The Pepsi Challenge for packaging projects

Timothy Olsem, director of engineering-hot fill supply chain at Pepsico Beverages and Foods, Chicago, explained in a Pack Expo technical session the company’s philosophy on packaging equipment procurement. The key words are “turnkey” and “replicatable.”The company’s packaging lines today are regularly growing more sophisticated and complex. Paramount are quality and flexibility. The latter point mandates that equipment must be upgradeable, capable of running a variety of products and packages, and changed over “in minutes, not hours.”Olsem said Pepsico realizes turnkey vendors can install lines “faster and more efficiently due to their extensive resources and subject matter expertise.” He also said Pepsico is looking to reduce the number of equipment vendors. Those with a good working relationship with the beverage company will get the lion’s share of the work.“Once a project is completed, we are looking to repeat and enhance it,” he said. Successful installations will be replicated with any possible improvements at other Pepsico plants.