Yield Control System helps ‘growing’ mushroom producer improve productivity
A Yield Control System installed by pack-house profitability experts Marco is bringing rapid benefits to Lancashire based Smithy Mushrooms.
A Yield Control System installed by pack-house profitability experts Marco is bringing rapid benefits to Lancashire based Smithy Mushrooms.
Smithy is a well established, privately owned specialist grower of a diverse portfolio of mushrooms; ranging from the humble field mushroom through to spectacular and exotic fungi such as pink and yellow oyster mushrooms, portobello, eryngii, shimeji, enoki, Shiitake and Pholiota. Their customers range from small vegetable wholesalers and restaurants up to food manufacturers and supermarkets.
The twin line, six station Marco YCM system is primarily used for packing 125 g punnets for Tesco, with whom Smithy have a long relationship stretching back almost 20 years. (Smithy won Tesco’s coveted ‘Salad Grower of the Year’ award in 2009). The manual packing of mushrooms requires a balance of speed, accuracy and care to ensure the product reaches the consumer in tip top condition. However maintaining pack weights within legal Packer’s Code tolerances, whilst minimising pack giveaway, presents a tricky challenge.
The Marco YCM system effectively de-skills the packing operation through the use of some clever software and hardware. Operators require minimum training and rapidly tune into the Marco systems, which are designed to provide simple visual commands during the packing process.
Smithy owner John Dorrian is delighted with the Marco system “When you’re packing over 45,000 punnets a week, every gram of giveaway has an important affect on profitability. Although we are a relatively small company we are prepared to invest in the latest technology to remain competitive. However, we need to be sure any investments provide a secure and rapid return. I am amazed at the improvements we are seeing.
Not only has our giveaway dropped from double digit levels to fractions of a gram, but also our productivity has improved significantly without any impact on quality. This is good news for us and our customers. Based on the results so far, we expect to have paid for the Marco system in just over six months.”
Source: Marco
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