#167: Standing The Test Of Time.

What is it like when you enter a world previously unknown to you?

Both of them realized immediately that I was the one not having a clue. When I told them that I had spent 30 years in banking, they just nodded. The world of fine grinding was definitely new to me.

One of our food engineers dragged me along for a simple reason. It wasn’t because I added much value on the technical front. I had a car, he didn’t, which made me qualify as a member of the «evaluation team». Our mission was to evaluate industrial grinders for the production of hemp protein powder.

Grinding hemp press cake isn’t a simple task. Its high oil content makes it a greasy matter. Lots of grinders therefore aren’t up to the challenge and for all of those that are, the people operating them generally stop the conversation due to the time consuming cleaning process.

Enough about technicalities.

What really impressed me was the fact that the machines we inspected were decades old. They had all stood the test of time. Few are still being manufactured today, which makes them extremely expensive. The demand for second, third or tenth hand grinders is high given their niche market status.

Each of them tells a story. They are literally unbreakable. It is product longevity and sustainability at its best.

Why don’t we manufacture more goods with an intention to use them for decades rather than weeks and months? The easy answer is price. But that can’t be the only answer. Utilization is a key aspect. Those machines need to run and run and run and still run… what comes to mind is the concept of sharing. Sharing the same ressource naturally increases its rate of utilization.

Mine, yours, ours.

The experts in the field hold these products in high regard. They talk about them with respect. Their performance is being appreciated.

Standing the test of time.