As part of our ongoing ‘Key Business Outlooks 2025’ series, we sit down with Alan Major, Chief Sales Officer, Urschel, to discuss the key drivers of change in the potato processing industry. From global market trends to consumer preferences, this interview dives into the strategies that will define the year ahead. Get a glimpse into the industry’s future.

Potato Business: Considering the market volatility, supply chain disruptions, energy costs, and workforce scarcity, what does this past year look like for your company when you draw the line?

Alan Major, Chief Sales Officer, Urschel: As a business, over the past few years, Urschel has continued an upward trend in both revenue and sales, including 2024. Overall, 2024 was a very good year from a revenue standpoint. Urschel revenue has been up due to a combined high demand in both machine sales and aftermarket sales. Urschel maintains a healthy stream of machines on order. The markets Urschel serves has remained stable overall with very little volatility, so this has not negatively impacted our business.

Regarding supply chain issues, many companies are continuing to experience supply chain issues. Compared to other companies, Urschel experienced very minor issues. The workforce scarcity is an ongoing global news topic everywhere. Urschel has found it takes longer to hire individuals, and our company has granted additional resources in this area to discover solutions. Urschel has also increased and will continue to increase cell manufacturing which saves time and personnel.

What are your expectations for next year, keeping in mind the legacy of 2024, but also the current challenges?

2024 was a record sales year, so we have high expectations for 2025. We will continue on a path of increased revenue and growth for 2025. In 2024, Urschel completed the largest expansion in our plant history, and Urschel found a way to hire quality individuals to fill necessary roles. This expansion will enable the purchase of new manufacturing technology as our company continues to be the inventive, innovative company that we have always been. There will always be better ways and newer manufacturing methods, along with expanding on Urschel cutting solutions, and our company looks forward to overcoming these challenges for the benefit of the food processing community.

How do you estimate the market will evolve and what is your priority list for 2025?

In 2025, Urschel will have new offerings that were not available in 2024. We predict an uptick to project activity as we continue to work with food processors around the world which will lead to more growth and success in 2025. I expect growth in the U.S. market and Europe and Asia to continue on an upward trajectory with increased sales in 2025.

Where did the growth opportunities come from and what is the most important lesson you have learned in recent times?

Regarding lessons learned and growth opportunities, Urschel’s core markets continued to be strong in 2024 and I expect that pattern to continue. Diversity in both industry and product line has been the key to continued revenue growth.

What strategies are you implementing to maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly saturated market? How do you prioritize your investments versus your R&D efforts?

The strategies Urschel implements in order to maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly saturated market include listening to customer needs and building even more capabilities into existing equipment. Urschel continues to focus on offering a superior product in both quality and aftermarket support. In the U.S., Urschel has added more test cutting services. Urschel believes in investing in the future for the betterment of food processors. That’s why Urschel now has a new Comitrol Test Center, a fully operational mini-plant environment. Urschel has also heavily invested in the Innovation & Development Center, an offsite facility separate from the Engineering Department, specifically designed to prioritize Urschel R&D. The primary focus is to propel new products and offerings.

What was unexpected in 2024 and how did it impact your business?

Unexpected in 2024, was the high volume of Urschel machines ordered. While this did impact delivery time to some of our customers, we highly valued the patience from customers and the strength of the Urschel workforce to step up and do their best to get orders shipped.

Which are the most important drivers of change for your business in 2025? How do you plan to prepare for them?

The most important drivers of change for Urschel in 2025 will be the introduction of new produce offerings. Urschel will address this with a series of strategic plans, mapped out step-by-step.

What would you like to see happening in 2025 for your stakeholders and business environment (in terms of policy, regulations, and market) in order for your business to thrive more?

At Urschel, our employees are our stakeholders. As an employee-owned company, every employee has a vested interest in the ongoing success of our company. We look forward to building our employee-owner team by adding more personnel as the company continues to grow. Urschel also looks forward to growing along with the diverse, dynamic food processing industry as the company has historically done. Urschel thrives alongside the successes of the food processing industry.

What is your vision for the industry over the next five years, and how does your company plan to contribute to its growth?

The future for Urschel is bright. Urschel will continue to develop new ideas to assist food production lines. The company will focus on continuing to develop new knives and cutting methods specific to the everchanging products and SKUs. Precision cutting, innovation, and high capacities will remain our focus along with continuing to build the Urschel global network of sales and support.