Spar invests 5.5 million in the largest logistics center of the Canary Islands for fruit and vegetables - La Provincia
Spar Gran CanariaIt is premiere. An innovative logistics center inMercalaspalmas, the largest of the entire archipelago, is the new commitment of the food company. A 5,000 square meter platform for the storage and distribution of vegetables and fresh fruit. The chain of supermarkets leader in the sale of this type of products increases with this ship by 36% the surface of its platform with respect to the previous installation, so that it can store more than 630,000 kilos of fruit and vegetables daily. The new center was inaugurated this Tuesday byAngel Medina, president of Spar Gran Canaria,Antonio Morales, president ofCabildo of Gran Canaria, YAugusto Hidalgo, mayor of the capital city council.
Theinvestment of 5.5 million eurosIt will improve the quality of products and optimize processes. Spar Gran Canaria currently receivesmore than 140,000 kilos of fresh food, 55% of them receive it directly from local suppliers becausemore than 200 Canarian farmersThey sell their crops to the company. In the last five years this number has increased by 40%, which demonstrates the company's commitment to the primary sector of the Islands.
"I am sad to visit the Summitand see how there is a lot of abandoned land, the Canaries have to value the work of the farmers and our commitment to the primary sector is growing, "Medina explained minutes before cutting the tape that inaugurated the facilities. Boost the product" kilometer 0 "It is another priority of the company." With this investment the cold chain is not lost and the product taken from the land is in less than eight hours at the consumer's table, "said the president of the company.
Morales took the opportunity tothank the help of Spar Gran Canaria to the population during the firesthat ravaged the island in August. The president also recognized the company's work in supporting the agricultural sector. "If everyone did what this company does it would decrease the amount of abandoned land and our primary sector would contribute more to the growth of the Canary GDP," said the insular president.
With this new platform the company gives a radical change in the distribution model of its products to stores. The ship has two differentiated merchandise reception docks to host the local fresh produce. It also has a large refrigerated storage area of 3,400 square meters and a state-of-the-art warehouse management system guided by voice picking and light picking. Two new technologies that will increase the efficiency and productivity of the center by 30%. Among the novelties also highlights the incorporation of four ripening chambers, a pioneering technological commitment in the Canary Islands.
Hidalgo, as president of Mercalaspalmas, thanked the food company for choosing the public entity to invest and not doing so in "private zone" although this would have been "more profitable for the company." The mayor of the capital city council assured that "this decision will guarantee thatThe small farmer has access to these facilitiesand can make economies of scale in order to survive. "
Environmental measures have also been a priority in this new project. Spar Gran Canaria bets ona refrigeration installation that requires glycol fluid, so that it reduces the use of refrigerant gases, which are more polluting for the environment. Another of the measures implemented has been the use of machinery with lithium batteries, which has prevented the use of lead. The platform also has the installation of aself-consumption photovoltaic platewhich allows saving annually the emission of 136 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. The use of Led type luminaire and the creation of internal clean points with machinery prepared for waste disposal are other initiatives included in the implementation of this logistics center.
