TNA Solutions’ CEO Michael Jonson explains how intelligent integration and strategic simplicity are shaping future-ready snack production
You’ve spent many years in the food processing and packaging sector. What key experiences or influences have shaped your leadership approach?
My leadership approach has been shaped by breadth as much as depth. Throughout my career, I’ve worked across strategy, treasury, operations, manufacturing, finance and risk management, in environments ranging from highly regulated financial services to complex industrial businesses, often during periods of disruption, meaningful growth or transformation.
I’ve gained exposure across the value chain, from product development and engineering to sales, logistics, purchasing and aftermarket support. Those experiences reinforced that sustainable success is rarely about one function or a single decision. It comes from aligning people, processes and purpose behind a clear strategy, then executing consistently.
The same applies in my role at TNA Solutions. Food manufacturers are under intense pressure to do more with less: deliver a wider range of products, respond quickly to shifting consumer trends and protect profitability amid rising costs and labour shortages. In this environment, alignment between equipment, processes and people is critical. That is why our innovation focus is on intelligent integration, helping food producers adapt to changing market demands while balancing long-term growth with immediate performance gains. As a single-source global partner for complete snack line solutions, we enable customers to do exactly that.
A constant throughout my career has been building strong, accountable teams with a clear sense of ownership. An engaged workforce that understands the ‘why’ behind decisions will always outperform one that simply reacts to targets. At TNA, this translates into a leadership style grounded in clarity, accountability and collaboration, where innovation emerges from diverse perspectives working towards better outcomes for customers, employees and the business.
How has TNA evolved over the past decade, and what mission drives its work today?
TNA’s journey has been one of purposeful evolution. The company’s roots go back to the early 1980s, when the launch of the tna robag® vertical form fill and seal system fundamentally changed food packaging. That spirit of innovation remains at the heart of who we are today.
Over the past decade, TNA has deliberately transformed from a packaging specialist into a true complete line solutions partner. This shift has been driven by a clear understanding of what customers need: not individual machines, but integrated systems that work seamlessly together to deliver performance, efficiency and long-term value.
Strategic acquisitions have played a critical role in this transformation. Bringing together specialist brands such as Florigo, FOODesign, Arcall and NID has allowed TNA to unify decades of expertise across frying, baking and toasting, spray and coating, starch moulding and confectionery under a single global platform. Each acquisition added deep technical capability and, more importantly, strengthened our ability to support customers end-to-end.
Today, TNA’s mission is to create and sustain complete processing and packaging solutions for food producers. This means supporting customers from early consultation and line design through installation, commissioning and comprehensive aftermarket care. With more than 16,000 systems installed in over 137 countries and a global network across 30 locations, we are positioned to deliver both local support and global consistency.
What major shifts are you seeing across the global snacks market?
The global snacks market is evolving rapidly, driven by what I would describe as conscious indulgence. Consumers still want enjoyment, premium experiences and familiar textures, but they increasingly expect products that align with health, wellness and sustainability values. Plant-based formulations, high-protein products and fibre-rich ingredients are becoming mainstream. From a manufacturing perspective, this introduces greater complexity.
Technologies such as low-temperature finish frying, vacuum frying and pulsed electric field treatment are moving from niche to necessity, as regulatory scrutiny around acrylamide and trans fats intensifies. These solutions enable producers to reduce acrylamide formation and oil uptake while preserving the sensory quality consumers expect.
From a packaging perspective, portion control has evolved from a diet tool into a mainstream strategy for managing health, value and cravings. This trend is closely linked to economic pressures and the ‘snackification’ of meals, with multi-packs and single-serve formats meeting both budget and lifestyle needs. For manufacturers, this drives the challenge of producing smaller packs, at speed and within budget.
For TNA, these shifts reinforce the importance of a holistic approach to technology development. Rather than addressing challenges in isolation, we design intelligent integrated systems that bring processing, distribution, seasoning and packaging together. This enables customers to adapt more easily to changing formulations, regulatory requirements and consumer preferences without sacrificing efficiency or profitability.
