03/10/2017: Nick Petzold retires from the packaging sector

Nick Petzold

 For nearly 50 years, Nick Petzold owned Petzold & Company. Delivering over 250 machines to the UK, Nick established a reputation for being a reliable supplier of cost-effective packaging, machines and design.

 Fluent in German, Nick worked with Fawema and HDG closely. Upon leaving during the summer, Fawema presented Nick with a very special packaging machine plaque of his own; Type: Nick Petzold, Order No.: Agent No.1, Serial No.: 007, Power: 110% and Year 1946. 

 Having qualified in 1969, family business connections in Germany, gave the 23 year old Nick Petzold the opportunity for work experience in Fawema's factory. Because he spoke English and owned a suit, they asked him to attend the Fawema stand at Interpack in Düsseldorf that year. (He has attended every Interpack since). 

 Fawema were showing an innovative end of line machine for collating and packing retail flour bags and by a combination of embryonic salesmanship and a large amount of luck, he took an order at the exhibition for one of these machines for Spillers Homepride flour in the UK. This machine was delivered four weeks later and resulted in a quick follow up order for a further twelve from the same customer. Fawema responded by asking Petzold to establish exclusive representation of their interests in the UK. What followed was 48 years of a highly successful partnership.

 During the 1960s and 1970s the UK weight control requirements for retail products were considerably more stringent in the UK than on the Continent so Nick forged a relationship between Fawema and British technology company Autopack in Malvern, Worcestershire who would provide Fawema with pioneering weight control equipment for the decades that followed.

 This partnership enabled Petzold & Company to install weight-compliant flour packaging machines throughout the UK taking over 90 percent of the market. In the following years, the business continued to widen its markets, into pet food, chemicals, tea, cat litter, in fact all dry powder and piece products fell prey to Petzold and Fawema!

 To date, over 250 FAWEMA machines have been delivered through Petzold & Company to the UK alone. Nick was also asked to contribute his experience to contracts abroad including, Algeria, Italy, France. In the following years, Petzold expanded into the Republic of Ireland and more recently assisted in the establishment of HDG's (FAWEMA sister company) activities.

 Representation of two additional German packaging manufacturers resulted in the sales of literally billions of glassine envelopes for After Eight mints every year and the development of the innovative packaging for Hovis 'Crusty' loaves that at the time restored Hovis to brand lead. Packaging awards followed from the Institute of Packaging, Food Processing and more recently, Nick was a asked to contribute with his knowledge of packaging machinery to the Nabim remote learning training documentation in 2016.

 The core principle of Nick's MO from the beginning has always been: Make your customer look good by justifying his decision to buy from you. If his decision to do business with Petzold enhances his profile within his company, the goal has been achieved and will frequently lead to lucrative repeat business. 

It seems to have worked! 

Read more HERE.

 

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