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This week, Harold Bouchard, president of Procepack and PreRoll-ER, joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss how the industry is using automation, IoT and artificial intelligence, as well as and how his company is finding success in the European market — including one French manufacturer that is making a million CBD joints per month.
Bouchard says that PreRoll-ER, in particular, is growing, thanks to both new products and its entry into the European market. For example, the company recently launched a new robot for vape cartridges and pre-rolls that allows customers to pack boxes, jars and tubes. Pre-Roll-ER has also debuted new solutions for labeling applications — even automating the excise stamp in Canada, which indicates that the product was intended for the excise duty-paid market and that the duty has been paid.
The company's flagship product remains the Pre-Roll-ER 200, but it has also seen success with the 400, now the fastest and most versatile machine in its product lineup.
Although Pre-Roll-ER is moving into Europe, Bouchard says the market overseas still isn't ready for automation because legalization and regulation is moving slowly. However, he has seen an uptick in France, where he is selling machines to one company that is making a million CBD joints per month in a new and booming market.
The company is poised to move into other markets as they open up, because automation is all about efficiency, quality and uptime, Bouchard says — and Pre-Roll-ER just so happens to have a pedigree that fits the bill.
Bouchard also discusses:
- Hiccups with moving into the European market. (1:58)
- Additional security requirements in Europe. (5:00)
- How the cannabis industry stacks up when it comes to machine safety. (6:03)
- How the industry is using AI, automation and IoT. (7:59)
- Why operators still have too many repetitive tasks performed by a human. (12:48)
- Plans for MJBizCon 2023. (15:19)
- What customers are looking for in new equipment. (24:39)
- Consolidation is coming to the industry. (28:39)
- New packaging automation. (35:47)
- The company's new lease-to-own program. (37:30)
- The lack of quality maintenance professionals in cannabis. (40:52)
Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].
