Customer story
Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods: "The new tanks ensure continuity in our production process"
Gpi Tanks supplies two stainless steel CIP tanks and two milk tanks for the production of high-quality milk powders
Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods in Gorinchem processes around three million litres of fresh cow’s milk every day, turning it into high-quality milk powders and ingredients. These are used worldwide in the food industry for products such as chocolate, yoghurt and bread. The company also exports its milk powders to countries near the equator, where fresh milk is in limited supply. Two CIP tanks and two stainless steel milk tanks were due for replacement. Gpi supplied these four new stainless steel storage tanks across two projects.
Jan Willem Kevelam, project engineer at Vreugdenhil, was involved in both projects. He explains how the request for the CIP tanks came about: “We have several evaporators that remove the water from the milk, concentrating it in the process. We use a CIP system to clean these evaporators. Two CIP tanks needed replacing, and that’s how the first project came about.”
Choosing Gpi
On the quotation phase, Jan Willem says: “We approached several suppliers. Gpi came out on top on price and lead time. We also had confidence they could deliver. The following year, the request for two new milk tanks followed. We chose Gpi again; they had the best offer.”
"Gpi came out on top on price and lead time. We also had confidence they could deliver."
CIP tank project
In 2024, Gpi supplied two stainless steel CIP tanks with a working volume of 50 m³ to replace the existing tanks. Vreugdenhil uses stainless steel tanks to store diluted caustic soda and nitric acid solutions, used to clean the evaporators. The 8.8-metre-high tanks are fitted with a skirt, which provides stable support for the structure and houses the integrated technical installations.
Stefanie Verdriet, project manager at Vreugdenhil, was involved in the project: “The tanks sit in a new spot in the outdoor area, so we also wanted the whole setup to look tidy. That’s why we built the pumps and instrumentation into the lower part of the tank. That was a deliberate design choice. Gpi’s engineers helped us work out how to fit this practically within the skirt at the base of the tank, so there would be enough room to stand upright and work safely and comfortably underneath it. We also increased the capacity slightly.”
Milk tank project
In 2025, Gpi was awarded the contract to design, manufacture and supply two 200 m³ stainless steel milk tanks. The tanks are used to store raw milk. Jan Willem looks back positively on the design phase: “The engineering process went very smoothly. We stayed in close contact and made a lot of decisions while the 3D model kept evolving alongside them. That let us complete this phase quickly.”
The 18-metre-high tanks are made of 316L stainless steel and are equipped with an agitator. They were delivered with an alcove built into the building, allowing them to integrate seamlessly with the factory’s existing infrastructure. For safe and practical use, the tanks are fitted with a cage ladder and an overflow platform.
The result
These recent projects build on the long-standing partnership between Vreugdenhil and Gpi, which spans several tank-building projects. The milk tanks were installed at Vreugdenhil’s production site in Gorinchem in early 2026. With the new tanks, Vreugdenhil is even better prepared for the future, and the continuity of its production process has been further strengthened.
"We have more capacity, and the tanks are more pleasant to work with for our operators and technical staff"
Jan Willem explains: “Our production runs continuously, so it’s important to have a stable process. The new tanks ensure continuity in the long term. We can look ahead for a good number of years and are pleased with the new tanks now in place.” Stefanie adds: “Besides the continuity, the tanks have also been improved. We have more capacity, and they’re more pleasant to work with for our operators and technical staff.”
