Kivits Logistics Group's second cold storage at Dutch Fresh Port, named Ridderkerk 2, was delivered last Friday 19 December. The building stands on an area of 4.5 hectares and has 34,000 m2 of floor space, including a packaging floor of 9,000 m2. The building has 30 cold store rooms (from 140 to 1,200 pallets per cold store), 42 loading docks and a lot of space for added value activities, such as ripening and packing, changing and repacking fruit. The new building was built next to the premises of VGK Cool Logistics, also a subsidiary of the Kivits Logistics Group.
© Kivits
Completion 19 December
Pressure on space Rotterdam Fruit Wharf
The Kivits Logistics Group subsidiaries, Kivits Goes Handling and Rotterdam Fruit Wharf, will use this new location and further intensify their cooperation. "As a group, we are growing and thriving," says CEO Rob van Opzeeland. "For instance, we are currently very successful at Rotterdam Fruit Wharf (RFW) with the arrivals of conventional ships carrying grapes, oranges and melons. For example, we recently made a deal for additional melon boats, so we really need the space in Rotterdam for the conventional ships. That gave pressure on space, which is why we were keen to take the containerised trade, which often needs to be packed as well, away from RFW."
"In addition, we still operate with our sister company Kivits Goes Handling in the old premises of HillFresh and Olympic Fruit. Given the development of that site, we were also keen to move that business to Ridderkerk 2," Rob continues. The construction of the new site at Ridderkerk proceeded at record speed. On 1 April the first pile went into the ground, and last Friday 19 December the new building was completed. "Much faster could not have been possible, but we were also in a hurry because we are growing considerably. Besides, building fast always results in cost efficiency."
Right now, hard work is being done to clean the premises and the final touches, barcodes on the shelving, wifi and new office furniture, are being set up. "The cubicles will go straight into use for the South African grape season. Those pallets are on their way and 2 January the first containers will arrive. The completion of phase 2 will follow in April."
© Kivits
17 citrus net lines
According to Rob, the huge growth experienced by Kivits Logistics Group is due to the fact that the company can take care of the entire chain from grower/exporter to delivery to supermarkets from A to Z. "We can offer all that with our own equipment, think of receiving the ships, national and international transport, cooling and ripening, but we are also large-scale in packing and repacking. For instance, we have as many as 17 citrus net lines within our group. This allows us to add a lot of value to our customers. Combined with the scale, this gives us a certain position. The cooperation in the group means that the sister companies are very mutually reinforcing, but from their own identity, they can still take care of their own customers with the right eye for detail. Organising big across the group what makes sense, and in operations not too big, but very close to the customer."
At the new premises, products are cleared, ripened and/or packaged, and then distributed to European retailers, among others. "What helps us is that, from our distant history, we are used to working with retail and thinking as retailers. We have also stated clearly and unequivocally that we want to be and remain a family business. That seems to work well in the fruit and inspires confidence among customers," Rob concludes. Ridderkerk 2 will therefore not be the last new building location, according to him. "We have another great plan ready for the next ten years!"
For more information:
Rob van Opzeeland
Kivits Logistics Group B.V.
[email protected]
www.kivitslogisticsgroup.com
