When the CEO of Tobi Seeobst, Benno Neff learned about the fire in one of his warehouses, he knew (our report on the fire), that he had to start rebuilding immediately. He feared at the time that a delay would cause business losses to cause more financial damage than the fire itself. Therefore, he requested the new construction only ten days after the fire, which was probably started by four young adults.
Now, the completion of the first part of the hall is scheduled for mid-September, the second part is to follow in early October. The quick setup is unusual: the company, offices, insurance companies and all companies involved have acted quickly, says Neff. Fortunately, when planning the rebuilding, it was mostly possible to access existing plans. The existing floor could also be partially used again. "That, too, has enabled rapid reconstruction, and there have not been any objections," says Neff.
Good fruit harvest
This year, twice the previous year's harvest will be harvested, but such fluctuations are not uncommon in the orchards. The yield is fluctuating. This year's heat has reduced yields by a good 10%, but this has just little impact on the crop. Neff explains that the sunny month of April was the deciding factor.
The fire in March destroyed 1,200 tons of stored fruit, intended for sale. The hall itself was only seven years old. Although the new hall is very similar to the old one, it has been upgraded, making it one of the most modern fruit storage warehouses in the world.
The hall has room for 3,500 tons of fruit and has cost seven million francs. The walls are highly insulated and the gates will seal the chambers airtight. The environment is deadly to humans: "The apples are put into a kind of hibernation so they stay fresh," he explains. "For this purpose, the oxygen is withdrawn to a level of 0.3 to 0.2 percent of the air." In addition to oxygen, temperature plays a crucial role. The fruit is cooled down gradually. On hot days, the apples experience temperatures of up to 30 degrees. "The oxygen content of the air is slowly diminished, so that the apples are not stressed too much."
Source: tagblatt.ch