BRIDGETOWN
NATURAL FOODS
Flexible secondary packaging from Syntegon
drives fast expanding company

Sigpack TTM1 Cartoning Machinesfrom Syntegon increase productivity
at Bridgetown Natural Foods

Today, consumers are living more health conscious and, asa result, are keeping fully up-to-date with the ingredients andnutritional values in the food they consume. Producers areresponding to this trend with new, healthy and tasty alternatives, such as natural ingredients that are grown organically,
without flavorings or preservatives, that are gluten, soya, sugar
and nut-free, or suitable for vegans. These are just some ofthe consumer requests that food producers handle today inrelation to their products. These changes in market conditions
create space for new companies to exploit, but they also create
diverse challenges for fast growing start-ups. These challenges are partly down to the variety of products required, whichneeds additional flexibility in production, as well as in theirprimary and secondary packaging.

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Bridgetown Natural Foods is one of the fastest growing players
in the US market. The young company is capitalizing on thetrend for organic products and has firmly established itself inthe market in the past few years as a trusted manufacturing
partner for leading brands. Bridgetown’s rapid growth soonrequired increased flexibility and a greater degree of automation for its secondary packaging in order to match demand andincrease productivity.

Convincing output from the first year
The simple format changeover process in particular was thecrucial factor for Bridgetown Natural Foods: «Fast and errorfree format changeovers are essential with our variety ofproducts. The different products and pack styles had to bemanaged quickly and reliably. That’s why the Sigpack TTM1
was our first choice,» says Dan Klock, CEO of Bridgetown
Natural Foods.
Through the high output of the Sigpack TTM1 the horizontal
flow wrapper was also able to run a higher number of cycles.
Line output increased by more than 40 per cent. Klock says:«We are very pleased. We’ve been able to increase our overall
equipment effectiveness significantly thanks to the consistenthigh output of the TTM1 Cartoning Machine. The compact machine design and layout flexibility are all important additionalbenefits. The new machines were incorporated smoothly into
the existing packaging lines and commissioned very quickly.
We were able to attain maximum output levels from the very
first day.»3

With the TTM platform, Syntegon has developed reliable andefficient technology for secondary and final packaging, which
is fully focused on securing the future of production for its
customers. Thanks to Syntegon’s proven global network ofexpertise, a wide range of customer requirements can beaccommodated quickly and efficiently.

Courage to invest pays off
The issue of flexibility is particularly important to contract manufacturers. A producer of organic granola bars, for instance,
decided to contract Bridgetown Natural Foods due to its flexible
production, and its innovative packaging systems. The customer has more than 20 different types of bars, emphasizing
Bridgetown Natural Foods’ ability to diversify to address demand.
Aside from the wide product selection, the Bridgetown customer’s different formats need to be packaged quickly and in acompact manner – avoiding spoilage and optimizing the plant’s
footprint. Once the bars leave the form, fill and seal machine intheir primary packaging, they are packaged into 4-count retailcartons, 12-count display cartons or several carton sizes in
between. Quick changeover times are crucial in order to switch
between the different formats with maximum efficiency.
Bridgetown Natural Foods invested in a number of impressively
flexible automation solutions for its secondary packaging withnot one, but three Sigpack TTM1 Cartoning Machines from
Syntegon Packaging Technology. The patented format change
concept of the TTM1 enables easy and tool-free changeoversof pack styles and different formats – within just a few minutes.
The vertical restart takes place with no additional time required
for supplementary fine adjustments. The Sigpack TTM1
Cartoning Machine is an investment in the future, with a fastreturn. It’s a solution that benefits companies such as Bridgetown, who produce and package goods for various customers
and markets, in particular. New customer formats can be
implemented efficiently thanks to the format sets, which areextremely easy to change.

4The reliability and consistent high output, in a comparatively
compact space, are further reasons as to why Bridgetown
Natural Foods decided on the Sigpack TTM1. The products arepackaged securely in up to 96 cartons per minute in 24-hour
non-stop operations. Unscheduled downtimes are avoided
through the careful forming process and one hundred per centcarton controls.

Flexibility as a factor of success

About Syntegon Technology

Founded in Portland in Oregon in 2010, Bridgetown is a manu-Syntegon Technology is your reliable partner for process andpackaging technology in the global food and phamaceuticalindustries. Whether you are an aspiring start-up or a global
market leader, we offer intelligent and sustainable solutions
for everyone. Individual machines, systems or services – asa full-service provider, we take responsibility right up to fully
integrated end-to-end solutions.

facturing partner for leading branded companies focused on theorganic, gluten free and natural snacks market. Over an area ofalmost 10,000 square meters in size, the fast growing company’s
300 employees produce and package a wide range of products
for their customers, including bars, biscuits and granolas. These
products are manufactured and packaged at Bridgetown’s plantas organic, gluten-free, and kosher versions, in line with different
customer requirements. Bridgetown Natural Foods not only takes
care of the product development, but it also implements the entire
process from procurement, to production, right through to packaging of the various products.
In the fast growing market segment of organic granola bars,
Bridgetown Natural Foods stands out above the rest through its
flexible and product-specific production solutions. This service isAutor and Contact:

often one that traditional contract manufacturers are simply unable
to offer. The success is evident: in 2015, Bridgetown Natural Foods
ranked no. 495 in the «Inc. 5000», which lists the fastest growing
companies in the U.S.A., making it one of the few young companies in the top ten per cent of the country’s economic drivers –an impressive feat.

5Michael Haas
Product Manager
Syntegon Technology+41 58 674 8594
michael.haas4@syntegon.com