Since the start of this year, Staay-Hispa has a new and modern distribution centre in Papendrecht, the Netherlands. The temperature-controlled building ensures processes run more efficiently, and thus at lower costs. At the same time, hygiene increased further.
For over 70 years, Staay Food Group has been supplying a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables across the globe. The company positions itself close to cultivation, but also close to the client. "Supplying our clients with the best, fresh produce directly off the land with a minimum of additional costs, that's our motivation," Niels Vlasblom of Staay-Hispa explains.
Staay-Hispa is the sourcing link in the Staay Food Group network. Everything in the organization is concentrated under one roof. Worldwide cultivation, import, export and transport come together in the brand new distribution centre (dc) in Papendrecht.
Vlasblom: "As a consequence of the Russian boycott, there was overcapacity in the Staay Export building, and a smaller building sufficed. A logical step in cost control without having to compromise on the quality of our logistical achievements," Vlasblom says.
"Accomplished perfectly"
That there wasn't a fully "green field" despite the new construction, isn't seen as a problem but a challenge by Vlasblom. "Of course we were limited by the number of available square metres and the space at Staay Export. The challenge was mainly in getting an optimal synergy between those two factors. Together with Heembouw and Habeon Architecten, we accomplished that perfectly." The logistical arrangement of the dc was handled by Jungheinrich Netherlands. "Of the four parties we approached, two were dropped because of their pricing. That the eventual choice fell on Jungheinrich, is also related to our earlier experiences."
For the internal transport of all fruit and veg, Staay-Hispa has relied on the brand's forklift and warehouse trucks. "Reliable trucks," Vlasblom knows. "And Jungheinrich is a true partner for us. When there's a problem, one call suffices. The problem is fixed fast, so we can concentrate fully on our core business again." That carefree cooperation was once again clear when the new building was equipped. Within six weeks, all pallet locations were realized.
Unique racks
The racks were designed by Jungheinrich, in conjunction with Staay-Hispa. "They're unique racks," Vlasblom says. "Since we supply food, we are bound by increasingly strict food safety rules. That's why the gutters in which the racks are placed, are fully closed. That way debris or liquid can't amass, and the good quality of our products is ensured." The drive-in racks are also fully hot dip galvanized, so the chance of contamination as a result of chipped paint or coating are ruled out. Column guards need to stand out, so they have a noticeable bright yellow powder coating. "Compared to paintwork, in the long run that gives the lowest risk of paint flakes," Vlasblom explains. The chosen mounting gutter also makes a wider drive-in channel possible. That means the forklift driver has more room to manoeuvre, and productivity remains high, while significantly reducing collision damage.
CO2 en LED
Staay-Hispa gets advantages elsewhere too. In terms of food safety, the eleven cold stores are temperature-controlled (between 0 and 10 ºC) using CO2. The modern cooling system makes the use of ammonia or freon gas redundant, preventing any chance of product contamination. "The residual heat is used to heat our offices," Vlasblom notes.
The bright LED lighting in the dc also contributes to the high product quality. The lamps emit less heat, and also have a higher light yield. That way, the quality of the fruit and veg remains well visible.
Advantage for the client
The fact that all activities now take place under one roof, is also advantageous for the client. Vlasblom: "Everything can be loaded in one place, whether it's melons, potatoes or tomatoes. In addition, the client can order large numbers at a time, from a broad and deep range. We can meet specific demands at specific moments. For instance, when a client requests size nine pineapples for four weeks, that's not a problem for us. But the biggest advantage is perhaps that this is all possible at the best price."
The planned implementation of a new ERP system, including warehouse management system (WMS) and integrated quality control later this year, is to complete the project.
