Hessing Supervers ready for the future

Five million (!) packages will soon roll off the conveyor belt in Hessing Supervers' new Groente VersFabriek (vegetable fresh factory) in Greenport Venlo. To bolster that, the company is reinvesting in a series of fully automated packaging lines from GEA: for even more capacity and efficiency. 

Eating healthy is important, but we also like convenience. Hessing Supervers from Zwaagdijk in North Holland has been responding to this need for years as a specialist in sliced fruit and vegetables. The company was founded more than 50 years ago and supplies its products to various parties, both nationally and internationally. Much of it is destined for the supermarket shelves. 

More strength

The new production location in Greenport Venlo should give the company more strength. It will be used to process, among other things, sachets of stir-fried vegetables, mono-products such as kale and endive, various vegetable packages and meal salads. The choice of a new location was prompted by growth and the need for greater efficiency. "Due to several acquisitions, at one point we had six production sites that were quite scattered," says manager operational excellence Jeroen Spruit. "Not the most efficient situation. The factories in Helmond and Belfeld are closing. Venlo, with its 62,000 square metres, will become the Groente VersFabriek for our retail customers."

Jorie Aerts (l) and Jeroen Spruit

Flagship

The company sees itself as the bringer of health. In addition, sustainability is an important theme. Hessing applied several sustainability measures. The new site, which will start production from mid-March, is a true showpiece in that respect. "In our industry, it is one of the most modern and sustainable factories in Europe," Jeroen continues. "The building is BREEAM-certified and built according to the corresponding requirements for sustainability, therefore has a high insulation value and is completely gas-free. There are 12,000 solar panels on the roof. The factory is large, but the CO2 emissions are relatively small thanks to such steps in sustainability." Hessing also previously opted for thinner plastic in its packaging and for mono-material with a focus on recycling. "Our policy is to ensure that our products are not only processed as well and safely as possible, but also that this is done efficiently using less plastic and power."

Bag density

Because of efficiency, in recent years Hessing has increasingly opted for machines in the packaging process that can run continuously with the highest reliability. This allows the fruit and vegetable specialist to pack 80 to 90 products per minute. Speed is crucial, Jeroen points out. Although many other factors are also important in packaging, of course. "For example, the bag density, how well a bag closes, is extremely precise. Even the smallest air hole in a package will cause the vegetables to discolour and make them unsellable," Jeroen explains. 

Expertise

At the production site in Zwaagdijk, there are now six of these 'high-speed' packaging machines from GEA. The global concern develops, among other things, machinery and process technology for the food industry; from complete production to cooling and heat pump technology. Area sales manager Jorie Aerts: "You can find us in the fruit and vegetable industry, but also in the sweets and frozen chips industry, for example. Every day, over 800 of our vertical packaging machines are running throughout the Benelux. Some for 30 years already."

'Good is good'

Hessing and GEA - and Jeroen and Jorie - first encounter each other in 2018 when the former is looking for a new supplier. Initially, the cooperation starts with the supply of one packaging machine. In addition to the six GEA packaging machines in Zwaagdijk, the new location in Venlo includes another seven new packaging lines of the same type. "Good is good," Jeroen explains these repeat purchases briefly but strongly. Then he continues, "With our first machine from GEA, we already knew that bag density was fine. The staff on the production floor can handle the line just fine. Also, the machines can withstand the kind of wet environments we work in."

Continued sustainability

GEA has many years of experience in the food industry. According to Jorie, its expertise is also continuously enriched by further development of its own technology and machines. "One example is user-friendliness. We have, for instance, added extra options to our latest models in the form of videos on how the installation works. In addition, we are continuously investigating how to make processes more sustainable. That's what we have in common with Hessing."

www.hessingsupervers.nl
www.gea.com

Photos ©Bert Jansen Fotografie