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@AuManufacturing Conversations
@AuManufacturing Conversations is a regular interview program hosted by Brent Balinski (with other hosts occasionally) bringing you discussions with the folks who are contributing to a critical part of Australia's economy.
We hope to capture something of the variety of manufacturing, its place in the nation, its changing nature, and some of the personalities within it.
From the boutique to the billion dollar, if it's manufacturing and it's Australian, then it likely matters to us. This podcast is an extension of the @AuManufacturing news and analysis website and the community around it, and complements what's written online at www.aumanufacturing.com.au.
Interested in advertising? Get in touch via editor@aumanufacturing.com.au
@AuManufacturing Conversations
Episode 127 -- Alf Taylor and Nadia Taylor from TNA Solutions
This episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations is the opening session of our June 25 Spotlight on Scaling Up seminar. Alf Taylor, Managing Director & Co-founder at TNA Solutions, and Nadia Taylor, the company's Director and Co-founder, share their story.
The keynote speakers share their adventure from husband-and-wife engineering consultancy to an international food packaging and processing solution provider with a headcount of over 600 and offices in 30 countries, which began with one invention for bagging snack food quicker than anything else available.
Episode guide
0:36 – Introduction to the event and the presenters
5:02 – How Alf and Nadia Taylor met. “We fell in love among the potato chips” at Arnott’s Snack Foods.
6:22 – The company’s origins and the breakthrough invention, the Robag.
7:45 – Customer Smith’s Chips Australia funds the first Robag.
9:15 – The intention was always to remain a family-owned business.
10:05 – Setting up the first overseas office in Birmingham, UK.
11:20 – The difficulties of being Australian and some unfair preconceptions.
12:20 – The ANCA connection.
14:15 – Patent protection didn’t stop three overseas copycats. It took five years and $6.5 million, but they won the case and $8.5 million.
16:05 – Going from a bagging equipment maker to providing the entire line to food companies.
19:30 – Maintaining customer relations across so many markets.
20:30 – Middle East misunderstandings.
22:03 – The company’s biggest project.
23:01 – The origins and focus of the Nadia and Alf Taylor Foundation.
26:10 – If you’re dedicated, you can make an internationally-relevant business. It doesn’t even have to be high-tech.
28:18 – Even with the headaches, patents were still worthwhile.
29:35 – The importance of an early grant to help get overseas.
31:10 – Australia is a brilliant place to do it, believes TNA.
Further reading
Spotlight on Scaling Up event wrap-up
TNA solutions offers digital twins technology for food manufacturers
Australia’s niche champions – tna Solutions innovates to success
TNA opens second Sydney site for confectionery equipment
