This past weekend, Ag-Tronic Control Systems celebrated its 25-year anniversary. “My wife Samia and I started the company on January 17, 1991,” says Joe Sleiman with Ag-Tronic Control Systems. “At the time, there were no real agribusiness automation companies in our region and I saw a need for it. We started out broke and today, we have 20 employees in a 20,000 sq. ft. facility with our four children all involved in the business.” Initially, the company was based in Leamington, Ontario and has since then moved to neighboring town Lakeshore.
“I started out servicing color sorters and designed a height control system for tomato harvesters,” said Sleiman, who has a background in robotics. The company focuses on designing and manufacturing automated grading, packing and labeling systems. “All equipment is designed plug-n-play for a quick fix,” explained Sleiman. “If a farmer is out in the middle of the field and experiences a problem with his equipment, he should be able to solve the problem on the spot. We have more than 300 customers across Canada, USA and Mexico, and are able to service them with only two service technicians.”
Fruit labeling with Print & Apply
In 2001, Sleiman designed a new fruit labeling system and started a spin-off sales company, called Accu-Label, providing labeling solutions for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry. “This has become the main part of our business,” mentioned Sleiman. “Since 2008 ORB-it® G-2 remains most successful fruit labeling system with the ability to print variable data on the label as it is being dispensed.” This solution reduces label inventory of multiple prints with the added food safety benefit of printing a trace code on the label itself, maintaining full traceability when the fruit is out of its container. In addition, the label is bio-degradable paper and the discarded support liner is recyclable plastic. “We currently supply approximately 90 percent of the apple growers in Michigan, New York, Quebec and Ontario,” mentioned Sleiman. Ag-Tronic Control Systems continues to innovate. Recently, a new label-converting machine was purchased that allows Ag-Tronic to customize the label formula and add a security code on the label to prevent counterfeiting of customers’ labels. For more information:
Joe Sleiman
Ag-Tronic Control Systems Inc. / Accu-Label Inc.
Tel: (+1) 519-727-0888
(+1) 519-727-0888
(+1) 519-727-0888