CONNECTIONS

FOOD PROCESSING PACKAGING MATERIAL HANDLING
CONNECTIONS
In This Issue
A message from our CEO
Introducing the
Duravant Family of
Companies
Operating Company
Highlights
People and Talent
Spring 2015 Issue
Global Newsletter highlighting news across the Duravant Family of Operating Companies

A message from our CEO
Connecting and Growing in 2015
This is an exciting time for Duravant
and our operating companies. Over
the past year, we have unified our
company under one vision, one set of
values and a strategy for accelerated
growth that combines concentrated
acquisition activities with a focused
pursuit of organic growth.
Marlen International, Fischbein, FMH
Conveyors and Hamer each are established
leaders, trusted and wellknown
by our customers around the
world for premium quality products
and exemplary service. We’re connected
by common ownership, a history
of solid financial performance
and the opportunity to capture transformational
growth in all the markets
we serve.
We’re also connected by the value we
deliver to our customers. We produce
premium quality products, yet we
deliver more than just equipment.
We go beyond the spec to understand
the application, we ensure the solution
is the right one for the job, and
we offer full aftermarket support. We
deliver a complete solution for all our
customers.
In every market segment we serve, in
every region around the world, the
most important thing we build is relationships.
Our customers and partners
count on us to always do the
right thing and do what we promise.
We’re connected again by the commitments
we make and deliver every
day.
We most recently welcomed Hamer
to the Duravant family and created
more connections with more customers
in new markets and regions.
As we strengthen our network in
2015 through our continued focus on
acquisitions and expanding our core
businesses with new customers, new
products and new markets, our connections
with each other will drive
our growth. Because companies and
strategies alone don’t achieve results,
people do!
- Mike Kachmer, CEO
2

Global Marketing Update
WE ARE DURAVANT
Our new name is backed by
over 100 years of leadership.
In 2014 we introduced a new
company with a long and
established history of operational
excellence and superior
customer service. Duravant
debuted at the Pack
Expo Show in Chicago, IL
where we exhibited together
with all our operating companies.
Duravant is a name
that signifies strength and
innovation through the blend
of “dura” from the root word
durable with “avant” signifying
forward innovation.
Products that work hard.
People that work harder.
The name Duravant is the result of an
extensive process that highlighted
the key attributes of our product
brands and our reputation. We interviewed
customers from each of our
market segments and employees
across all of our businesses to identify
the key qualities that consistently
describe our products, our people,
and the value we deliver.
We immediately identified a common
thread that binds our operating
companies together. That common
thread is clearly articulated in one
phrase: “Our products work hard.
Our people work harder.” And these
are the attributes that make us Duravant:
HIGH INTEGRITY. We deliver what
we promise every time. We stand
behind our work. We are open and
loyal with our business partners.
PREMIUM QUALITY. We deliver market-leading
designs, products and
services.
AGILITY, RESPONSIVENESS AND
REACH. We move quickly to meet
our customers’ needs.
ONGOING INNOVATION. We continuously
seek and develop new ways to
improve our products, their performance
and the value they provide.
COMMITTED PEOPLE. People who
work here are committed to company,
team and individual success and
have a passionate focus on serving
the customer.
3

Duravant Day One
Our employees around the
globe celebrated “Duravant
Day One” when we introduced
our newly branded
company name.
ENFIELD, UK
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
RIVERSIDE, MO
24

Celebrating Together Around the World
HAMPTON, VA
JONESBORO, AR
SUWANEE, GA
STATESVILLE, NC
CORBY, UK
5

Welcome Hamer!
Hamer joins the Duravant Family
On May 28, 2015, Duravant announced
the strategic acquisition
of Hamer, LLC, based in Plymouth,
MN. The acquisition supports Duravant’s
commitment to make
investments that build value for
our customers.
Founded in 1924, Hamer is a leading
designer and manufacturer of
specialty automated packaging
equipment serving a variety of
industrial and commercial markets
and will be a distinct operating
company within Duravant’s Packaging
Business Segment.
Hamer is a very important addition
to Duravant and expands our
reach as an engineered equipment
leader in the food processing,
packaging and material
handling sectors, strengthening
Duravant’s consistent pursuit of
operational excellence, our emphasis
on innovation through new
product development and our intense
focus on growth with a common
set of customers.
Hamer’s commitment to manufacturing
high quality equipment,
delivering exemplary service and
support, and exceeding customer
expectations echo our Duravant
core values and mission to deliver
unrivaled performance in everything
we do.
Please join us in welcoming the
Hamer team to the Duravant family
of operating companies!
Hamer’s Horizontal Form Fill Seal Bagging
Automation System
26

Hamer, LLC • Plymouth, MN | USA
About Hamer
For nearly 90 years, Hamer
has been designing and manufacturing
specialty automated
packaging solutions and is
recognized as a trusted
brand to improve packaging
line efficiency and profitability.
Hamer offers turnkey bag
management systems including
the widest product range
of weighing and filling technologies,
manual bagging
systems, form fill seal bagging
automation and fully
automatic robotic bag palletizers.
Hamer engineers
equipment that ensure faster,
more accurate packaging
while keeping designs simple,
robust and easy to maintain.
Hamer globally serves
diverse end markets including
Agriculture, Lawn & Garden,
Industrial Dry Solids and
Packaged Ice.
Hamer Bag Solutions
Hamer’s strong
Hamer’s core technologies
and the
brand name and
reputation for quality
coupled with
tions they support.
breadth of applica-
their intense focus
Their product portfolio
is designed for
on new product
development have
extreme environment
industrial bag-
made Hamer a
dominant leader in
ging:
specialty automated
packaging equipment.
Horizontal Form Fill Seal Systems
use flexible, heat sealable plastic film
With a large and growing installed to form bags that are filled with a
base of over 9,000 machines, supported
by in-house product design/ Bag Hangar Automated Systems
product then sealed and/or cut.
engineering, superior customer service
and technical support, Hamer is filled.
open/hold pre-made bags to be
recognized as offering the lowest Filling Systems automatically weigh,
“cost-per-bag-filled” bagging solution
in the industry.
products.
dispense or volume fill a variety of
Sealing equipment ties or heat-seals
Hamer manufactures value-added,
bags.
cost-effective packaging systems
End-of-line industrial robotic palletizers
automatically stack bags
primarily to customers making the
transition from manual to semiautomated
bagging.
onto pallets.
A variety of ancillary products such
They serve many markets including
as conveyors and stretch wrappers.
industrial dry solids, lawn and garden,
packaged ice and agriculture.
Hamer’s focus has been, and continues
to be, improving packaging line
The diversity of the customers they
profit for their customers.
serve reflects the versatility of
7

Marlen International • Riverside, MO | USA
Customer Spotlight — Salm Partners
“Bringing positive change to the
food industry through new technology
production systems to deliver
the best in consumer preferred
products to our customers.”
This is the mission statement
of Marlen International’s
longtime customer, Salm Partners,
LLC.
Headquartered in Denmark, Wisconsin,
Salm Partners operates
half of all the co-extruded, cook-in
package systems in the United
States and maintains over 100
million pounds of production capacity.
To keep with their mission
for premium quality, high
throughput, and continuous production,
Salm began sourcing
Marlen OPTI series pumps in
2004, for the manufacturing of
high quality smoked sausage and
hot dog products – products that
are sold by national brand food
market leaders. Through the
years, the Marlen OPTI pump
units proved to be versatile
enough to keep up with all of Salm
Partners’ application needs and as
such, both companies enjoyed a
healthy working relationship while
celebrating Salm’s accelerated
growth.
In 2010, Salm purchased and installed
another Marlen twinpiston
OPTI pump, but overtime,
the pump failed to operate at
peak capacity. The problem: Salm
Partners was performing periodic
service on the pump; however,
comprehensive maintenance was
not being conducted on a consistent
basis by a certified Marlen
service technician which is critical
for optimum performance.
28

Marlen International
Fast forward to 2013 – the year
when the MARLEN CARE program
was implemented as part of Marlen
International’s move to a customer-centric
facility at its new
headquarters in Riverside, Missouri.
This new customer focus
enabled a trained and certified
MARLEN CARE specialist the opportunity
to visit Salm Partners to
perform deep diagnostics on
their existing Marlen pumps.
Known as “Dr. Marlen”, the care
specialist conducted a 1000-point
audit on all Marlen units, which
resulted in a number of fixes for
longtime technical issues, improving
overall yields by 1%. This
production improvement to
Salm’s sausage processing lines
yielded thousands of dollars due
to optimal performance and improved
system reliability.
The timing of the MARLEN CARE
program was perfect as 2013
served as the year when CEO
Chris Salm initially met Wayne
Farms’ CEO, Elton Maddox, at a
business dinner in New York.
Within a year, the two became
business partners in a joint venture,
working together to support
and expand the explosive growth
in the club store and retail channels
to bring an innovative variety
of sausage products to the menus
of foodservice operations
throughout the US. And, so WFSP
Foods was formed to create quality,
crafted sausages.
What would the two need for
success? Two of Marlen’s latest
OPTI 100 models – dual-piston
pumps that are designed to pull
the hardest vacuum on the market
for extended shelf life and the
finest fresh sausages available.
It goes without saying that there
is benefit and value for all when a
company such as Marlen is always
pursing the perfect customer
experience.
Visit gilbertsausages.com to learn
more.
About Marlen International
Marlen International, Inc. is a
global manufacturer of food
processing equipment for a
variety of products including
meat, poultry, pet food, fish,
vegetables, fruit, bakery, confectioneries,
snacks and dairy
goods. Marlen International
products are sold under the
Marlen and Carruthers brand
names. For more than 50
years, Marlen International
has manufactured pumping,
portioning, filling, size reduction,
thermal processing and
material handling equipment
for pumping, portioning, filling,
dicing, grinding, slicing,
reducing, chilling and cooking
food products. Hundreds of
blue chip food processors
turn to Marlen International
for highly engineered products,
replacement parts, and
field services, including the
industry-elite Marlen Care
Program.
9

Fischbein Americas • Statesville, NC | USA
Customer Partnership — A.R. McKay
All enduring relationships share a
common ingredient: Commitment
to customer satisfaction.
For nearly 60 years, Fischbein and
A. R. McKay Processing Machinery
Company have formed an enduring
relationship through a mutual
commitment to meeting the
needs of our customers. The relationship
began in January 1955
when A. R. “Pete” McKay began
selling used seed cleaning equipment.
In 1956, one of Pete’s customers
introduced him to George
Fischbein, son of Dave Fischbein.
At that time, the Dave Fischbein
Company did not have sales and
service representation in the Carolinas;
ultimately paving the way to
partner with Mr. McKay to begin
selling the Fischbein bag closer in
this new market.
Today, A.R. McKay Processing Machinery
Company is a prominent
supplier of packaging and processing
equipment in the Southeastern
United States and one of
Fischbein America’s strongest
partners. They are Fischbein’s
oldest existing distributor and
share a common sense of purpose:
Earning the confidence of
customers as a trusted packaging
solutions partner.
Recently, ownership of A.R.
McKay changed from the McKay
family to Mr. Chip Huffman and
his son, Hal. They believed the
company’s greatest contribution
to its customers stems from A.R.
McKay’s passion for identifying
new bag closing equipment solutions.
In an effort to improve the
customer experience, Chip refocused
on delivering value to his
customers with Fischbein products.
A team from Fischbein and A.R.
McKay was formed to develop a
collaborative strategy to improve
the total customer experience
10

Fischbein Americas
The result was a new sales and
service process and relationship
between A.R. McKay and Fischbein.
The two organizations began
executing on a new partnership
where the two work together
to grow and support the
business. A.R. McKay focused
their efforts on new machine
sales and Fischbein developed
direct technical & customer
support services.
The plan included a transition
path for direct technical and
customer support services.
Fischbein added internal and external
resources and reallocated
others to fulfill the impending
customer product support needs.
As an added benefit, the close
proximity of the company’s
Statesville, NC headquarters to
A.R. McKay’s customer base enhanced
Fischbein’s ability to offer
responsive, comprehensive solutions
that include repair parts,
field and remote technical service,
machine upgrades and repairs,
consumables and product operator/maintenance
training programs.
While the new sales and customer
support structure in the southeastern
US provides a seamless
transition for our customers, it
also generates a greater focus
on the specific needs of the
customer.
About Fischbein
Fischbein designs and manufactures bag packaging equipment and complete systems under the Fischbein,
Saxon and Inglett brands. For over 100 years, Fischbein has been the leader in sewing and sealing systems by
delivering highly engineered, robust and dependable solutions. Serving customers worldwide in agriculture,
animal feed, seed, pet food, chemical, mineral, milling, food, building material, medical and pharmaceutical
industries, Fischbein has a full range of sealing, filling, weighing, handling, and palletizing equipment that is
sold and serviced in more than 190 countries.
Fischbein Americas is part of our Packaging segment and is located in Statesville, NC . The division manufactures,
supplies and services products to Canada, The United States, and throughout Latin America.
11

Fischbein International — Brussels | Belgium
Customer Spotlight — Moulins Fouché
MOULINS FOUCHÉ, an important
French flour mill, has fully automated
its bagging and palletizing line for
bags of 25 kg or 40 kg on its site of La
Ferté-Alais (Essonne, France), in order
to allow the adjustment of heavy
work stations. This has contributed to
make this company one of the most
modern companies in the region of Ile
-de-France. The owners of the mill
benefited from the great technical
expertise of FISCHBEIN which carried
out the operation in two steps. There
has been the introduction of an automatic
bag placer on the existing bagging
machine, a bag top former for
filled bags, before the existing sewing
system, and a palletizing robot to
palletize bags. Thanks to FISCHBEIN
the new line is managed by only one
person (instead of three) and it provides
an output of about 400 bags per
hour.
THE BAG PLACER
The FISCHBEIN bag placer BP 150 removes
the manual operation to grab
and maintain the bag under the
spout, which makes the operator
available for other tasks.
The bag is grabbed by suction cups
and is automatically placed under the
filling spout. The product is then
poured in the bag. Once the bag is
10 2
12
filled, it falls on a
conveyor directing it
to the closing station.
This bag placer accepts
all bags types
(open mouth bags in
paper, in polypropylene,
in woven and
laminated polyethylene).,
since they
have been tested by
FISCHBEIN before the
delivery, and its big
advantage is a fast
return on investment.
Its solidly-built
design with high
quality components,
its easy adjustments
and its maintenance at extremely
reduced costs make it very effective.,
and it can provide a maximal output
of 600 bags per hour with a storage
capacity of 150 bags.
THE BAG TOP FORMER
The second step was carried when
FISCHBEIN has equipped the line with
a bag top former with bag stop managed
by a PLC automaton.
This remarkably useful and autonomous
device, which is designed for
automatic packaging lines, allows to
stretch the top of open mouth bags
after the filling, in order to facilitate
the introduction of the bag into the
closing machine. Bags can be made
up of paper, polypropylene or polyethylene
(with a thickness of ± 150
microns).
After the filling process, the conveyor
brings the bag to the entry of the bag
top former. A cell opens the bag
guides, the bag moves under the bag
top former, and is then blocked by a
bag stop. The fingers (preset at the
bag width) go down into the bag and
stretch the top.

Fischbein International
At the end of the operation, the fingers
move up and two bag guides
close down on the mouth of the bag,
in order to maintain its shape. The
bag stop then opens and the bag is
transferred to the closing machine
previously installed by FISCHBEIN.
With a FISCHBEIN bag top former, the
output can reach 600 bags to 700
bags per hour, depending on the bag
width and the bag material.
THE SEWING SYSTEM
Here again, the notable know how of
FISCHBEIN in the bag closing technology
is highly recognized. In sewing
systems,
FISCHBEIN is
able to offer
different models
for various
types of sewn
closures.
In the MOU-
LINS FOUCHÉ
flour mill we
have an MFR
sewing system
featuring a
folder device
which allows to
fold and sew
the top of the
bag. This great combination enables
to decrease the chance of any leakage
of the flour… A significant advantage!
The MFR features a Sewing Head 100
with a rotary knife, providing a better
cut of the thread chain, really close to
the needle. This Head is built with the
world famous Fischbein craftsmanship.
It is constructed with heavy duty
metal components for unmatched
durability you can rely on for year to
come. This Sewing Head provides the
great advantage to be completely
sealed in oil, avoiding dust and dirt
with a filtered self lubricating system.
THE PALLETIZING SECTION
Once the bag is filled, reformed and
sewed, a bag kicker transfers it on a
conveyor that feeds the palletizing
unit. FISCHBEIN,
specialist in bag
closing, has installed
in the line a
palletizing robot of
the new generation,
developed
and installed in
close cooperation
with a partner
company.
This state-of-theart
robot is compact,
has a high
output and offers
many possibilities.
The maintenance
of this device is also very reduced and
the man/machine interface has been
simplified.
The particularly well-designed gripper
allows to handle easily 420 bags of 25
kg or 40 kg per hour.
This automated bagging and palletizing
line shows and confirms how
Fischbein International is proficient in
providing great solutions with the
most innovative and reliable engineered
equipment.
About Fischbein International
Fischbein International is part of
our Packaging segment and is
headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
With offices in the UK,
France, Germany, and Singapore,
Fischbein International provides
sales, service and support throughout
the eastern hemisphere. Fischbein-Saxon’s
facility in Enfield, UK
also manufactures Saxon sealer
products which are sold globally .
With a world-wide network of factory-trained
distributors, Fischbein
delivers the highest levels of quality,
reliability and service.
13

FMH Americas — Hampton, Jonesboro, Suwanee | USA
Material Handling — Stronger as One
Duravant’s operating companies
in the material handling segment
have recently united and rebranded
as FMH Conveyors. Flexible
Material Handling and Best Conveyors
are nationwide providers
of flexible and extendable conveyors
and unveiled their new organization
at the industry’s largest
tradeshow, ProMat 2015, in Chicago
this past March. This newly
merged organization has combined
their expertise and resources
to deliver higher value to
material handling customers with
an enhanced product portfolio, an
applications-focused team of design
and configuration experts,
and an unparalleled service and
support network.
Flexible Material Handling and
Best Conveyors were brought together
in 2012 via acquisition.
While the companies continued to
serve their customers and marketplace
independently, they partnered
and collaborated on many
special projects. Formally aligning
these two great organizations was
the obvious next step. This merger
makes them a stronger, faster
and more innovative solutions
provider as one customer-focused
organization.
About FMH Conveyors
FMH Conveyors designs and manufactures products and services for truck loading and unloading applications.
The NestaFlex and BestFlex brands lead the market in flexible gravity and powered conveyors,
while MaxxReach and BestReach are the premier brands in telescopic and rigid belted conveyor systems.
Known worldwide for their durability and reliability, FMH Conveyor products are engineered to support
material handling applications for distribution centers, e-commerce, parcel post, retail stores, and a variety
of manufacturers to help maximize productivity and increase efficiency.
FMH Conveyors Americas has three manufacturing facilities in Suwanee, GA; Jonesboro, AR; and Hampton,
VA. They sell and service products throughout the US, Canada and Latin America.
14 2

FMH Americas
The new name is a combination of
the well-known identities of both
companies. Many of the Flexible
Material Handling customers already
referred to them as FMH
and the Best Conveyors name has
strong brand equity with customers.
The three letters are intended
to be the symbol of the high quality
conveyor company that we collectively
represent.
The top priority was to align FMH
Conveyor’s sales, engineering and
applications design teams to our
customer accounts. To deliver the
best customer experience it was
important to ensure one point of
contact who would represent all
four of our brands Nestaflex, Best
Flex, BestReach, and MaxxReach.
These brands are well-known for
quality and durability and are depended
upon by the world’s largest
distribution and retail giants.
We are excited about this new
organization and it is our goal as
FMH Conveyors to continue to
deliver the same dependable quality,
same unparalleled support,
and the same expertise that has
made us the undisputed leader in
truck loading and unloading applications.
15

FMH Americas — Hampton, Jonesboro, Suwanee | USA
Customer Spotlight — Amazon
Amazon’s inbound receiving/sort process
was completely manual and very
time consuming. Their goal was to
reduce the time required to receive
product into their system. FMH Conveyors
was the solution.
Amazon wanted to automate their
inbound sorting process at several of
their fulfillment centers. Amazon
scavenged several BestFlex accumulating
conveyors from throughout
their network to test a concept at one
of their facilities in Ontario, CA. Several
of the conveyors they obtained
were not configured to function as
needed. So FMH Conveyors worked
with Amazon’s engineers and their
Integrator to install a new conveyor
system and configuration which drastically
improved their sortation process
and reduced problems.
Amazon receives trucks from UPS and
FedEx that are full of packages of varying
dimensions and weights. They
have a team of 40-50 associates who
work in the receiving area unloading
and sorting products. In the old manual
process, these associates would
unload the trucks onto BestFlex conveyors
and then spend an entire shift
reading bar codes, manually opening
boxes and then sorting product.
With FMH Conveyor’s new configuration,
four to six associates unload
boxes onto BestFlex conveyors. The
BestFlex conveyors interface with
existing downstream conveyors and
know if they need to accumulate
product or act as a straight transport
conveyor, continually feeding the
downstream/takeaway conveyors.
The New Process: Product is unloaded
from trucks onto BestFlex conveyors.
Once the product leaves the Best-
Flex conveyors, they are weighed on
an inline scale and then go into a Bar
Code scanning tunnel. The information
obtained here is used to divert
packages to one of three lines on
the outbound side of the sort tunnel.
After going through the scanning tunnel,
packages are sent to one of three
12 2
16

FMH Americas
sort lanes: “Problem Solve”, “Dock
Sort”, and “Decant,” each connecting
to a BestFlex Accumulating Powered
Conveyor.
The “Problem Solve” line consists of
products that do not result in a good
scan caused by a missing bar code or a
non-inventory item. The BestFlex
accumulating conveyor attached to
this line interfaces with the upstream
conveyor. Although this conveyor is
fully accumulating, an additional legmounted
optic provides a “Lane-Full”
signal back to the sort conveyor. This
helps clear out the sort tunnel and
prevents packages from jamming up.
The BestFlex unit on this lane also
provides a Powered On signal back to
the sort conveyor to improve flow
management downstream onto a
Gravity Skatewheel conveyor that’s
used to queue and break down packages.
The “Dock Sort” line manages packages
that are successfully scanned in the
sort tunnel with no errors. Packages
coming down this line are items that
are ready to go into inventory but
need to be manually broken down
and sorted on the dock. Typically, the
boxes coming down this lane contain
multiple SKU’s from the vendor so
items need to be separated for their
individual SKU location. The “Dock
Sort” line also uses Accumulating
Powered Best/Flex conveyors and
Gravity Skate wheel conveyors with
the same features to manage flow.
The “Decant” line manages packages
that are successfully scanned when
going through the sort tunnel with no
errors. Packages on this line contain
one SKU per box. Here, items are
removed and placed in a tote or appropriate
container for storage in
Amazon’s bins. This lane only utilizes
an Accumulating Powered BestFlex
conveyor. Just as with the “Problem
Solve” and “Dock Sort” lanes, this unit
interfaces with the sort conveyor to
provide the “Lane Full” and “Powered
On” signals back to the sort conveyor.
However, the discharge end of the
Powered BestFlex unit is attached to
another takeaway conveyor where
associates place product into bins or
totes. On the discharge end of the
unit, the BestFlex receives an interface
signal from the Amazon takeaway
conveyor signaling it to run in a
straight transport mode or start accumulating
if the downstream takeaway
conveyor is full and cannot take more
packages.
Successful Results: FMH Conveyor’s
new configuration proved to drastically
reduce sortation time for Amazon.
What had taken Amazon associates to
complete in an eight-hour shift now
was complete in under two hours!
Better package flow management
delivered by BestFlex proved to reduce
time and labor costs and improve
productivity.
17

FMH International — Corby, UK
New Product Solutions — BestConnect
Venlo project demonstrates the
re-configurability of BestLine.
At FMH Conveyors International
based in Corby UK, we have always
taken pride as the premier
provider of flexible conveyors
which are primarily used for loose
loading and unloading. Enhanced
by our range of telescopic boom
conveyors we built a solid business
supplying the distribution
industry with equipment to be
found mainly around the dock
doors for handling parcels, tyres,
bags or other hand loaded items.
However ,it became increasingly
clear that there were applications
in the sortation and distribution
activities that drew our products
deeper into the operation. In particular,
the surge in internet shopping
was creating a need for sort
centres and distribution centres
that could be set up very quickly,
modified easily and re-located as
required. Our solution is the
BestConnect range of conveyors
which adds mobile rigid conveyors
to the range of flexible conveyors
allowing us to deliver conveyors
which can be installed and ready
for use the same day. The conveyors
can be moved between sites,
added to and re-configured. The
rigid modules can be used with a
range of accessories and are entirely
compatible with our powered
and gravity flexible conveyors.
An interesting example of the flexible
advantage of BestConnect is a
conveyor system supplied to a site
in Venlo, Holland. The customer
wanted a two tier conveyor system
complete with merges, declines
and chicanes. We literally
added a new dimension to the
range, satisfying the two tier specification
by mounting rigid modules
on top of each other. The
modules are built so that they can
be taken apart so the top tiers can
resume life as individual free
standing modules.
The conveyors arrived on site on
Friday and by Saturday they were
installed, commissioned and running.
The advantage of reconfigurability
was quickly demonstrated
as the drop down power
cable positions failed to align with
the conveyors so our quick thinking
local agent simply re-arranged
the conveyors, swapping master
and slave modules so the power
18 2

FMH International
leads would reach. The customer
had intended using two case sealers
but found that just one sealer
could cope so we supplied a diverter
to pull two lines into one.
After running
the system for
a few months
the customer
was concerned
that the workstation
area
was too
cramped so we
provided another
eight
modules to
lengthen the
system. We are currently in discussion
to assist with a new layout,
taking top tier modules off to
extend the lower tiers.
Many BestConnect projects are
for runs of simple straight conveyor
around which
products are processed
and despatched.
The
Venlo project reflected
a more
traditional conveyor
project
with several engineered
bespoke
solutions but the
key point is that
there is no centralised control
panel – the modules have localised
controls which can start with
a single button but are not frozen
within an inflexible control system.
The BestConnect range now includes
3m and 6m straights, tight
turns, simple merges, ball tables,
powered master sections, powered
slave sections and gravity
conveyors. An interesting accessory
is our ball table with integrated
weigh scale station. Best is
always delighted to add engineered
innovation to tailor the
existing range to the exact customer
application. Most customers
appreciate that the ability to
re-use the conveyors at new sites
overcomes the reluctance to invest
in what may prove to be temporary
operations.
About FMH Conveyors International
FMH Conveyors International is part
of our Material Handling segment
and is headquartered in Corby, UK
with manufacturing, engineering,
sales and service capabilities. The
business has been known throughout
Europe as Best Conveyors UK and
will be adopting the new FMH Conveyors
brand as it expands into new
regions worldwide.
19

Our Core Values
Our Culture Driven By Our Core Values
A company’s culture creates the foundation
for its strategy and can be its
greatest asset. While there are many
things that contribute to and help
shape a company’s culture, a set of
shared “core values” is a key element.
Core values help guide decision making
and define the character of a
Company.
Developing our Core Values
In order to arrive at a set of core values
that define our culture and truly
represent our fundamental beliefs,
Duravant’s leadership team engaged
employees from each of our operating
companies as part of an iterative
development process. The process
included interviews with management
and gathering feedback
from selected employees about their
personal values and belief systems,
and ultimately culminated with a series
of reviews with each operating
company until we reached a consensus
on the values and definitions that
reflect our character and establish
expectations for how we treat each
other, our customers, our shareholders,
and the communities we serve.
Living our Core Values
Simply creating a list of core values
doesn’t establish a company’s culture.
Ultimately, what defines a company’s
culture is the collective behavior
of the people in the organization.
To truly shape our culture in a manner
that will inspire, engage, and motivate
employees and win customers,
our core values must be integrated
into our processes and our actions.
They must be inherent in our hiring
process and our performance management
process, they must define
the way we interact with our customers,
and they must guide our decisions
when the right course of action
isn’t always perfectly clear.
14 2
20

The Foundation of Our Organization’s Structure
DURAVANT’S CORE VALUES
Integrity: We act with absolute integrity, honesty and
accountability in all we do: We are honest and sincere in
our dealings with others. We take responsibility for our
individual actions in order to enhance our good reputation
and meet the needs of our customers, employees and
other stakeholders. We seek to be more than trustworthy
- - we seek to be trusted.
Teamwork: We build lasting relationships by working
closely with our customers and each other: We will build
lasting relationships that stand the test of time by working
together effectively as a team. We instill confidence in our
customers and each other by pursuing a shared vision and
set of goals together, sharing the risk, the work and the
rewards.
Respect: We treat each other and our environment with
respect: At all times and in all situations, we treat people
with fairness, courtesy, and dignity. This is how we create
an atmosphere of mutual respect and demonstrate our
commitment to safety, quality, and diversity.
Winning Spirit: We perform with purpose and strive for
excellence at all times: We desire to be the best, to never
settle for less than excellence. We are never satisfied with
the status quo. We love what we do, we love to compete,
and we love to win.
Sense of Urgency: We serve our customers with agility,
responsiveness and reach: There is no time like now because
often, tomorrow is too late. This is why we always
strive to move quickly to deliver what our customers need,
when and where they need it.
.
21

Duravant Doing Good
Duravant Employees Make a Difference
During the 2014 holiday season, employees throughout the Duravant family of
companies showed their community support by partnering with local organizations
to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
“Our employees came up with some great ideas on how they could give back.
I’m really proud of how each of the teams found a way to make a difference.”
said David Parker, Vice President of Human Resources for Duravant. A huge
“Thank You” goes out to everyone who participated!
Fischbein employees collected essentials for the
men, women, and children of the Fifth Street Ministries
Shelter.
Fifth Street Ministries gives hope to those in need in
the Statesville area by providing clothing, food,
healthcare, and a warm, safe place to sleep. Employees
in Statesville filled stockings full of hats and
gloves for Fifth Street Ministries.
FMH Conveyors in Suwanee helps fill the “pot of
gold” at Rainbow Village
The team in Suwanee collected hats, scarves, gloves
and other winter apparel for the families of Rainbow
Village. Rainbow Village is a transitional housing
community for
homeless families
with children
whose goal is to
break the cycle
of homelessness,
poverty, and domestic
violence.
David Parker of
Duravant and Lynnette
Ward of Rainbow Village
model some of the
donated items at
Rainbow Village’s
housing community.
Jeff Haigler, Yvonne Miller, Greg Janis, Allan Sutherland, Gordon Penman,
Jean Stewart, Polly Thompson, Angelica Martin, and Simi Sodhi.
14 20 2
22

Corporate and Social Responsibility
Marlen International is an “Angel” to children of
Kansas City
Marlen employees partnered with the Salvation Army
to participate in their “Angel Tree” program to
provide gifts to children in
need who would otherwise
be left out on Christmas.
Employees bought enough
gifts to make Christmas a
lot happier for 30 children
in the Kansas City area.
Pam Taylor of Marlen displays one of
the packages donated in front of the
Marlen “Angel Tree.”
FMH Conveyors in Hampton reaches out to the children
of the Falcon Children’s Home
The employees at FMH Conveyors in Hampton partnered
with the Faith Outreach Educational Center on
a toy drive for the Falcon Children’s Home. Falcon
provides a safe environment for children who have
lost their parents or are not able to enjoy a normal
family environment.
FMH Conveyors in Jonesboro is an “Angel” to children
of Northeast Arkansas
The team in Jonesboro collected toys and gifts as
part of Northeast Arkansas’ “Angel Tree” program.
The program, supported
by the businesses
of Northeast
Arkansas, provides
presents to
over 700 families
and 1500 children
on Christmas
morning.
Taylor Ferguson of FMH
Conveyors in Jonesboro
poses with some of the
gifts donated by the FMH
team.
Duravant and Ronald McDonald help with “Life’s
Little Necessities”
Duravant employees collected the complimentary
travel-sized bottles of shampoo, soap, and other
amenities while traveling on business to donate to
Ronald McDonald House Charities in Chicago. These
little necessities help provide a “home away from
home” for families of seriously ill children who turn
to the Ronald McDonald House for help.
Brenda Kline, Bruce Johnson, Eddie Lopez, Dustin Slaughter, and Steve
Gardner in front of the Toy Box for Falcon Children’s Home.
Eleni Yianas shares a
bench… and a box
filled with “Life’s
Little Necessities”….with
Ronald
McDonald at a Chicagoland
Ronald
McDonald House.
23

Employee Service Recognition Q1 2015
We’d like to thank the following Duravant employees, who celebrated work anniversaries during the first quarter of 2015, for their
service and dedication to our business and to our customers.
30 YEARS
1 YEAR
Jeffrey Kem
25 YEARS
Jenny Cocchi
20 YEARS
Renee Mauney
Christopher Clouse
Wesley Reed
15 YEARS
David Armstrong
10 YEARS
James Haynes
Paul Mills
5 YEARS
John King
Feilen Caecilia
Stacey Miller
Timothy Bradford
Carol Spencer
Michael Welborn
Marlen International
Fischbein International
Fischbein Americas
Fischbein Americas
FMH Conveyors - Jonesboro
FMH Conveyors - Hampton
FMH Conveyors - Jonesboro
Marlen International
FMH Conveyors - Suwanee
Fischbein International
Marlen International
Marlen International
Marlen International
Marlen International
Mike Kachmer
Buffy Hagerman
Robert St. Clair
Brandon Hall
David Kilby
Larry Heger
Dorian Holbrechts
Carl Pigage
William Smith
Doron Hill
Chris Jorgenson
Luis Rodriguez
Miranda Bradley
Brett Novo
Lucy Schofield
Andy Jaspers
Brian Johnson
Jeffrey Brenner
Holly Kelly
Rusell Weaver
John White
Duravant
Fischbein Americas
Fischbein Americas
Fischbein Americas
Fischbein Americas
Fischbein Americas
Fischbein International
FMH Conveyors - Hampton
FMH Conveyors - Hampton
FMH Conveyors - Hampton
FMH Conveyors - Hampton
FMH Conveyors - Jonesboro
FMH Conveyors - Jonesboro
FMH Conveyors - Jonesboro
FMH Conveyors International - Corby
Marlen International
Marlen International
Marlen International
Marlen International
Marlen International
Marlen International
Retirements
On behalf of all of us at Duravant, we’d like to congratulate our dear
friends and colleagues on their upcoming retirements in June. We thank
them for their years of service and wish them a very happy future!
Contact Us
We’d love to hear from you! Give us a call with any questions,
comments or story ideas.
Duravant
3500 Lacey Road
Suite 290
Downers Grove, IL 60515
630.635.3510
info@duravant.com
Visit us on the web at www.duravant.com
John Bible
VP & Corporate Controller
Duravant, 13 years
Bob Tanczos
Engineering Manager
Fischbein Americas, 17 years