TOMRA Sorting Food, the designer and manufacturer of sorting machines for the food industry, has announced the launching of the Chinese language version of its website, the newest addition in TOMRA’s effort to be closer to the customer and to serve them in their own language.

Users can now conduct searches and find the available information in their preferred language.

The website does not only feature content relevant to Chinese visitors; the site also offers a social media stream of TOMRA’s videos on YouKu, China’s most popular video website.

TOMRA will keep investing in translations. In 2015 the company plans to offer numerous additional languages.

PotatoBusiness.com talked to TOMRA experts to find more about their dedicated websites in the local languages.

PotatoBusiness (PB): Why did TOMRA consider a Chinese website necessary?

TOMRA: The growing importance of a strong corporate website is undeniable. That’s why about two years ago TOMRA launched a new English website, incorporating all TOMRA’s business streams such as Food, Specialty Products, Recycling, Mining, Reverse Vending, etc.

After a lot of mergers and acquisitions over the last years, it was crucial to have one single source of information for all TOMRA business streams, under the slogan of ‘One TOMRA’.

If you want to be closer to your customer, just an English website is not enough. It’s important to serve your customer in their own language so they can conduct searches and find available information in their preferred language. TOMRA is present worldwide and benefits from the global presence, but a local approach is also important. In 2014 Steven Van Geel was appointed as Sales Director China to oversee all sales and customer support activities, including service, application development, tests and demonstrations in China and develop the company’s local presence for its growing customer base in one of its most important expansion markets.

In recent months, TOMRA has invested substantially in the Xiamen facilities, producing upgraded offices, stores, service, and test and demonstration space. In addition, the company is setting up multiple service hubs in territories throughout China, where it has significant customer bases.

Due to the fact that TOMRA wants to gain ground in China, a Chinese website was considered to be the next vital step.

PB: Why was this particular timing chosen to launch the new website?

TOMRA: In 2015 TOMRA wants to gain ground in China and that’s why a Chinese website was considered to be vital. After the general implementation of the website, the roll-out of different languages is planned. We are now happy that we can announce that the Chinese website is ready.

PB: What company developed the website?

TOMRA: The website was a cooperation between MSL Group and TOMRA.

The roll-out of the Chinese website is part of the bigger process of creating one TOMRA website for all business streams, as described above.

PB: How long did the development of this project take?

TOMRA: The development of the Chinese website took approximately 5 months.  We started the overall web project approx. 1,5 years ago.

PB: Which other markets, respectively dedicated websites in the local language, is Torma targeting next?

TOMRA: More than four projects are in the pipeline. All of this with one single goal to be able to support our customers even better in their own language.