tna celebrates 35 years of innovation in packaging and processing equipment

TNA, a leading supplier of food processing and packaging solutions, celebrates 35 years of bringing innovative food equipment solutions on the market.

Founded in Sydney, Australia, in February 1982 by Alf and Nadia Taylor, the company transformed the snack food industry by launching the world’s first ever high-speed vertical form fill system – the tna robag® – in 1985. Since then, tna rapidly ascended from packaging pioneer to a global supplier of ground-breaking food processing and packaging solutions that improve performance at every step of the production line.

With over 14,000 installations across more than 120 countries, tna’s turnkey equipment operates in nearly every country of the world, covering fryers, freezers, conveyors, seasoning and coating systems to complete packaging systems with integrated metal detectors, scales, date coders, inserters, labellers and film splicing technology.

Looking back on the company’s milestone, Alf Taylor, CEO and co-founder of tna says:

“I can’t believe it’s been 35 years since we started tna. Back then, nobody in the industry could imagine that a VFFS system would ever achieve anything more than 60 bags a minute.”

“They said ‘you’re crazy, that’s impossible’, but we knew our innovation would work. It took a lot of knocking on doors, multiple rejections, quite a sum of money and a ridiculous amount of hours working out of a small shed at the back of Smiths chips factory, but in the end we did it. We blew them away and delivered a system that not only doubled packaging speeds, but completely revolutionised the market. It’s been an incredible journey!.”

“I’m so glad we never gave up on our dream and were able to turn a revolutionary idea into reality. We were the fastest then, we’re still the fastest now and we’re about to show the world that we’re planning to keep it that way.”

From packaging pioneer to single source supplier

What started as a dream of packaging food products faster and much more efficiently quickly turned into a global organisation that employs over 500 people in 30 locations around the world.

The past five years were particularly ground-breaking for tna and saw the company make a number of significant strategic acquisitions, including the integration of food processing specialists FOODesign and Florigo.

Renowned for their innovative frying equipment, including high-performance batch fryers and full French fry production lines, these two companies enabled tna to complete the leap from packaging pioneer to single source supplier of start-to-finish solutions.

Nadia Taylor, director and co-founder of tna:

“We founded tna with the vision to deliver the ultimate in food packaging and processing, so expanding our products and capabilities to the entire production line was always part of our strategy.”

“We’re now the only supplier in the world that is able to deliver complete solutions for the entire potato snack and French fry industries – from the raw potato to the bag. It’s an immense achievement, but anyone who knows tna, knows we won’t stop there.”

Forward-thinking solutions for tomorrow’s needs

Alf Taylor:

“The food industry is one of the most dynamic industries in the world with new product innovations being introduced to the market daily. When an industry is evolving at such a rapid pace, it’s important that manufacturers have access to equipment that delivers long-term benefits. Equipment that is flexible to meet changing consumer demands, fast to increase output and profitability while featuring a simple design for quick maintenance and superior equipment reliability.”

“At tna, we’re extremely proud of the role we have played in moving the market further by developing product innovations that keep pushing the boundaries. It all comes down to a strong passion to strive for better solutions and not just repeating what’s already out there. You have to do it better than everyone else. We’ve always known where the market is heading, and we’ll continue to develop forward-thinking technology so that today’s manufacturers have access to the equipment of tomorrow.”

“As part of this promise, we’ll soon be releasing a brand new approach to production line efficiency that will take our customers' performance levels beyond their imagination. It’s an exciting time for us and our customers and we can’t wait for another 35 years of revolutionary product innovations!”