Cooperation between Peter Rasmussen of Sumi and Europress in the waste management sector has been mutually beneficial
Back in September 2015, Finnish Plastics Recycling Ltd (now Sumi Oy) together with Finnish Fiber Recycling Ltd signed a major purchase agreement with Europress for the delivery of more than 400 new waste compactors. This marked the beginning of long-term cooperation between Europress and Sumi’s development director Peter Rasmussen, who had recently transferred from an overseas position to Finland to manage the company’s recycling and producer responsibility duties.
The purchase agreement with Europress for waste compactors for Ekopiste waste collection points was signed after Finnish Plastics Recycling Ltd (Suomen Uusiomuovi) and Finnish Fiber Recycling Ltd (Suomen Kuitukierrätys) requested offers from 12 suppliers throughout Eurorpe.
For Europress, the agreement meant a significant increase in production capacity. More employees were hired, and work was done in three shifts instead of the previous two. As a result, more than four hundred waste compactors were delivered according to the agreed schedule, and the cooperation was further extended.
How was Europress able to win the competitive tender? We asked Peter Rasmussen to recollect before his well-earned retirement.
One was smart
According to Peter Rasmussen, smart technology was an absolute prerequisite for closing the deal. Remote communication helps manage the fleet of equipment and improves customer service.
When representatives of five European equipment suppliers travelled to Finland for in-depth interviews related to the tender, it was noted that not only digitalisation but also maintenance would play a decisive role. If more than 400 waste compactors had to be serviced from somewhere other than Finland, would the maintenance be as effortless as it would be if done from Finland?
The waste management devices would be in public places and had to comply with all legal safety requirements, as well as withstand Finnish conditions. Europress quality and technical R&D responded well to these requirements. Since Europress waste compactors could still be modified with small improvements to meet the customer’s wishes, the scoring in the tender clearly favoured Europress: Smart. High-quality. Reliable service. Safety. Responsiveness.
Close collaboration is the prerequisite for a positive relationship
Peter Rasmussen confirms that over the years Europress has always listened to the customer’s feedback and has also responded actively to the feedback. He has been able to follow the development of Europress SMART as a pioneer in the field.
Peter Rasmussen used the lessons he learned from international buyers in his sales work. Sumi has probably been a demanding customer, he admits, but cooperation with the Europress service and sales teams has always been smooth and communication channels open. The proximity between Sumi’s office and Europress has also made it easy to address any issues effectively.
While preparing for retirement, Peter Rasmussen has been cleaning his office. He says that it has been interesting to recall how much development work was done at the time and how the recycling industry has changed in recent years.
“The Waste and Packaging legislation, producer responsibility, the recycling of plastic packaging – a lot of progress has been made,” says Rasmussen.
“The recycling business is still a bit vague in terms of waste volumes, for example, so digitalisation must take on an even greater role in waste management as well,” answers Rasmussen when asked what those working in the recycling industry should take into account in the future.
Europress extends warm thanks to Peter Rasmussen for the excellent cooperation and wishes him an active and rewarding retirement.
