Company
RED-KES is a true Westland family business with over 70 years of tomato growing experience. With lots of enthusiasm, they have expanded the nursery into an innovative greenhouse farm of over 7.5 hectares.
Automated
RED-KES has modern cultivation techniques, automated transport and sorting systems. In the greenhouses, employees provide harvesting of the tomatoes and crops. The harvested tomatoes are transported to the processing area through a fully automated transport system (total length 2 km)
Sorting system
In the processing room, the boxes of the transport vehicle are pushed down and individually placed automatically in the sorting system. Five weighing units weigh the tomatoes up to 5 kilos per box. Then the boxes come via a conveyor belt to a collecting pallet where automatic stacking and packaging takes place.
Packaging
RED-KES has its own box folding machine that makes it possible to manufacture custom-made orders. The tomatoes are packed and delivered in any desired box. In addition, RED-KES has developed its own, highly recognizable RED-KES box. This new box is available on request.
Delivery
The average annual production of tomatoes is about 5 million kilos. Sales, including Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and England, take place through StC International. Through this collaboration, interests are handled in terms of sales and administration. RED-KES supplies as much as possible to the same customer. This system guarantees short lines in the alignment of quality, volume, packaging, logistic handling and communication.
CHPs
There are two huge turbine engines, called Warmth Power Couplings (CHP) of each 3.6 megawatt, which provide heat, electricity and CO2 generation. These are important ingredients for the growth of the crop and the tomatoes. The turbine engines float a huge aggregate that produces electricity. The resulting heat is stored in a number of buffer tanks and used in the greenhouses.
Electricity
This process releases flue gases that are blown into the greenhouses after filtering as clean CO2. The plants regain CO2 and convert them into oxygen. The generated electricity is only partly used internally, most of it is sold to the energy company Westland Infra. A part of the Westland households are thus powered daily.
Organic crop protection
Every day the crop is checked for diseases and pests. biological crop protection takes place during the entire cultivation process. Koppert Biological Systems is the home supplier of these biological systems. The company supplies bumblebees for natural pollination. Nesting cases are placed throughout the greenhouse. The workers ensure the pollination of the flowers that grow into fruit, vine tomatoes. This form of pollination saves labor costs (previously done by hand) and improving the quality of the fruit.
Certification
RED-KES is Global Gap certified. This quality system has been compiled by a number of European supermarket organizations to optimally ensure the quality of food in supermarkets. This safety system defines the requirements that growers and suppliers of fruit and vegetables must comply with. In addition to food safety, Global Gap also paid attention to environment, nature and working conditions. In short, RED-KES contributes to a sustainable and environmentally responsible society!