – is predicted to see a decline 

in Gdp of just 0.4 per cent in 2009. 

Prudent policies 

Brazil and countries such as Chile have 

pursued prudent financial policies in recent 

years, emphasizing stable, sustainable 

growth. Chile set aside billions of dollars 

from the boom in copper prices, to 

maintain government expenditure during 

the downturn. as a result, these countries 

now enjoy low inflation and high domestic 

spending from an expanding middle class. 

“The middle class, especially in the BriC 

countries, will be the new engine of the 

world economy,” according to stephane 

Garelli of the University of lausanne: 

“a middle class eager to buy a first car 

and the latest mobile phone.” 

Time will tell. But Brazil does have 

an enormous amount going for it. 

it is latin america’s largest market, 

and with more than 190 million people, 

it is the world’s fifth-most populous country. 

it is also the world's tenth-largest economy 

in Gdp terms, and has a relatively 

robust democracy. 

according to the world Bank, there were 

approximately 400 million middle class 

people in developing countries in 2005. 

in 2030, there are expected to be 1.2 billion 

– people using more energy, eating better 

food and demanding better healthcare. 

in its own right it could become one of the 

pillars of the new economic world order. 

it is roughly the size of australia or the 

entire continental United states. More 

people live in são paulo than in most 

european countries. it has the world’s 

biggest forest; the world’s longest 

river; prodigious mineral wealth; strong 

manufacturing, service and agricultural 

sectors. for example, along with Mexico 

and argentina, it is one of the world’s top 

20 milk producers. 

rather than putting a brake on their growth, 

Goldman sachs’ Jim o’neil believes that 

the current economic crisis is likely to 

accelerate the continued emergence of the 

BriCs. and he told the BBC recently that 

he felt Brazil was the best positioned of 

the four big developing economies to meet 

growth forecasts, as it ”has many attributes 

of a developed country in terms of policies 

and society.” 

The Brazilians would no doubt agree. 

finance Minister Guido Mantega said in 

april that the worst of the current crisis had 

already passed in his country, and that the 

economy could expand by three to four per 

cent in the fourth quarter of this year. 

sOuth america pOpuLatiON (miLLiON) 2009 

braziL 199m 

it also has a mindset. when people 

think of Brazil they think of a land of 

soccer, beaches and samba rhythms: and 

Copacabana is indeed part of the Brazilian 

psyche. But it is not what creates 

a successful economy. 

mexicO 111m 

cOLOmbia 46m 

an example of what does is amBev. 

Ten years ago, amBev didn’t exist. it was 

formed in 1999 from the merger of two of 

Brazil’s regional brewers. despite being 

unknown, the new company had three of 

the world’s top 20 beer brands by volume. 

it was also ferociously ambitious. 

arGeNtiNa 41m 

peru 30m 

five years later it had merged with 

Belgium’s interbrew to create the world’s 

biggest brewing company, inBev. The 

european management was quickly 

replaced by the über-talented Brazilians, 

who in 2008, achieved the virtually 

unthinkable with the acquisition of the 

Us giant anheuser-Busch – makers 

of Budweiser. 

veNezueLa 27m 

chiLe 17m 

within a decade a relatively minor south 

american brewer had transformed itself 

into one of the world’s top five consumer 

products companies with an annual 

turnover of more than eUr 25 billion. 

= 20 million 

Source: Central Intelligence Agency of 

the United States of America (CIA), 

estimated fi gures for 2009 

But this wasn’t done by chance. amBev’s 

success was based on strict financial 

discipline, a performance-driven culture, 

world-class operational efficiency – and a 

willingness to dream the impossible dream. 

Brazilians would describe this process 

as – ginga (pronounced jin-ga). This is not 

a word you can translate, though it means 

something like ‘sinuous’. it is the spirit of 

samba. it is why everyone on earth loves 

Brazilian football. it is about getting to the 

top, with style – but not necessarily by the 

obvious route. This is the Brazilian way. > 


Copper cabana: Brazil is rich in minerals 

AGRICULTURE 

& FISHERIES 5.3% 

When people think of 

Brazil they think of a 

land of soccer, beaches 

and samba rhythms: and 

Copacabana is indeed part 

of the Brazilian psyche. 

But it is not what creates 

a successful economy. 

ECONOMIC GROWTH PER SECTOR in 2007 

Mining 3.0% 

ELECTRICITY, 

GAS, WATER 5.0% 

MANUFACTURING 

INDUSTRY 5.1% 

Sustainability 

Ginga applies to other sectors of the 

Brazilian economy too: energy for example. 

Source: German Office for Foreign Trade (now part of Germany Trade & Invest) 

The country’s own domestic energy 

consumption is predicted to grow by more 

than three per cent a year until 2030, and 

production is predicted to rise by more than 

four per cent a year over the same period. 

This means that Brazil is set to become one 

of the major world energy exporters by 2020. 

Its current oil production is similar to that of 

OPEC member Venezuela (as well as of the 

entire EU). It is also South America’s largest 

producer of electricity. Yet, 46 per cent of 

its energy production is from renewable 

sources. This compares with the global 

average of only 13 per cent, making Brazil 

one of the greenest countries in the world. 

How come? Some 80 per cent of its 

electricity output is hydro generated. The 

massive Itaipú dam alone, developed in the 

1970s with neighboring Paraguay, supplies 

approximately one fifth of Brazil's energy. 

As northern economies, particularly in the 

EU, strive to meet CO 2 emission targets, 

they are likely to become a significant 

importer of biofuel. 

Brazil is also the world's second biggest 

producer of ethanol from biomass – and the 

world’s most efficient producer of biofuel. 

How come? 

Ginga. After the first great global oil crisis 

in 1973, the Brazilian government decided 

to create an alternative fuel to gasoline 

– ethanol – derived from locally grown 

sugar cane. By the middle of the 1980s, 

96 per cent of all new cars sold in Brazil 

were running on ethanol rather than oilbased 

fuel. 

Brazil is also in line to become part of the 

oil producing elite. Most of the major oil 

and gas producing companies believe that 

fossil fuels will still be meeting 60 per cent 

of global energy needs in 2030. Within the 

past two years Brazil has discovered the 

most promising oil fields on earth since the 

discoveries made in Kazakhstan in 2000. 

And while estimates of oil and gas reserves 

That figure dropped to 10 per cent by 2003 

as the oil price fell. But by the end of 2008, 

dual fuel – or ‘flex fuel’ — vehicles that use 

a mixture of petrol and ethanol, accounted 

for almost three quarters of cars and light 

trucks sold in Brazil. Indeed, pure gasoline 

is no longer sold in the country. 

are chronically unreliable, the importance 

of these Brazilian finds in geopolitical 

terms cannot be underestimated. They 

are reportedly the largest in the Western 

hemisphere in the past three decades: this 

means they are not in the Middle East, in 

central Asia or any other part of the world 

with serious political drawbacks. 

Brazil’s production of ethanol virtually 

doubled between 2001 and 2008, from 10.5 

billion to 20 billion liters. This was largely 

achieved using existing capacity. But plans 

to increase production by a further 10 billion 

liters by 2010, will require the construction 

of almost 100 new factories. 

And while the discoveries are apparently 

both technically and geologically difficult, 

those are relatively short-term problems. 

There is no question that extraction will be 

costly, but even at today’s energy prices 

there’s no shortage of domestic and foreign 

companies ready to invest big money in 

Brazil’s energy sector. 

In March 2009, ExxonMobil CEO Rex 

Tillerson presented to investors and 

analysts in New York that his company’s 

discovery of a reservoir of up to eight 

billion barrels of recoverable Brazilian oil 

would, at current energy prices, be worth 

about USD 380 billion, which exceeds the 

economic output of Taiwan, South Africa 

and Ireland. 

And in February 2009, the Brazilian national 

oil company Petrobras secured up to USD 

ten billion of long-term financing from the 

Chinese Development Bank to help extract 

the massive new reserves. 

Petrobras itself announced in January 

that it was to invest USD 175 billion in 

exploration and production in the 2009-2013 

period, including almost USD 50 billion in 

downstream activity and petrochemicals. 

Put in context, USD 175 billion is bigger 

than the entire economy of Chile. And if 

all goes to plan, by 2020, Petrobras and 

its foreign partners will be producing 5.7 

million barrels of oil and gas per day – 

more than half the output of Saudi Arabia. 

This is clearly a good time to be involved in 

a country that is going places – though not 

necessarily by the obvious route. 

26

GEA supports Latin America’s future 

The GEA Group operates in four Latin American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile and 

Mexico. Its main operations are in Brazil where five GEA Divisions are represented, three 

with sales and production sites, the remainder with sales offices. All the businesses are 

based in the state of São Paulo, the driving force in Brazil’s economy. 

GEA’s Mechanical Separation Division, in the shape of GEA Westfalia Separator do 

Brasil, has been in Brazil since 1972 and has sales agents all over the country. GEA 

Westfalia Separator’s mechanical separation technology (centrifuges and decanters) is 

used across a host of sectors – including dairy, beverages (particularly orange juice 

and beer), food, vegetable oils, mineral oils, mining and pharmaceutical. Centrifugal 

equipment is also used in the ethanol production process and GEA Westfalia Separator 

has also sold two complete biodiesel plants. In some instances, GEA Group companies 

work together on projects: for example GEA Westfalia Separator and GEA Tuchenhagen 

(part of GEA Brewery Systems) are working on a beer filtration project for InBev-Anheuser. 

GEA Westfalia Separator is well placed to benefit from the future growth of Brazil’s 

renewable energy market (bioethanol, biodiesel) and from the development of products 

linked to agro-industry such as soybean and corn products. 

GEA’s Process Engineering has a host of companies that operate in Brazil, providing 

engineering solutions for all kinds of industries (dairy, food, beverage, brewing, chemical 

and mining). Customers like InBev-Anheuser, Danone, Nestlé, Ajinomoto, Vale, Perdigão and 

Itambé rely on GEA companies for project management, automation, process integration, 

components, equipment and processing plants. Potential growth markets for this division 

include ethanol and mining as well as premium and aseptic drinking products. 

Wherever there is growth in the dairy industry, you’re likely to find GEA’s Farm 

Technologies Division and Brazil is no different. GEA positions itself as a total 

solutions provider and its ever-expanding product portfolio includes equipment for 

milk production, manure technology, animal comfort as well as hygiene and supplies 

products. Customers range from those with herds of 1,500 cows down to just 15. GEA 

WestfaliaSurge do Brasil’s manufacturing facility in Jaguariuna produces milk cooling 

tanks and dairy hygiene products for Brazil and many other Latin American countries 

and its production capacity has doubled in the last twelve months. The sheer size of the 

country means that a strong dealership distribution network is important for GEA Farm 

Technologies and the number of dealerships proudly displaying the GEA logo at their 

premises has tripled over the last three years. 

Economic growth requires reliable energy supply. GEA supports this upcoming 

region’s power demand. 

GEA’s Process Equipment Division manufactures and supplies heat exchangers to a wide 

variety of sectors. GEA supplies plate heat exchangers to the country’s growing ethanol 

and sugar industry. In addition, air fin coolers are used in the petrochemical and chemical 

industries and compact coolers in hydro generation plants. 

Finally, GEA’s Thermal Engineering’s position as a worldwide player in the heat transfer 

industry extends to Latin America. GEA Sistemas de Resfriamento, set up in 2007, is 

focusing on the market for pre-fabricated cooling towers for the sugar and bioethanol 

industries. Although GEA Sistemas de Resfriamento is a newcomer in the Brazilian 

market, its innovative cooling tower design has already secured a number of orders 

from key customers. The company is now expanding its product line and supplies of 

waste water treatment products from GEA 2H Water Technologies to the Brazilian market. 

The Thermal Engineering Division is also an active player in supplying dry cooling 

equipment for power plant, refinery and petrochemical projects. Due to the involvement 

of international Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contractors, these projects 

are handled from the United States through GEA Power Cooling and GEA Rainey, who 

closely monitor developments in Brazil. 

In addition, GEA has its own consulting company – GEA Consulting – which offers 

management and process consulting around the globe to support GEA businesses. 

The projects range from market research to strategy projects for whole regions, 

for example Latin America. 

In all the sectors mentioned in this panel, the GEA Group’s reputation for global expertise 

and local service means the business’ future in Brazil looks bright. GEA Consulting will 

support the businesses through continuous improvement programmes. For example, GEA 

Consulting is organizing project management training sessions in Latin America, which will 

facilitate the exchange of knowledge between GEA’s senior management in the region. 


Two years ago GEA merged its 

three Stateside plate heat 

exchanger companies into 

one and built the world’s 

most modern heat exchanger 

factory. Lutz Wolf, President 

and CEO of GEA PHE Systems 

North America, talks about 

his plans to capture the 

American market. 

This vacuum furnace, which can heat metals to a very high 

temperature, is an essential part of the heat exchanger 

manufacturing process. 

28

"There are 14 nationalities here, 

which is pretty amazing. It’s great 

to have people with different 

backgrounds and experience…" 

verything is bigger in the US – cars, 

houses, dairy farms, power consumption 

– you name it. So it’s no surprise that 

America is the largest single market for plate 

heat exchangers (PHEs). 

GEA, already a major player in the PHE 

business in Europe and Asia, has set its 

sights on capturing a bigger share of the 

US market. That is why, in 2007, the Process 

Equipment Division took the bold step of 

combining its three US PHE operations into 

one company – GEA PHE Systems North 

America, based in York, Pennsylvania – 

and also invested heavily in building a brand 

new plant on the site. The most advanced 

of its kind in the world, the new factory is 

the single source for GEA’s complete 

range of brazed, gasketed and welded 

PHEs in America. 

As President and CEO, Lutz Wolf is the 

man charged with getting a return on 

such a huge investment. “We have to 

show big results and big results require 

big ambitions,” he says. “It’s very exciting 

and also a huge challenge because we are 

running so many projects in parallel.” 

In the beginning these included increasing 

the number of employees, implementing the 

SAP business process software system and 

introducing a whole range of new product lines. 

“We have to achieve this at a time when 

many of our 130 employees are new to the 

company and the industry,” Wolf explains. 

“There are 14 nationalities here, which is 

pretty amazing. It’s great to have people with 

different backgrounds and experience. On 

the other hand it’s hard to build a smooth 

operation when only a few people have 

extensive experience in this business. 

So we’re running extensive training to get 

everyone heading in the same direction 

and reaching for the same target.” 

That target is to establish GEA PHE Systems 

as a major player in the American market. 

By being able to offer the complete range 

of PHEs, the company already has the 

advantage over most of its competitors. 

It makes heat exchangers suitable for 

a range of industries and applications, 

including HVAC, refrigeration, food 

processing, power generation, chemical 

processing and shipping. 

With so much going on there’s no such thing 

as a typical day for Wolf. “It is such a wideranging 

role,” he says. “It covers everything 

from meetings with customers to sorting out 

the daily concerns of employees. 

“We’re making a constant effort to improve 

our business processes and set up new ones. 

For example, for some of the older, but still 

vital, lines we had to buy in the plates. Now 

we are pressing our own plates and have 

built new tools so that all our product lines 

can be made in-house.” 

The factory certainly impressed a member 

of the Pennsylvania Congress who is leading 

a task force for green energy. “We supply 

the thermal and solar industries and he was 

very pleased to have a facility like ours in 

Pennsylvania,” Wolf says proudly. 

However, the company has not been immune 

from the global economic downturn, with 

sales and orders down on the previous year. 

For Wolf the priority is to juggle resources 

to compensate for lower volumes, without 

jeopardizing the way ahead. “But, when you 

have the right people with the right mindset, 

you can accomplish anything,” he believes. 

Wolf is no stranger to a challenge or 

working abroad. Born in Bochum, Germany, 

he studied economics and business 

administration and began his career with 

Siemens in Bocholt. During his ten years 

with the company he worked on a variety 

of projects and assignments in Munich, 

Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing before 

joining GEA two years ago. 

As well as the cultural differences, Wolf is 

getting used to living in a small town. “I miss 

big city life but, from York, it is fairly easy to 

get to Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia and 

Washington, D. C. on weekends,” he explains. 

“Also, compared to the German, English and 

Spanish leagues, soccer in the US is rather 

unpopular. So a typical Saturday morning 

involves getting a cup of coffee and listening 

to the reports from the German Bundesliga 

on Internet radio.” 

“When I visit GEA headquarters in 

Bochum I always try and see a match of 

the VfL Bochum soccer team, as well as 

visiting family.” 


This stunning shot wouldn’t look out of 

place in an artist’s gallery. But this picture 

of red polymers – tiny molecules strung 

in long repeating chains – serves a more 

practical purpose for the GEA Group. 

It was specially commissioned for a brochure 

promoting GEA Niro’s product portfolio 

for the polymer industry. Polymers are 

all around us and are used in a range of 

industries, from making blocks of LEGO ® , 

30

electric cables, gutters and plastic furniture 

to fashion, kitchenware and packaging. 

GEA Niro supplies flash and fluid bed 

plants and spray drying plants for essential 

use in the polymer production process. 


New HeaMo system is an energy saver 

Design engineers at GEA Air Treatment have devised 

a clever way of using heat that is usually wasted. 

Modern buildings generally have both central heating 

and cooling systems. The cooling systems produce 

heat, which is usually wasted through cooling units 

on the roof. GEA Air Treatment has created the 

HeaMo (‘heat in motion’) system, which provides 

heat and cooling simultaneously, saving tremendous 

amounts of energy. GEA HeaMo moves the heat 

from overheated rooms via the water circulation 

systems to areas needing heat – ‘heat in motion’. 

To meet the different needs of summer and winter, 

GEA’s engineers have incorporated ‘only heat’ and 

‘only cool’ functions. In summer, HeaMo expels the 

heat produced by the chiller function to the outdoor 

air, or to water – or stores it in a geothermal system. 

In winter, HeaMo operates as a heat pump: then the 

unit extracts heat from the air, well water, or the earth, 

and pumps it to a higher level by using electrical 

energy – more environmentally friendly than gas or oil. 

www.gea-airtreatment.com 

GEA Refrigeration extends 

food freezing business 

GEA Group has strengthened its Refrigeration Division 

by acquiring Intec USA, a leading supplier of carton 

freezing and chilling systems based in North Carolina, 

USA. In 2008, Intec generated sales of approximately 

EUR 8 million with a workforce of about 20 employees. 

The acquisition emphasizes GEA’s strategy of acquiring 

companies that complement GEA Refrigeration’s 

technological and geographical product portfolios. 

Cooling and freezing technology for the food industry 

are important growth areas within GEA Refrigeration. 

Since 2007, GEA Refrigeration has acquired companies 

in Canada, France, the UK and now the US. 

High demand for food safety and corresponding 

quality standards has meant that carton freezers, 

which are used to cool, chill and freeze products in 

a continuous process, have become the standard 

technology for freezing boxes worldwide. 

www.gearefrigeration.com 

GEA ECOSERVE WINS PARTS DEAL WITH CARLSBERG 

GEA EcoServe in Scandinavia and Germany have won 

an unlimited contract to supply all spare parts for GEA 

plate heat exchangers (PHEs) at Carlsberg breweries in 

Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Croatia. 

The supply agreement will be managed by Carlsberg’s 

procurement company, the UK-based Entec International. 

GEA EcoServe, the after-sales and service arm of GEA 

PHE Systems, won the contract to ensure process 

reliability for one of the world’s biggest brewers. GEA 

is already a major player in the brewery technology 

sector through its specialist company GEA Brewery 

Systems, formed in early 2009 through the merger 

of Huppmann and Tuchenhagen Brewery Systems. 

www.gea-ecoserve.com 

GEA Farm Technologies moves closer 

to providing total solution 

GEA Farm Technologies’ strategic expansion program 

has continued with the acquisition of Netherlandsbased 

DB Wilaard Holding BV, one of Europe’s leading 

manufacturers of barn equipment. DB Wilaard Holding's 

main brands, Royal De Boer and Brouwers, are longestablished 

players in the livestock housing sector. 

In 2008, DB Wilaard generated revenues of approximately 

EUR 40 million with a workforce of 160 employees. 

The acquisition includes Wilarus LLC, the sales and 

production facility for Russia and other CIS states. 

“After the acquisitions of Houle and Norbco in North 

America, we have now complemented our strategic 

approach for the barn equipment segment in Europe 

and in Russia," says Dirk Hejnal, Division President 

of GEA Farm Technologies. "The Wilaard Group has a 

proven international reputation for excellence in the 

design and manufacture of livestock housing." 

GEA Farm Technologies will continue to market 

the high-quality Royal De Boer and Brouwers 

brands and the deal fits perfectly into the 

division's strategy of growing its barn equipment 

and manure handling product lines globally. 

www.gea-farmtechnologies.com 

GEA to supply water-saving cooling 

technology to the US 

GEA’s Thermal Engineering Division has won a EUR 38 

million order to design, manufacture and build the Air 

Cooled Condenser for the 575 MW Astoria II combined 

cycle power plant in Queens/New York City in the US. 

The contract will be carried out by GEA Power Cooling 

in Denver, Colorado from 2009 until 2011 and the Air 

Cooled Condenser bundles will be manufactured in 

GEA’s new manufacturing plant in Celaya, Mexico. 

Air Cooled Condensers save on natural resources as 

the steam from the power plant is cooled and condensed 

in a closed system. This means that the cooling does 

not consume water and hot water does not escape 

into the environment. 

“This order shows there is a demand for environmentally-friendly 

cooling technology in the US market,” 

says Jörg Jeliniewski, head of the Thermal Engineering 

Division of GEA Group. “In the US there is a trend 

to replace existing power plant capacity with new, 

efficient and environmentally friendly technologies.” 

GEA is a pioneer in dry cooling and has been applying 

this technology to large industry for 90 years. During 

that time the company has constantly improved 

the technology’s reliability and performance. 

www.gea-energytechnology.com 

32

GENERATE is the external 

magazine of the GEA Group. 

Published three times a year, it 

is distributed across the world. 

IMPRINT 

Publisher 

GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft 

Dorstener Straße 484 

44809 Bochum 

Germany 

editorial staff gea 

Nina Remmer (V.i.S.d.P.) 

Katrin Lamprecht 

Gaby Fildhaut 

Photography 

Cover & feature: Will Thom 

Pages 6-7: Will Thom 

Page 18-21: Chris Moyse 

Page 28-29: David H Wells 

Page 30-31: John Bendtsen 

Produced by 

Merchant 

16 Lincoln’s Inn Fields 

London WC2A 3ED 

www.merchant.co.uk 

Publication manager 

Leigh Littlebury 

design 

JohnstonWorks 

www.johnstonworks.com 

copy desk 

Lang Communications 

www.lang-communications.co.uk 

Printing 

Laupenmühlen Druck GmbH & Co. KG 

www.l-d.de 

copyright 

© 2009 by GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, 

Dorstener Straße 484, 44809, Bochum, 

Germany. Reprinting only with the 

permission of the publisher. The contents 

do not necessarily reflect the opinion of 

the publisher. 

contact 

Questions or suggestions on the contents of 

the magazine: generate@geagroup.com

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