A Q&A with Giancarlo Dellago, Production Manager of PreGel
Q. What is your position at PreGel and how long have you been employed by the company?
A. I am the production manager at PreGel Headquarters in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and therefore oversee all of the production processes for every PreGel product. I have been employed with PreGel since 1990.
Q. What previous experience do you bring to the position?
A. I have been involved in food product production all my life. Prior to joining PreGel, I worked for a company that produced fruit juices.
Q. Describe an average day for you.
A. Precision is everything in my position, and therefore my schedule is mapped out down to the detail every day. I start at 7:00 a.m. and first check on the raw ingredients needed for that day’s products. I review the quality and quantities needed. I also check on any arrivals as a part of quality assurance is checking on the raw ingredients from arrival to the day they are put into production. Then, I do my daily equipment checks; equipment problems can lead to severe delays, so we do a daily assessment to stay ahead of the curve. Once the ingredients and equipment are cleared, I have a production meeting with the team to review the day’s tasks, look ahead to the next day and the remainder of the week. We also troubleshoot any problems when we meet. The remainder of the day is split between personally checking each batch throughout the production process, meeting with Research and Development on different initiatives and projects coming our way, scheduling future product production, and reviewing reports from the subsidiaries on production needs, shipments and so forth.
Q. What would you stress as the most important part of your job?
A. The most important part of my job is ensuring that the quality and consistency of our products always remains high. Our business is ingredients, and therefore we must commit to the highest standards of the industry and make sure we are offering a consistent product. We do this by sourcing the finest ingredients around the world, consistently evaluating them, and testing our processes and products.
Q. What advice would you give to other ingredient companies?
A. Don’t compromise. If you are a company that promises the best, deliver the best. It will cost you so much more if you start to cut corners – you may save a few pennies at first but customers WILL notice and will eventually leave you. Customers will always pay for quality.