HESSING SUPERVERS OPENS STATE-OF-THE-ART PRODUCTION FACILITY

All products delivered by Hessing Supervers are healthy and fresh! In Venlo, the largest ‘fresh vegetable processing factory’ in the Netherlands recently emerged, with a floor area of 62,000 square meters. “The initial idea was to modernize and expand the production facilities in Zwaagdijk – where our headquarters are located – but the plans kept growing. Eventually, we decided to build anew in Venlo,” explains Ferdy Hoefkens. He is the project leader for new equipment, technology, implementation and delivery at this fully family-owned company from the northern region of North Holland, which now has a state-of-the-art facility in the south. “The location is strategically advantageous. Every week millions of packaging units of fresh products are transported from various production sites. Being in Venlo puts us close to our target markets.”

Hessing supplies a wide range of pre-cut vegetables and fruit products to supermarkets, domestically and internationally. “But also to fast food chains, wholesalers and more. When it comes to convenience, deliciousness, healthiness and super freshness, we are the best choise. From packaged soup vegetables and bags of endive to meal salads, stir-fry mixes and fresh meal kits.” With over 2,000 employees Hessing is one of the leading players in the vegetable processing industry. Every day, tons of vegetables and fruits arrive at Hessing. “We process them by cutting, washing, blending, drying and packaging them according to the desired format. We have around a hundred production lines for fresh products and about thirty preparation lines. Different products require different treatments. Ultimately, they go to the filling stations and thirteen of them were newly supplied by FoodeQ. We have high-end combined vibratory weigher systems for more delicate products, with careful consideration given to design aspects such as minimizing drop heights and such. Otherwise, products can get damaged during the filling process, which compromises quality and shelf life. The vibratory conveyors and dosing systems are integrated with the weighing system, ensuring optimal filling of the internal crates we use for logistics within our factory.”

Two years ago, FoodeQ delivered a test setup in Zwaagdijk for the production facility there. “That’s how they caught our attention for this project in Venlo. In Zwaagdijk, crates were still manually filled and brought into the process. FoodeQ helped us to automate this. When we issued the tender for Venlo it was only natural for FoodeQ to participate. They have been collaborating with us from the beginning; brainstorming ideas to minimize product leakage, integrating weighing stations and more. Their engineers are skilled professionals with extensive knowledge of our industry, which is essential for a project like this.”

Since the end of March the new production facility has been operational. “The first two pilot lines are running at full capacity. The other lines will gradually follow in the coming period, allowing more and more production from other locations to be transferred here. The experience with commissioning the initial FoodeQ filling stations has been very positive.”

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FoodeQ at Hessing Supervers Venlo