Column Saskia Stender: It can freeze, it can thaw

In production companies and cold storage and freezing facilities, everything revolves around temperature. Every degree counts. And that’s exactly where a major opportunity lies. I notice it in the conversations I have: there is a willingness to invest. In more sustainable installations, better insulation, smarter ways of working. No one is standing still. At the same time, there is doubt. You may want to move forward, but can you actually make it happen?

You try to reduce energy consumption, optimize processes, and plan more efficiently, but if the capacity isn’t there, that’s simply where it stops. You don’t get anywhere. And yet, this is exactly where so much can be gained. Not always through large, new systems. Often in how you handle what is already in place. But how? Let’s be honest: you don’t always have that knowledge in-house. The solutions often lie with your technical partners. They know what works and what doesn’t. Where energy is being lost and where savings can be made.

And that brings me back to my favorite point. Strength in collaboration. Keep talking, keep sharing, keep listening to one another. Do your homework, ask questions, use your network. Because there is no single solution. It’s about the steps you take, the insights you pick up, the ideas you hear along the way. It comes down to partners who think along with you, bring forward new techniques, and know exactly where gains can be made. That might just be the greatest gain of all. Not trying to figure everything out on your own, but making use of the knowledge that’s already out there.

Keep moving. Sometimes a step forward, sometimes a moment to hold your position. Maybe that’s what doing business looks like today. Not waiting for the thaw. But also not freezing up when things turn cold.

Saskia Stender
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