01.07.2021

Leading the future of fruit exports new kiwi sizer and grape sizer for PROTO

NEWS

 “The biggest risk of all is not taking one” is a famous quote said by Mellody Hobson the chairwoman of the Starbucks Corporation. At Protofanousi Fruits SA, the largest Greek Kiwifruit and Cherries supplier and a force to be reckoned with at Table Grapes, we keep this quote close the heart because we know that leading does not come by playing it safe. Along the way, mayn opportunities were identified. Together with PROTO's hard work, our ever expanding clientele came to realize that Greek fruit is not only amongst the best in the world but with proper storing and handling, consistent quality and availability, long term relationships between PROTO and demanding customers can flourish.

 

Another milestone: brand-new kiwi sizer

 

Protofanousi Fruits SA, in its' almost centennial existence has reached another major milestone. After three years of extensive research and with many sizer suppliers presenting amazing solutions, we are more than excited to announce that PROTO has reached an agreement with Compac/Icoel for obtaining a brand new, state of the art kiwifruit sizer/sorter. This new machine consists of 12 lanes, is fully automated at all production stages and is equipped with latest technology optical sorting hardware and software supplied by world leader Tomra. With a capacity of packing 40 pallets per hour, PROTO will be able to meet any customer demand worldwide.

 

A force in grapes: new PROTO grape sizer

 

PROTO is also expanding even further with Table Grapes! A brand new Table Grapes packing line by Marco UK is already in the works and will be fully operational as early as the upcoming Table Grapes season. Detailed weighing and monitoring systems as well as the highly efficient overall design will allow for PROTO to pack approximately 40 pallets of punnets per day whilst maintaining the high quality our clients are accustomed to.

Both investments fall under an investment plan of 11 million euro and is expected to be fully implemented by 2023.

 

Waves of investment: cherries in the lead: continuous investments

All of the above moves are pieces of the strong PROTO corporate strategy: to invest in technology in order to offer the best, faster. In line with this strategy were the investments in cherries that took place the past few years.

While the Cherry sorter was just 4 years old, PROTO decided to proceed to two major upgrades in 2019 and 2020. Last year, the investment included the Cherry Vision 3 quality management system by Unitec: a system that includes more cameras positioned in various angles, in order for every single cherry to be inspected in full and discarded if necessary. This new system provides even better consistency in quality especially when the cherries are affected by weather in a bigger percentage than usual.

 

Quality, Quantity, Duration.

As Nikos Protofanousis, the PROTO CEO and owner, points out, the key principles for our company's growth remain the same along the years: Quality, Quantity, Duration. The recent multi-million investments, are a part of that, ensuring the daily goal of Protofanousi Fruits: to keep making our customers happy!

 

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