A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Wednesday, Aug. 10 at the site of a new 90,000-square-foot facility for Volm Companies in Pasco, Wash. Volm provides packaging and equipment solutions to the fresh produce industry.
At the new facility, mesh bags and other packaging will be manufactured for the potato and onion industries in the Northwest. In addition, the facility will inventory onion and potato packing machinery and parts.
Potatoes and onions rank as the Nos. 1 and 2 most important produce varieties for Volm. “We produce and distribute nearly any type of packaging used in the storing, packaging and shipping of fresh potatoes and onions,” says Volm communications manager Marsha Verwiebe. “We also offer the most complete line of scales and bagging equipment available in the market today.”
The Pasco location will serve western states, including Washington, Oregon, California and the western Canadian provinces.
In 2007, Volm acquired a packaging supply company based in Pasco. With Volm’s expertise in self-manufactured packaging products, the company was able to supply the onion and potato growers and shippers in the area with more solutions.
“We differentiate ourselves, as we offer both equipment and packaging solutions,” says Verwiebe. “The need for automation in the handling, packing and shipping of fresh produce has driven our growth.”
“Due to growth, the main facility now is too small, forcing us to house our inventory in other facilities and use modular buildings onsite to accommodate our current staff,” says Volm president and CEO Daniel Mueller. “Our goal is to strive to be the most valued partner to our customers, and this new facility will help us more efficiently meet their daily service needs from a centralized location, as well as more completely meet our customers’ increasing standards for food safety.”
Construction of the new facility is expected to be completed in spring of 2017.
Source: Fresh Plaza