Food & Beverage: Automation for a changing landscape

Simon Cooper 04 December 2020

Reading Time: 4 min.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns had a huge impact on the food & beverage industry. Interact Analysis forecasts a compound annual growth rate of 3.6% between 2019 and 2024 for the Food & Beverage sector. This is even higher than the previous five years, where the industry experienced 3.5% growth over time.

Colman Roche is Vice President, E-Commerce/Retail, Swisslog Americas. He brings more than 20 years of supply chain and material handling industry experience to the role, having served in senior leadership roles for material handling systems suppliers as well as consulting and systems integration firms.

His vast experience includes designing machines, processes and systems and implementing ASRS, order fulfillment and manufacturing systems in retail, hospital, governmental, semi-conductor and pharmaceutical sectors.

Colman earned his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland, his MBA from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – Newark, and completed the Program for Leadership Development at the Harvard Business School.

About the author

Simon Cooper

More about Simon Cooper

Search more tags

Next article

Paul Condron 23 July 2024

Designing warehouse automation for omnichannel fulfillment

Learn how automation enables retailers to address the challenges of omnichannel fulfillment while providing the flexibility to shift resources and inventory.

Related Posts

Jaycar automates with Swisslog

The hidden costs of delaying warehouse automation decisions

Learn why carefully considering the costs of inaction should always be considered as part of the business case for warehouse automation.

Swisslog Mixed case palletizing for store replenishment

Revolutionize store replenishment with automated mixed case palletizing

Discover how fully automated mixed case palletizing and ACPaQ technology reduces manual handling, minimizes errors, and streamlines store replenishment.

Swisslog PowerStore solution at Linfox Bevchain facility

Achieving high availability when automating food and beverage storage and distribution

In this post, you will learn about the food and beverage industry automation and its role in reducing labor dependence and improving operational efficiency.

Swisslog pallet automation for cold food storage

Smart technologies and robotics in cold storage facilities

Explore the impact of automation in cold storage, and the range of solutions available to drive efficiency in different applications.

How the right food and beverage automation protects food safety

Food and beverage manufacturers are increasingly turning to automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) and other forms of automation.

Using Automation to Adapt to Changing Food and Beverage Supply Chain Requirements

In this post, uncover the proven solutions of automated pallet and case handling in the food and beverage industry.

Transitioning from a semi- to fully automated warehouse

Learn about the process of upgrading from a semi- to a fully automated warehouse and the benefits of making the upgrade.

North American Warehouse Automation Trends for 2024

In 2024, barriers to warehouse automation will come down, pallet handling technologies will grow, and software and AI will drive efficiency and productivity.