Recently, Brady Systems worked with Green Hills Farms, a Syracuse, NY supermarket, to upgrade its older METTLER TOLEDO auto wrapper to the new 880 Auto Wrapper. Below is a short story about their experience and how this auto wrapper has helped them to increase efficiency and exceed their customer’s expectations.
In a high-volume, top-tier supermarket, cutting and merchandising meat are not simply tasks. They’re skills, honed by years of experience to an art form that distinguishes a department’s personnel and provides a continuing source of pride. In this high stakes environment, having the right equipment enables associates to maximize their potential to deliver elite customer service.
Quality as a Differentiator
Green Hills Farms has come a long way since it began more than 80 years ago, selling fresh produce and other staples from the Hawkins family farm in Syracuse, New York. The meat department, in particular, serves as a magnet, attracting shoppers who appreciate that every one of Green Hill’s fresh meat products is cut in-store by one of its five meat cutters
Exceeding Customer Expectations
Green Hills Farms is a family-owned supermarket that caters to the most discriminating customers in the area. Since the highest quality meat demands the finest presentation, Green Hills upgraded to the METTLER TOLEDO 880 Auto Wrapper to ensure that its weighing, labeling, and packaging would convey that same level of excellence.
“The METTLER TOLEDO 880 Auto Wrapper is perfect for our operation,” declares Green Hills Meat Department Manager Dan Piron. “We custom cut our meat, and our clientele enjoys being able to request individualized cuts or items per package.” The 880 – in addition to being a fast and efficient wrapper – handles special orders effortlessly and gives each package a tight, professional-looking wrap.“ We used to have to hand wrap the bigger cuts – the roasts and thicker steaks and chops – but the 880 wraps them so much faster and better that we’ve almost forgotten how to do it by hand,” he added. “We even put the cutter’s initials on every package – kind of like how an artist signs his work.”
Safety and Reliability Assured
Green Hills’ Chris Wheatley has been cutting meat for 42 years and has seen his share of wrappers. “The METTLER TOLEDO 880 Auto Wrapper is the best piece of equipment we’ve ever had,” he says. Dan Piron adds that the 880’s built-in safety precautions, ergonomically friendly design, and compact footprint have significantly reduced the potential risk of operator injury. “And it’s so intuitive,” he adds. “It just guides the user step-by-step through each and every one of its functions.” Whether it’s changing film rolls (or deciding which size roll to use for a particular run), cleaning the machine, setting up, or troubleshooting – the 880 makes it easy. “In the eight months that we’ve been using it, we’ve never encountered a single instance where the machine didn’t perform up to expectations.”
Ahead of Its Time
Green Hills Director of Operations Kevin Petrie says choosing the METTLER TOLEDO 880 Auto Wrapper wasn’t a difficult decision to make. “It wasn’t just about price,” he said. “It was about service, quality, and reliability.” He adds that Green Hills Farms is experiencing tremendous ROI with the 880, both in reduced labor costs and through increased customer satisfaction. “Grocery shopping is a visual experience,” he says. “When the product is neatly wrapped, it improves the perception of freshness and quality in the customer’s mind.” For Piron, he feels the 880 is simply ahead of its time. “I can’t think of anything I’ve needed the machine to do that it doesn’t do. We’re not shopping for another automatic wrapper anytime soon – unless it’s another 880!”
