TOP opens second location in The Netherlands

The Dutch food innovation company TOP bv has opened a second location in Helmond, The Netherlands. Helmond is located in the center of a region where many SME food companies operate and it is also very close to the German border. The new location is fully geared to practical innovation, with a pilot plant where new food technologies can be tested. This way TOP wants to stimulate the innovative power of SME’s even further.

Practical innovation is part of TOP’s mission. In Helmond, kitchen-scale recipes can be easily translated into production-scale because of the direct access to a production facility. This is often a challenge for food companies, as they do not have the equipment to scale up, resulting in a slow down of the innovation process.

Wouter de Heij CEO of TOP: “Many SMEs only have facilities to develop what they already produce, thereby limiting themselves to line extension. With our facilities in Helmond we make it possible for companies to innovate outside their current range”. The production facility is set-up to offer flexibility, with technologies and machinery of TOP and their partners.

The unique thing is access to new food technologies. “Our experience is that new technologies are often picked up by smaller companies first,” says de Heij, “We are convinced that SME food companies have the innovation power that is often lacking in multinationals. With this production facility we would like to make it easier for them to innovate.”

Besides production space, the knowledge of the specialists of TOP is also available in Helmond; food designers, process engineers, microbiologists, designers and marketers. This way, companies can be supported in their innovation process from beginning to end.