Key Technology, Inc., a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, and Heat and Control Pty Ltd. announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership to support customers in Australia, New Zealand and India.

The companies agreed that Key has appointed Heat and Control as their exclusive agent to sell and service Key’s high performance digital sorters, vibratory conveyors and other automation systems in Australia, New Zealand and India, effective immediately.

The partnership leverages Heat and Control’s extensive sales and service organization to sell and support all of Key’s equipment in the defined regions, including providing application testing, field service and spare parts. Additionally, Heat and Control will manufacture select Key-designed vibratory conveyors at their facilities in Australia and India in strict accordance with Key’s specifications.

The decision augments both companies’ value propositions and benefits customers. Key Technology’s line of equipment is highly complementary to Heat and Control’s processing and packaging portfolio, giving processors convenient access to a more complete line solution from a single-source. By leveraging Heat and Control’s facilities in Australia and India, Key can better support customers with demonstration and application testing capabilities as well as local manufacturing to reduce shipping and expedite delivery of Key’s products.

“We have a long-standing history with Heat and Control that has now resulted in a collaborative partnership to deliver innovative, optimized solutions to processors in Australia, New Zealand and India. Together, we can deliver added value to our customers through our combined industry expertise, extensive product offering and strong infrastructure of sales and service organizations,” said Jack Ehren, president of Key Technology.

Jim Strang, CEO – Asia / Pacific, Europe and Africa at Heat and Control, says that Heat and Control’s products complement perfectly with Key’s equipment in terms of their innovation and reliability, yet they offer adjacent capabilities that target the same or similar product applications. “Key’s equipment, which includes their best-in-class VERYX® digital sorters and Iso-Flo® vibratory conveyors, is ideal for processors that want to elevate their product quality and food safety while improving efficiencies and yields in an increasingly competitive market.”

UPDATE: Following the partnership, the entire range of Key Technology equipment will be available in two centers, one in Australia and one in India, Key Technology explained for Potato Business.

“The value to customers includes a more complete line solution from a single source as well as proximity to demonstration centers in Australia and India. We expect demand for Key equipment in Australia, New Zealand and India to grow with the expanded sales and service organizations,” Key Technology said.