Q&A with Eric Collins, Lab Coordinator

Eric Collins is a singer/musician turned Research & Development Laboratory Coordinator. After having spent a little over a year working in production at Fuchs, Eric set his sights on Research & Development and has spent the past six years with the R&D Department. Combined with experience he’d gathered as a box maker, machine operator and even a sanitation worker for the company, once the opportunity arose for him to work as a Laboratory Technician, Eric pulled together all the skills he’d accumulated and applied them there in the Sample Lab. Eric has developed a reputation for being detail-oriented and committed to making sure our customers receive samples in a timely manner.

Q&A

Q: Your role here has been transformed over the past year. Tell us more about your new role and what you do to help our customers with their projects.
A: In my new role, I work to ensure that our customers receive only quality samples and products. Now, as a laboratory coordinator and food technician trainee, I have also taken steps towards learning more about food science and product development while I oversee the production of samples by the laboratory technicians in our Sample Lab and Research & Development Laboratories. I have been pursuing further education in the field of food science to be better equipped to assist our food scientists. As I’ve been learning more, I have a hand in some development work, including sensory evaluation.

Q: A lot of our customers have been curious about our new sensory lab. Explain more about our sensory testing.
A: I organize all sensory tests in the company’s brand new sensory laboratory, gathering data as R&D works to ensure products launched here are solid and tested with quality. At our old facility, we did not have a dedicated space for sensory testing, so our new sensory lab has proven to be an asset that we have been utilizing regularly in order to better serve our customers. We utilize sensory testing for a wide range of purposes, including matching and duplication projects, and I coordinate all aspects of sensory testing to ensure that the process goes smoothly and we have enough participants.

Q: What are you looking forward to in 2018?
A: In 2017, my role expanded to collaborating with marketing and our Corporate Executive Chef, Elizabeth, with our sample kits. With these quarterly projects, I help with planning and my main objective is to ensure that these marketing endeavors go off without a hitch as they reach the customers of Fuchs, globally. Looking forward to 2018, I’m excited to assist with the execution of our next round of forward-thinking, trend-driven sample kits.

Q: What’s your favorite part of your role here at Fuchs?
A: In all that I’ve done here at Fuchs in my different roles here, the fulfillment I’ve gained each year with Fuchs has remained the same. To me, nothing compares to seeing a development project in its infancy, grow and take a life of its own and end up on the shelves of your local grocery store. It’s the joy that drives me each day. It’s what motivates me!

To learn more about our R&D team, click here.

Additional Media Information

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