Strawberry Plant Uses Marco Packaging Equipment
Specialist packaging equipment supplied by Marco is said to be playing a vital role at The Co-operative Group's newly commissioned strawberry-packing plant in Longforgan, near Dundee. Marco supplied its Trac-IT data management system, Linemaster checkweighers, in-feed and out-feed conveyor systems, a high-speed twin-top labelling machine and end-of-line packaging equipment. The new plant represents a total investment of more than GBP2m and has been specifically built to pack local 'Grown by Us' strawberries from the group's own farm at Blairgowrie. The Co-operative Farms, part of The Co-operative Group, supplies Co-operative food stores with 'Grown by Us' produce. The Longforgan plant has a seasonal throughput capacity of around 800 tonnes, equating to more than three million punnets. The manual packing of strawberries requires a fine balance to blend operator speed and accuracy, with the added need for careful handling to avoid any fruit damage. Accurate and r...