Miller Magazine Issue 137 May 2021

70 COVER STORY MILLER / may 2021 At Siemer Milling Company in Illinois, USA, a feeling for quality and a sense of responsibility are deeply ingrained in the company’s DNA. Owned in part by the Siemer family and in part by the employ- ees, the milling company can look back on over 138 years of history. Operating in three locations – in Teutopolis, Illinois, Hopkinsville, Kentucky and West Harrison, Indiana – today it employs 170 people and produces 750,000 tons of quality processed wheat products such as flour, wheat bran and wheat germ every year. In order to ensure the highest standards, the company implements stringent quality and safety policies. The busi- ness also operates a test kitchen to further support its work. “Quality and safety are at the very core of everything we do. Our customers expect it, and so do their customers along the value chain down to the endconsumer,” says Sunil Ma- heshwari, Vice President of Siemer Specialty Ingredients and West Harrison Plant Manager, Siemer Milling Company. GUARANTEEING FOOD SAFETY IN A COMPLEX BUSINESS In order to produce to the highest standards, machines need to run smoothly. The sophisticated equipment at each of the company’s milling plants needs continuous calibra- tion to correctly and efficiently process over 750,000 tons of locally grown wheat annually. This can only be achieved with rigid maintenance discipline and the necessary exper- tise. In the best case, machines run efficiently without costly breakdowns and essential parts are replaced as needed. “As a preventative measure we shut down once a week for a few hours to assess any problems. When it gets real- ly busy during harvest time, we shut down twice a month. All our flour is made to order, and a very tight schedule is maintained between production and shipment. Every load is processed and shipped out as quickly as possible. Un- scheduled disruptions can therefore have a very negative effect on the entire process flow,” says Maheshwari. Food safety is, however, the main concern. With increas- ing market pressure and margins becoming tighter, optimal maintenance helps to improve the bottom line. Mainte- nance has always been a constant in the milling business. Ensuring food safety is a major concern for farmers, producers and processors. In wheat production, mills such as Siemer Milling Company are regularly subjected to close scru- tiny during audits carried out by customers and agencies. Having adequate processes and the right software to track and record maintenance work carried out on their machin- ery takes the pain out of this essential task. Advanced maintenance tools for food safety Roman Inauen Business Development Manager Bühler AG Blerim Lataj Project Manager Bühler AG