Aviko has officially opened its new cold store in Steenderen. The cold store of 7,200 square metres and a height of 34 metres has been automated to the extent that a team of six people can keep it running.
The new building is located next to Aviko's factory in Steenderen, where it processes potatoes into frozen products. In the cold store, the products are cooled and distributed to all corners of the world. The building has 11 floors and accommodates 40,000 pallets. The indoor temperature is -22 degrees Celsius. According to Aviko, the building is equipped with modern technology and highly automated. Part of this is SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM), which Aviko is currently implementing in all 30 warehouses.
Upon completion of the building, Aviko received sustainability certification BREAAM Outstanding. There are 2,728 solar panels on the roof.
Turnover loss due to corona
Aviko saw demand for chips and other potato products fall sharply in recent months. In the first weeks of the corona crisis, sales fell by 70 per cent, mainly due to the closure of catering outlets and sports canteens. The company sounded the alarm after it seemed for a while that it did not qualify for the NOW scheme. Aviko later received state aid after all.
