Drone flyover video of new packing facility
A Behind the Scenes Look at Baker Flats - CMI's Latest Apple & Cherry Facility
According to Katharine Grove, Marketing Specialist at CMI, the new facility is so expansive that capturing the size and scope presented a major challenge. “There is really no way to appreciate the magnitude of this facility without seeing it from the air. So that’s exactly what we did in the video, using an HD drone to shoot the plant from above,” she said. “We also took some calculated risks with the shoot, precariously flying a drone inside our new facility above live-running apple lines to show the notable features of the new plant.”
Grove suggests that over the last twenty years there have been very few apple facilities of this size built from the ground up. “Most apple packing plants here are grown incrementally, with growers gradually expanding and adding on to existing warehouses,” says Grove. “McDougall & Sons started with a detailed plan, a large chunk of open land, and built it 100% from the ground up.”
Bryon McDougall, Vice President of McDougall & Sons says the plant required more than five years of planning and construction. “Looking at the future growth of our company orchards plus the growth of our independent grower base, we knew the only way moving forward was building a brand new facility. While building from the ground up is more costly, strategically it was the best option for managing our future needs.”
The new McDougall & Sons’ facility is already packing all conventional apple varieties including Red Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady and Ambrosia™ which are marketed by CMI.
Building Facts
Completed: July 2014 (apple room)/June 2015 (cherry room)
Size: Over 500,000 square feet
Separate apple and cherry facilities
Packaged fruit capacity: 350,000 cartons
CA storage capacity: One million cartons
Packing capacity per shift: 12,000 cartons
15 open loading docks with expansion to 30