The Urker Zalmhuys is ready for the future

In 2016 a major renovation started, which will be completed in 2020. The business premises will then be five times as large. In the meantime, a large part of the fresh produce department has been renovated. Various new machines have also been purchased. In the field of labelling machines, Espera's ES7000 series has been chosen three times.

In the company building in Urk fresh salmon from Norway is cleaned, filleted, portioned, packed, weighed and labelled. On average 120 tons of fresh salmon and 20 tons of smoked salmon are processed per week. Diederik van Spronsen knows that the demand for salmon is doing well. "We have noticed that the demand for salmon is increasing. A major advantage is that the supply of cultivated salmon is very stable compared to wild sea fish'.

"We distinguish ourselves with quality and excellent hygiene"

The Urker Zalmhuys distinguishes itself in the field of quality and hygiene. We aim for excellent quality, even if the purchase prices are slightly higher as a result. In addition, Van Spronsen attaches great importance to excellent hygiene. In recent years several salmon processors have been in the negative news after a Listeria infection. We have invested in the highest possible level of hygiene. We have a special disinfection area, our Dirty Care Area, where the mucus layer of the fish is removed. We also have a special High Care department, where our salmon is filleted. In addition, we disinfect frequently and thoroughly. Our product is guaranteed to be good. This enables us to deliver worldwide. Customers who would like to see for themselves how we deal with our products are most welcome to visit our premises in Urk.

Choosing Espera for quality and service

In the field of weighing and labelling machines, a collaboration was established with Espera Nederland. "This choice has to do with a bit of quality and reliability", explains Van Spronsen. "Moreover, we were told by companies around us that they had good experiences with the Espera machines they have running. In Urk they work a lot with Espera. That's why we decided to work with this supplier".

The ES7000 series of weighing and labelling machines was chosen. "We first purchased one, then another and now number three has also been installed. The machines are in-line, behind a thermoformer. The machines are equipped with a manually adjustable weighing belt, so that both salmon sides with a product length of 600 mm and portions of salmon can be processed. That works very easily".

All software and functions meet the requirements of European retailers and the machines are linked online to Claever ERP (formerly Vekrasoft). "Should any problems arise, both Espera's helpdesk and mechanics are always on standby."