WHERE IT ALL STARTED

Entering the new millennium in 2000, productivity of grape packaging was limiting in SA exports. Research at Stellenbosch University in Industrial Ergonomics introduced the then lecturer, Nico Treurnicht, now director of Ergopak, to the challenge. Limited numeric thinking fluency caused workers to suffer of cognitive fatigue. Dr Mike Blanckenberg, lecturing embedded computer system design, shared in the vision of developing an Agri-product scale for the developing world. A graphic interface was the game changer. The first grape packing units were introduced to the Northern Cape around 2005. In 2008, a combination packing scale, was the first commercial success. By 2012, adding networking, individual scales became packing networks. Systems now supported both the proven separate cleaning and packing operations, as well as integrated station packaging. Annual sales escalated taking the after-hours start-up to full time operation in 2014. The Ergopak brand was launched from Nicheware CC and became Ergopak MMI (Pty) Ltd in 2017.

In South Africa our Packing networks are now widely used for export grape packaging. Berry and vegetable prefacing are recent applications with proven success. A new Linux based smart scale has now been installed locally as well as in Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Lithuania. A recently added solution is for pre-packaging of ready meals with a negative mode weigher. Development increasingly targets global specialist application. These include “witlof” (chicory), fast foods, assembly line batch weighing and recipe facilitation.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY:

ROOIPAD BOERDERY

Hannes Nel

“ The integrity of the Ergopak team is what stands out for us, they always deliver. We are proud supporters of this company since their start-up days”

EBENAESER

JOHANN SNYMAN

"We have been using Ergopak since 2016 and we are very satisfied with their good service and their product. The scales are durable and intuitive to use for the general worker. If there is a problem, they will react quickly to solve it".

ARBORLANE ESTATES

The Team

"I will recommend Ergopak to any farm, big or small, they will be there for you. All that matters is good service, and they deliver."

MASS MANAGEMENT INNOVATION