Company description
Company background/profile
Hovex has been in the business of starch and food processing for more than 25 years. Since 1996 Hovex is part of the worldwide GEA - Mechanical Separation Division. Westfalia Separator is the leading company for this area and Hovex company is an integral part of its starch and other business. Hovex is supplier of complete production lines as well as individual machines. The major field of activities is in the potato and cassava starch industry including the starch recovery from chips- and French fries cutting. Besides there is equipment for the corn and wheat starch processing. Other fields of industries are in beverage (fruit juice, wine, beer) edible oils, biotechnology and mineral oil.
Starch is an important product as it is processed from a renewable natural material. It is utilized in a wide range of applications for the food and processing industry. Hovex is providing highly developed technology for (raw material processing) starch extraction. This gives the producer an optimized process resulting in an above average starch quality and starch yield at low production costs. The group of GEA companies with a total turnover of about bn$ 2.6 provide a global marketing and service network. It also gives access to a wide range of most advanced processes and technologies related to the starch processing, e.g. drying, effluent evaporation, protein recovery, heat exchanging, etc.
Customer
Traditionally, Hovex is delivering state-of-the-art starch processing technology to all of the well established European starch companies. Hundreds of machines and production lines have been installed and started-up. Hovex gained a strong experience and high reputation from the cooperation with these companies.In recent years there is also developing a strong starch business in South-East Asia, China and Japan. In these highly cost-driven markets Hovex is supplying very efficient production lines (high starch yields) to achieve for the customer good overall economics and Return on Investment. The local content can be maximized.
Hovex' engagement in this region is strategic which means a long-term relationship to the customer. A key aspect for us is that the delivered plant is performing according to specification and that the customer is satisfied. Process advice, in-plant training, start-up assistance and operation support is very important to us. This will be adapted to the specific local and company conditions. Support can be provided in the fields of financing, logistics and waste water treatment technologies.
Technology
Hovex is specialized in the starch processing industry with the major area in potato and cassava/tapioca. Hovex has gained a strong expertise for the process and mechanical design of all steps of a production line. There is a good experience with our proprietary (partly patented) design from the operations of our customers. The integration into the GEA/Westfalia organization and its Starch Business Unit gives Hovex access to a broad technology basis which includes the separator and decanter technology. This relates particularly to process steps like protein recovery, fruit water separation, drying, effluent evaporation etc.The technical enhancement of our equipment is focusing on improved CIP (Cleaning-in-Place), high efficiencies/starch yields resulting in favorable economics, high starch quality and small waste water effluents. Innovation has been demonstrated for new designs of multi-cyclones ("Stacked Sandwich Multi-Cyclone") and rotary drum vacuum filters.