Only 5 people work in our greenhouse every day. Everything is processed in our industrial hall so that the Phalaenopsis can grow in peace in the greenhouse. Maarel Orchids has a large internal logistics system to deliver 115.000 plants every week. With 6 cranes, 2 trains, 8 robots, 6 cameras and more than 20 km of conveyor belt, we arrange our internal transport every day. With this automated system we keep that sharp focus in which our strength lies. A Phalaenopsis with an average of 2 branches and 14 flowers in a constant quality.
With such an automated system, everything goes automatically, right?! You would think so, but such a large system also entails a mountain of maintenance. That is where the Maarel Orchids technical team comes into play. Rogier and Samir ensure that the system can run every day. Our so-called “process guards”.
When Rogier started at Maarel Orchids in 2007, the construction of our location in Maasdijk was in full swing. Because there were many new developments in the field of automation during that period, this new greenhouse was built to provide space for this. This also created the need for a maintenance engineer. Now, 16 years later, the team is 2 men strong. About 2.5 years ago, Samir started working with us through a work-learning trajectory and is now in permanent employment.
Besides the planned maintenance, they do a lot of preparatory work for our energy transition and the replacement of the robots and machines. Some of these robots were already in use at our old location in De Lier. Last year our potting machine was replaced for an upgrade and you must have seen it on our socials, after 23 years our planting robot was allowed to retire and has made room for a new one. You can imagine that in a company that is completely dependent on its internal transport, these changes are quite drastic. Then it is nice to have a permanent team ready to ensure that all preparations and adjustments in the system run smoothly.