Aimia Foods - Leading UK Vending Solutions Supplier, Hot & Cold Drinks for Businesses, Retail and Food Service

Proud of what we do, Proud of how our Customers regard us !

Aimia Foods runs a manufacturing business that is World Class in terms of both quality and consistency. Our dedication to continuous improvement borders on the obsessive. We have won numerous awards and accolades most impressive of which was the recent awarding of BRC A* accreditation following an unannounced two day audit for the second year running. This makes us one of only a handful of food companies to have reached such a standard and the only beverage company in the UK to have done so.

Process

At Aimia Foods the management team has taken the Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen ways of thinking to create their own bespoke systems of continuous improvement. This powerful tool has allowed management to eradicate non added value streams, increase capacity through streamlining and keep processes under tight control. We are also passionate about 5S which we have adapted to 6S (to include Safety), TPM which is based around productive maintenance, SMED which reduces changeover’s and we measure it all through OEE.

Combined with a program of substantial investment over the last few years, the results are astonishing resulting in us working closely and proudly with some of the Worlds biggest Blue Chip Brand owners. At Aimia Foods we pride ourselves on working to both astonish and delight our customers.

A daily quest

Every single working day at Aimia Foods begins with an assessment of the previous day’s work through the use of shop floor morning meetings around production line activity boards. The aim is to clear up any issues, set priorities for the current shift and remove potential pressure points. This allows the teams also to look at areas for improvement. A weekly management meeting is then held to discuss details in greater depth. We also make use of a regular ‘Kaizen hour’ where each area of the business has a planned stoppage and everybody has the chance to contribute their own ideas.

People

At Aimia we believe that everything starts and ends with the right people. Culture is everything. An Investor in People for more than ten years, Aimia Foods also recruits the very best specialists from around the food industry to head up various departments.

At Aimia Foods all staff are empowered to learn and get involved in process improvements. Lean Six Sigma operates on a colour belt structure starting at yellow belt, following onto green belt and finishing at black belt. Master black belt is the highest accolade and awarded when evidence of multi projects and ranking structure are demonstrated and in operation.

The Operations Director is the Aimia Foods master black belt and at the moment we have one black belt, two green belts and 8 yellow belts straddling different areas of the factory such as quality, production and engineering at both operator and management level. The accreditation has been awarded externally. It is a very clear demonstration of the level of commitment to quality and manufacturing best practice.

Factory Tours

Aimia Foods run factory Best Practice Tours because we are so very proud of what we do. They are always well attended and we only continue to run them because of the hugely positive feedback we receive :

With regards to your own business if you’ve ever asked the following ;

How do I share my vision for our factory with everyone in the business?
How do I get my workplace organised?
How do I create ownership on the factory floor?
How do I get positive change now?
How do I create a world class engineering facility?
How can I build a great culture?

..You may want to come and visit us.

Recent “Quotes” from our Best Factory Tour Visitors :

“The visit exceeded my expectations. I found it a very relaxed, very measured, well organised and professional company.”

“All aspects were very informative and covered everything that I needed to help improve and further my company’s lean journey. Staff were very open and willing to speak about their individual areas.”

“The tour and discussion exceeded expectations. Enjoyed informal discussions. People extremely attentive, knowledgeable and helpful.”

Contact : patrick.mroczak@aimiafoods.com