Lerøy renovates without production downtime

At Lerøy Seafood Netherlands in Urk, large volumes of salmon are processed daily into fresh and smoked products for supermarkets and customers around the world. In a production environment where hygiene and food safety are paramount, buildings and installations must also remain in top condition. Thanks to the partnership with Jackit, this is achieved without shutting down production.

Lerøy Seafood Group was founded in 1899 and has since grown into a global seafood company. With around 6,000 employees, the company produces millions of fish meals every day, sold in more than eighty countries. At the Dutch locations, the primary focus is on processing salmon into fresh and smoked products. Klaas Pieter Weerstand has been working at Lerøy Seafood Netherlands for three years now. His background is in fisheries. “I’m now part of the technical service team and work across all four of our company’s locations in Urk,” he says. “That variety keeps the job interesting. From coffee machines to filleting machines, everything comes up,” he adds with a smile.

Outsourcing renovation

With multiple production sites and intensive use, buildings inevitably require maintenance. “Our artisanal smokehouse, for example, is a building that’s about thirty years old,” Klaas Pieter explains. For the technical service team, this means additional work. “The six of us are responsible for four buildings and all the machinery. It’s often all hands on deck—or suddenly quiet. So it’s helpful to outsource renovation projects.” The direct collaboration with Jack Pluim of Jackit started with a maintenance job. A ceiling in one of the buildings needed replacing. This had to be done over the weekend to avoid disrupting production. Jack and his team were available. Jack explains: “We started Friday afternoon at 4:00 PM, and by Saturday morning at 8:00 AM, it was done. About 300 square meters of ceiling in a single day.”

No downtime

That first project led to more. It ultimately resulted in Jackit renovating all Lerøy locations in Urk. The approach is practical and flexible. “Work is carried out at night, so production doesn’t come to a halt,” Klaas Pieter explains. “That’s incredibly important for us.” According to him, trust also plays a major role. “What we really appreciate is the way they work. Everything is left clean and tidy. The team is careful, even in the cafeteria or restrooms. That says a lot about a company.” Jack also works with a fixed crew. “You keep seeing the same faces. That builds trust and makes collaboration easy.”

Hygienic with Sealwise

During the renovation, walls, ceilings, and sealant work are completely renewed. Jackit uses Sealwise panels and Seal Food sealant. Jack: “Sealwise panels are antibacterial and specifically designed for hygienic environments such as the food industry. They contain Sealwise Protect, which includes added silver ions. This actively combats bacteria.” Maintenance also becomes easier. “The panels are smooth and waterproof. In practice, that means you can often just rinse them down to clean them.” In addition to the panels, new sealant is applied at Lerøy. In total, around 15,000 meters of sealant have been replaced. Old joints were carefully removed first. “That’s precision work,” Jack explains. “We have specialists for that.”

The Seal Food sealant used is specifically developed for the food industry. It is a high-quality silicone sealant that is mold-resistant, remains elastic, and is highly resistant to moisture, water, and intensive cleaning. As a result, joints remain hygienic and low-maintenance for a long time. Impact protection edges are also installed along the walls, preventing transport carts from hitting the wall panels. “That way, a cart hits the edges first, not the wall.”

No worries

For Lerøy’s technical service team, the renovation mainly brings peace of mind. “When inspection authorities walk through the factory now, they do so with a smile,” Klaas Pieter says. This saves the technical team a great deal of time. “In the past, we spent a lot of time on repairs and adjustments ourselves. Now we don’t have to worry about it anymore and can focus on operational tasks.” When asked to summarize the collaboration with Jackit in three words, Klaas Pieter doesn’t hesitate: “Short lines, trust, and no hassle.”

www.leroyseafood.nl
www.jackit.nl

Photos: © Koos Groenewold