An additives line for the new Lamb Weston/Meijer factory

An additives line for the new Lamb Weston/Meijer factory

“Gpi is an enthusiastic club with expertise and stands for good cooperation!” 

'We don't see a potato, we see more. We see opportunities. Opportunities to feed the growing world population, opportunities for new products for our customers and new production methods.' With this message, Lamb Weston/Meijer (LWM) introduces us to its company. Lamb Weston/Meijer is one of the world's largest potato processors and known for its frozen coated and uncoated fries and other potato products such as potato flakes and specially shaped products such as Twisters and Crisscuts. With the construction of a new flake factory to expand the existing production location in Kruiningen, the annual production capacity can be increased by 180,000 tons. In this way, LWM meets the increasing demand for dried potato flakes. Gpi De Gouwe was able to supply the additive preparation system for the new location.

“It took some time to get to the final point additive line design, but this has resulted in an additive production system that perfectly meets the customer's wishes,” says Leo Smits, Sales Design Manager at Gpi De Gouwe. The system adds additives to the potato flakes easily and in a user-friendly manner, so that the consistent product quality of the potato products is guaranteed all year round. Potatoes are a natural product whose quality depends on the conditions during the growth of the potato and the harvest season. The addition of so-called additives (for example emulsifiers) is important to maintain a constant quality of the end product. Additives can be added to the potato starch in simple and accurate doses via Gpi's new additive system to the potato flakes that will be produced in the new factory.

The additive preparation system (additiveline) for the new factory consists of, among other things, Big Bag unloading stations, vacuum transport systems, dosing and mixing tanks, tilting containers and necessary pipework, all made entirely of stainless steel. The choice to work with Gpi was simple. “Gpi thinks along well, which benefits the design and the budgetary attractive quotation including planning was received quickly. Moreover, Gpi De Gouwe is an open, honest and well-organized company,” says Richard van de Sande, Project Manager Lamb Weston/Meijer know. “We look back on a very pleasant collaboration with an end result that both companies can be proud of,” says Alexander Kraaijkamp, Managing Director Gpi De Gouwe.

Factory with an eye for the future
Sustainability is high on the agenda at Lamb Weston/Meijer. In everything they do, from potato cultivation to smart processing of their products, they aim to do this as efficiently as possible with as little impact on the environment as possible.

The new factory enables LWM to produce fewer emissions. “This is crucial for our sustainability strategy. This investment strengthens Lamb Weston/Meijer's global position and enables our growth ambition, new product innovation and improved service to customers,” said Marc Schroeder, CEO Lamb Weston/Meijer in a press release.

About the customer
Lamb Weston/Meijer has its origins in Kruiningen in Zeeland and formed a joint venture as Meijer Frozen Foods 25 years ago with Lamb Weston from the United States (potato processing company of F. Gilbert Lamb from Weston - Oregon). This successful partnership has grown into a globally operating organization. The company has seven production facilities with more than 1,800 employees. In addition to frozen fries in all shapes and sizes, LWM also supplies dried potato flakes for soup, pasta and mashed potatoes, among other things.
Lamb Weston/Meijer also sells this dried product in Nigeria, under the name Poundo Potato. It is precisely because of its high nutritional value that people are very happy with this versatile potato product. So you see, the employees at Lamb Weston/Meijer see more than a potato, they see opportunities...