On Monday, 29 March, in Belgium, Nicolaï Fruit officially moved into its new premises. The new site is 6,500m2 in total, including 600m2 of offices. "The old location was becoming far too small. We'd been renting extra storage space and loading docks for several years. That was to compensate for the lack of space," says Johan De Gendt and Hannah Nicolai. "Now, everything will happen at a centralized location. That allows us to work much more efficiently and quickly."
“All the office staff had moved on the previous weekend already. And last weekend it was all the equipment's turn. It's a very challenging operation. Not only volume-wise but also in terms of automation. We'll continue to work with SAP Business One. That's the same ERP system. But now, with a more sophisticated warehouse layout and more sites. We're extremely well prepared. However, it's always possible that some unforeseen issues will crop up this week. But these are things we can resolve quickly. Our customers won't be inconvenienced at all by the move," Johan says.
The new warehouse is split into three different temperature zones. There's a cold space of around 2°C, And one of between 8 and 10°C for products like tomatoes. Then there's a 14 to 16°C area. "This way of working is better for products. We'll also be optimizing our existing clients' order picking. The extra space will enable us to work much more efficiently. And, of course, to grow as a company. We've expanded considerably in the past six to seven years. COVID-19's given us extra incentive too. That's because retail is our biggest market," continues Johan.
Safety and sustainability were also considered. "The cooling is done naturally with glycol. That's a plus concerning food safety. And the heat recovered from this system warms the offices. The 1,400 solar panels on the roof also make us entirely green. There will, of course, be car and bicycle loading bays too. It's become a truly modern, very environmentally-friendly office. Our company considers that vital, and our customers increasingly expect it," adds Hannah.
“We want to get completely comfortably settled. Then we'll start working on developing new products and services. The coronavirus pandemic is making the entire market change even more rapidly. That includes safety, packaging, the online story, and track & trace. But also, for example, taste sensation, origin, and health. We want to continue expanding our services in these areas. We want to grow and innovate along with our customers. In short, we have plenty to keep us busy in the coming years," Johan and Hannah conclude.
For more information:
Johan De Gendt
Hannah Nicolaï
Nicolaï Fruit
59-N Kernielerweg
3840, Borgloon, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 122 60 180
Email: johan.degendt@nicolaifruit.be
Email: hannah@nicolaifruit.be
Website: www.nicolaifruit.be