TOMRA Sorting Food, Austria, signed an agreement to acquire BBC Technologies, a New Zealand-based provider of precision grading systems and punnet and clamshell filling solutions for blueberries and other small fruits. 

TOMRA will also acquire BBC’s Freshtracker, innovative software that enables traceability of the origins and characteristics of individual products from harvesting, processing and packaging to point-of-sale. 

"This acquisition further increases TOMRA's leadership in grading, sorting and packaging solutions for fresh, packaged and processed foods,” says Mike Riley, head of TOMRA Food. “Following the recent, successful integration of Compac, we are investing more into small fruit and reduced footprint deployments. We are also making large-scale investments to create new value for customers by extracting and analyzing data from TOMRA equipment, which is complemented by the Freshtracker platform. This is just one example of how combining the two companies will generate significant new value and transform the industry. 

"With an ever-increasing consumer focus on superfoods such as blueberries, the addition of BBC Technologies to TOMRA's portfolio allows us to better serve the needs of growers and packers. Combined with BBC Technologies, TOMRA now offers the world's most complete small fruit sorting and packaging portfolio for large to small packhouses and for the growing number of repack and fresh produce distribution centers worldwide."

"Joining TOMRA provides the perfect platform to further enhance our technology and service offerings in all corners of the globe,” adds Geoff Furniss, head of BBC Technologies. “As a company built by growers for growers, we respect TOMRA's market leadership, which has been achieved through innovation and partnership with customers, consistent with the principles that have fueled our own growth at BBC Technologies."

"Customers of both companies will see continued dedication to meet and exceed their needs, including new support and service capabilities in all regions globally, so customers are never far from deep expertise. Beyond this acquisition, TOMRA is making other new investments in people, services and technology to help customers optimize every aspect of their operations," says Riley. 

BBC Technologies will operate as a division of TOMRA Food. Geoff Furniss will continue to lead BBC Technologies, reporting to Riley.