The Marco installation is at the heart of Pandol’s latest major expansion of its cold storage and packing facility, which has now doubled in size to almost 2,000 square metres.
To complement its own extensive grape harvest, the company has nurtured and developed strategic partnerships with fruit growers in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia. This approach allows Pandol to service its home market all year round and supply a diverse range of high-quality fruit to its expanding export market.
During consultative field trials carried out for Pandol, Marco identified significant double-digit percentage pack giveaway, directly impacting its bottom line. However, without adequate line control, ensuring consistent pack weight within legislative requirements while maintaining line speeds and all-important product quality can be a daunting task.
The Marco system overcomes these problems and is now an integral and essential part of the Pandol packhouse operation.
According to Pandol, the expanded facility will employ more than 100 people at its peak, with the largest packing room staying at a constant temperature to maintain the cold chain and enhance produce shelf-life.
“It’s exciting because now our expanded facility features five separate packing lines with 12-36 packers per line,” said Dave Bryan, Pandol’s post-harvest operations manager. “The expansion offers more flexibility and will also meet the growing demand for custom packing, including custom labelling.”
Source: Marco/Pandol
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