Compaxo: Processing meat deserves appreciation

Meat is currently under a magnifying glass. Unfortunately not always in a positive sense. Yet many meat processors continue to put their heart and soul into providing others with a good piece of meat every day. In a clean and well-functioning working environment made by and for hard workers.

"As meat processors, a stigma has been imposed on us. We are often seen as mourners with tattoos," kicks off Jeroen van der Post, managing director of Compaxo Group from Gouda. "Nothing could be further from the truth. In our family business, hard work is done by over 1,000 fine people who earn an honest living. They provide meals for others every day, some 200 million kilos of meat a year. That should be appreciated." And he is not just talking about recognition from customers and diners, but also in the form of a place to work that is pleasant. "Nice, efficient and super clean."

Century-old pride

With 21 years of experience at Compaxo, Jeroen has a lot of knowledge of the meat profession. He has worked in the family business from the age of 16. Since 2019, he has been in charge of the Gouda branch. His nephew Menno runs the branch in Zevenaar. Frits Aarts from outside the Van der Post family is CEO and forms the group management together with Jeroen and Menno. Along with 11 more (great) cousins, Jeroen and Menno are the sixth generation of shareholders. 

Jeroen is proud of the company: "Our ancestors started with a bacon butchery in 1896. Over 125 years later, we produce much more: Gouda supplies traditional and contemporary ready-to-eat consumer products, meat and vegetarian products based on pork, beef, chicken, turkey and also vegetable raw materials to the Dutch retail market; Zevenaar is our slaughterhouse, both nationally and internationally."

Working efficiently

Compaxo has evolved along with the times. Jeroen tells of working in production areas and cold stores that meet the strict requirements of laws and regulations, and that animals are treated with care. Compaxo is also mindful of the company's hard workers. They work with modern machinery in a well-functioning environment with partly Sealwise walls and ceilings.

Stainless steel versus Sealwise

When Jeroen constructs, he chooses quality and durability. In food, you cannot risk paint peeling, sealant becoming mouldy or causing corrosion. Previously, he opted for stainless steel walls and ceilings made of paint panels. The annoying thing is that over the years, the paint flakes off on the ceiling panels. Therefore, he made a switch to applying Sealwise via Jackit. An antibacterial and antiviral solution in the form of recycled and 100% waterproof PVC with a fire rating of Bs1d0. It is also sustainable, as the sheets are recyclable.

Collaboration with Jackit 

"I saw Jack Pluim of Jackit regularly come up with Sealwise on LinkedIn. The contact only came about after he had completed a job at our sister company in Zevenaar. I called him because a cold store needed new walls and ceilings. Jack came by that same afternoon. We 'dived' into the cell together, in a few minutes he had seen and measured it: 600 m2 of material. I asked when I could expect a quotation, but Jack took a different approach. Over a cup of coffee, he calculated the costs and within five minutes there was a deal. A few days later he started work. With a team of neat, hard workers with a 'no nonsense mentality' they popped in all the ceilings and walls in five days. I am impressed how quickly and neatly they did the job. You can be really proud of a team like that!"

Reliable approach

Jack remains down-to-earth under this appreciation. He knows his people and what they stand for. With more than 25 years of experience in the food-producing industry, he knows how to renovate walls and ceilings completely and to HACCP or BRC standards. 'His' team and himself work 365 days a year, so production does not come to an unnecessary halt. "We stay until the job is finished," he says. That he has satisfied customers is not only because of that approach, but also because of the product. "Sealwise is simply good. It looks fresh, won't get damaged and stays nice. We finish the walls with stainless steel and seal it with Easyseal Innotec." In the process, he makes sure he always has materials in stock. "I work on the basis of trust; both with my customers and suppliers." Jeroen, meanwhile, also has confidence in, and appreciation for, Jackit's approach. "The fourth job is already around the corner," he says.

www.compaxo.nl
www.jackit.nl

In the pircture Jeroen Post (left) and Jack Pluim