Industrial hall Versland Selection renovated and extended

Due to the small margins for fresh produce and the generally low liquidity of producers, it is unreasonable to use long payment periods. “Producers could go bankrupt if they have to wait too long for their money,” says Arjo. Versland uses a pre-arranged compensation for bringing radishes, leaf crops, vegetables, cabbages, herbs, and fruiting vegetables on the market. Windfalls such as higher prices per product or more sales directly benefit the producers. Producers also get production support to coordinate supply and demand. “Our production specialists regularly visit the producers for extra support during sowing, fertilizing, and harvesting. A personal connection and knowing what is going on is very important to us.”
 
Versland is a good partner for producers, retailers, vegetable processors, and packers because of its business views. Versland has grown in a healthy way with 120 producers, of which 53 produce all year round, and customers everywhere in Europe. Arjo is very proud of the fact that the rebuilding of the industrial hall has been paid out of their own pocket. The transfer took place on 2 March 2015, after which the rebuilding and redecoration started.
 
After building two new cool storage units, they decided to extend the cool storage even more. At the moment, there is cooled storage space for 2000 pallets, distributed over nine storage units with their own climate control. This way the perfect climate can be created for every product, so the very best quality can be supplied. An automatic heat exchanger uses the condensation from one storage unit to cool another storage unit, this way we use sustainable cooling. There will be three more storage units built in the future, so the storage space will increase to a total of 2600 pallets. In addition to the storage units, the industrial area is cooled as well, and there is a vacuum cooler to cool the supplied products at the desired temperature.
 
The outdated office space and canteen have been modernized, so the appearance matches the working methods. The outside of the building will be upgraded as well, which means new wallcovering. The rear of the building is now completely closed, this way there is room for the barrels, the waste containers, and the parking. The rebuilding of the expedition office is still going on and will be done in a few months. A great improvement compared to the old situation is the raised expedition office, this way there is a better overview of the loading docks. For the drivers, who are mostly foreign, showers have been installed, so they can freshen up after a long drive. The routing of the drivers will be more transparent, so the logistics will be more efficient.
 
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The quality control has been centralized. Five inspectors check the incoming and outgoing products to guarantee the quality. Repacking is done when the quality is not as desired or for export products. A specialized employment agency supplies skilled employees for this intensive manual process. The centralization scores big with regard to efficiency. In addition, the safety has been improved because there are fewer accidents with moving forklifts.
 
The washing line for arugula, dandelion salad, spinach, and radishes has been modernized by using lifting systems. Containers with products in buffers are put on the washing line using the lift system. This way the use of forklift in a wet area is limited, thus increasing the safety and efficiency of employees. Another improvement of the washing line is the addition of organic cloth filter. This machine filters product residues from the rinsing water, so the rinsing water is cleaner and can be used more efficiently.
 
The sorting and packing lines are being upgraded as well. In time, there will be more size sorting machines for the radishes, to better meet the requirements of the customers. The current packing machines will be replaced gradually by new modern packing machines. These are easier to set for different packing materials and sizes. This way Versland can be more flexible in meeting the changes in the market and it will be easier to implement new product concepts. Now rectangular bags for radishes can be supplied instead of triangular bags. The assembly lines will be replaced with buffers, which will be filled using the lift system. This way product damage can be minimalized.