Last year, DOM Paletten, a company based in Dormagen, Germany, celebrated its 10th anniversary. For the agricultural sector in particular, DOM pallets offers small and large containers. "For the agricultural sector, it is particularly important that the containers are durable, portable and stackable," says Managing Director Michael Müller.
In the first few years after the company was founded, Müller devoted himself primarily to the sale of wooden pallets. "Then in 2017, a comprehensive restructuring took place and since then I have been dealing with services concerning plastic containers for a wide range of industries, including the agricultural sector." The storage boxes are sourced from Austrian manufacturer Europlast, and in terms of marketing, the company cooperates closely with its Lower Saxony partner Ing.-Büro Bohland (brand bopal).
Persuasion and personal advice on site
In recent years, Müller has been able to assert itself in northern and eastern Germany as a contact point for modern containers in the fruit, vegetable and potato sectors. In the agricultural sector in particular, 'persuasion' and personal advice on site are still decisive today, he says. "In the beginning, it was difficult to gain a foothold as a new supplier in this sector. However, people particularly appreciate it when you show up more often and demonstrate and explain the added value of a certain solution on site. The effects of this can be observed both at medium-sized fruit farms and at larger cooperatives," Müller states.
As a sales representative, Müller can draw on the entire Europlast portfolio. The CTX-MS solution, newly introduced in 2022, is part of the product range as well. "Optimal ventilation and fewer pressure points during storage make the solution stand out. Almost everyone is interested, as the advantages are obvious. Nevertheless, it takes a few years before a new box system actually becomes established. This is again due to the fact that larger cooperatives in particular buy their boxes in large quantities, which means they are covered for several years."
DOM Paletten recently exhibited at the North German Fruit Growing Days in Jork, together with partner Ing.-Büro Bohland (bopal brand).
Repair and recycling instead of investments
In addition, according to Müller, the current uncertainties have an inhibiting effect on the willingness to invest. In this regard, he points to the dark mood at the past Norddeutschen Obstbautagen in Jork. "Not just the increased electricity and energy prices, but the entire situation is having a noticeable impact on the industry. People are trying to cut costs everywhere, which leads, among other things, to an increased reliance on repair and recycling of old boxes instead of investing in new containers."
Complicating matters further is the current logistics situation, which is also causing problems for suppliers to the agricultural sector. "Delivery times for materials have recovered to some extent in recent months. However, the next sticking point is the freight forwarders, i.e. the shortage of drivers. We don't need complete trucks on a daily basis, as the lion's share goes via groupage. Nevertheless, even in our day-to-day practice, there are always extended waiting times due to a lack of drivers."
For more information:
DOM Paletten - Michael Müller
Krefelder Straße 42
D-41539 Dormagen
Tel.: +49 (0) 21 33 53 06 61
Fax: +49 (0) 21 33 24 40 10
E-Mail: mueller@dompaletten.de
www.dompaletten.de
bopal / Ing.-Büro Bohland
Vor den Secheln 7
31693 Hespe
Tel: + 49 5724 902242
E-mail: info@bopal.de
www.bopal.de