American businesses may be experiencing the “Great Resignation,” but Hanan Products, a 75-year-old whipped toppings, icings, and dessert fillings company, is bucking that trend by adding new technology that helps retain employees and meet customer needs. From the start of the pandemic, the family-owned company has retained 100 percent of its employees, many of whom have worked there for decades. Part of the reason is Hanan’s ongoing investment in new technology, which the company is using not to replace employees, but to enhance their jobs.  

The most recent additions to Hanan’s technology assets are two fast packing machines that the company has named “Flash” and “Turbo.” These machines move at rapid speed while generating less waste, allowing Hanan to pack its products at 30 gallons per minute. They follow in the steps of “Hugo,” a robotic arm that Hanan installed in 2021 to literally help with the heavy lifting in its Hicksville, NY facility. “Hugo” was named to honor a retired employee with the same name who held that job and worked at Hanan for 30 years. Capable of picking and stacking 4,000 cases per day, Hugo can stack up to eight cases per minute. 

“We invest in technology because it has a positive impact on every aspect of our business. Flash, Turbo, and Hugo have significantly increased the speed and accuracy of product output, which enables us to meet and, increasingly, stay a few steps ahead of our customers’ needs,” said Paul Hanan, chief financial officer at Hanan Products.