tna has announced the acquisition of Australian confectionery equipment supplier NID Pty Ltd (www.nid.com.au). Renowned across the food industry as a pioneer in the development of starch moulding equipment, NID has been supplying complete mogul lines for the confectionery industry for over 60 years. The acquisition provides tna with access to NID’s starch moulding technology and forms part of tna’s long-term strategic expansion plan, which will move the company one step closer to becoming a leading single source supplier to the confectionery industry.

“NID was the perfect fit for tna,” comments Alf Taylor, CEO and co-founder of tna. “We share so many similarities. Both companies are family-owned businesses that started out with a passion for innovation, entrepreneurship and the determination to design equipment that could “do better” and go that one step further than anything that’s been before. Just like our first prototype the tna robag, NID’s first designs were groundbreaking at the time and not only challenged industry standards, but also played a key role in developing the confectionery industry. We’re very honored that this great Australian success story has now become part of our own story and are thrilled to be able to welcome the entire NID team into the tna group."

Founded by entrepreneur and innovator Hans Arthur Faerber in Sydney in 1952, NID was the first company worldwide to patent the current form of tray stacking on a starch mogul. Faerber’s innovations were capable of speeds that had been unprecedented in the industry up to that point. Since then, NID has proven itself in starch moulding machinery and ancillary equipment, with more than 600 NID moguls installed across the globe. NID provides some of the most reliable and trusted moulding technology on the market. Its latest generation of high-speed M3000 Mogul is the result of more than six decades of innovation and development and capable of production speeds of up to 35 trays per minute. Accommodating a wide range of depositing pumps, the M3000 is a fully integrated solution that is suitable for a multitude of starch-moulded products such as gums, jellies, marshmallows, fondant creams, liquorice and crusted liqueur.

“The integration of NID into the tna family is excellent news for our customers around the world,” comments Esther Faerber, NID chairman and daughter of the late Hans Arthur Faerber. “tna’s extensive resources, including its experienced sales and service team, multiple manufacturing sites and well-established global distribution network will enable us to better service our existing customers by reducing lead times and accelerating time to market. It’s a great opportunity for both companies and I’m sure that our shared commitment to engineering excellence and continuous research and development will provide a fantastic basis for the production of market-leading designs that will continue to ‘break the mold’."

“At tna, our long-term goal is to deliver the ultimate in integrated food processing and packaging solutions,” says Bob Fritz, chief business development officer at tna. “We’re already the only supplier on the market that is able to offer complete production lines for the French fry and potato chip industry and we’re planning to go much further. Expanding our services and products to more industry segments like confectionery forms a key element of our business strategy and NID was the obvious choice when it came to finding a company that would enable us to further grow our portfolio. All of NID’s equipment is based on the same concept of mechanical simplicity and accessibility as our own technology. This ensures food manufacturers benefit from the highest level of equipment reliability, ultimate ease of use and complete investment security. NID’s technology is a great addition to our own portfolio and we can’t wait to demonstrate these benefits to our customers and prospects".

The acquisition will be effective from 6^th of March, 2017 and will see all of NID’s staff become integrated into the tna group. It follows the acquisition of inserting and labelling equipment supplier Unique Solutions and food processing specialist Florigo in 2015.