David del Castillo has joined the TOMRA Food team. He will work from the new regional headquarters inaugurated in Santiago, Chile, in 2020. He has developed more than 13 years of experience in sales roles in the food industry, always closely tied to the food and technology sector.
"This pairing of food and technology is the future for the industry at a global level and, of course, for LATAM," says Mr del Castillo.
David del Castillo
Image credit: TOMRA Food
Mr del Castillo has managed multidisciplinary teams for most of his professional life. Although he studied Veterinary Medicine, he has always felt more interested in Food Science. "Those were the years when food safety and industrialisation boomed. I was one of the first graduates in Food Science and Technology in Spain, so I didn't wait long to receive offers," he explains. "I firmly believe that advanced technology and the food industry will go hand in hand in the future. A clear example of this is what TOMRA Food has been doing all these years globally. I am very excited with this opportunity to develop the excellent team we have and achieve the ambitious goals that we set for the next few years."
These are challenging times due to the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences around the world. "The year 2020 was tough due to the closure of restaurants, hotels, etc. The food sector was hit hard, and processors put new investments on hold due to the uncertainty about the end of the health crisis. Now, in 2021, with the increase in raw material costs, many processors are turning to TOMRA's technology to optimise their processes and achieve higher product quality to gain a competitive edge," he says.
Thomas Molnar, Head of Global Sales TOMRA Processed Food at TOMRA Food, states, "We are very pleased that David has joined our team. He has extensive experience and brings a new vision that is essential in these difficult times. His track record in the food industry linked to technology is very interesting and a perfect fit for the path we have taken at TOMRA Food."
Goals and expectations for the future
In this context, Mr del Castillo has set himself several general goals for the short and medium-term. He prioritises the work team for the entire region, with new hires in sales, technical support, and services. This decision shows how in tune he is with one of the most important pillars of TOMRA: excellence in customer service. "Our business has continuously grown in recent years. We need to continue to support our customers, not only with the best technology but also with the best team. Local presence is very important. We must be close to our customers, understand their needs, and provide them with the best solutions to continue to grow together. In the medium term, we want to launch new technologies that will allow us to enter new markets and grow in countries that we have not yet fully explored but which have a lot of potential for TOMRA," he adds.
Chile is a market that TOMRA knows well, where it has achieved a significant expansion: it has installed more than 130 machines in the country, and last year it inaugurated new offices in Santiago, Chile, which also includes a spare parts warehouse and demonstration room that are proving very useful.
"It is a mature market, and we will continue to provide our customers with the best local service and 24-hour spare parts delivery. We are working hand in hand with our clients, introducing our new platforms in innovative applications specific to Chile. In addition, this year we will launch a new machine with technology that has never been seen before," he explains.
Brazil is another major market where TOMRA Food has experienced tremendous expansion with more than 150 machines installed. "It is a growing market where we will continue to support our customers with the best local service and fast spare parts delivery. We have an ambitious plan to modernise the existing machinery park through upgrades to offer the latest technology on the market. We will also increase our presence in product and application segments that have not yet been fully explored. We can now offer excellent solutions to meet industry requirements thanks to development within TOMRA. In short, we are going to bet very strongly on Brazil, where we already have an extensive base of installations and a well-established local sales and service presence," he notes.
Regarding expectations, he says that, although he has only been with the company for a short time, he is already learning about its past and present history. "For the future, I would like to create a solid team to continue our growth in Latin America. There are great opportunities in the region and, with TOMRA's excellent technology and its team, I am sure that we will reach the goals that we set out to achieve in the coming years."
Expansion into new markets and global trends
Mr del Castillo states, "Chile, Argentina and Brazil are the main markets in Latin America. We also want to grow in other emerging markets such as Peru and Colombia. In addition, this year, we are including Mexico in our region. We see great potential in this market for vegetables and many more products exported to the United States.'
He highlights two global trends that are also present in Latin America. "The first trend is the consumption of healthy foods such as nuts, fruits, and vegetables – TOMRA's main market segments in the region. Secondly, food safety is essential: no customer will accept a product that could harm their health. TOMRA's technology is specifically aimed at reducing these risks for the end consumer," he assures.
"I would like to say thank you for the warm welcome that I received from the LATAM team and from my colleagues in Europe and the United States who, despite the difficulties of the moment and the mobility restrictions, have made me feel part of this great family from the very start. I am more than happy to join this Group of great, quality professionals," Mr del Castillo concludes.
Visit the TOMRA Food website, HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
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