Customer story
Oliehoorn: ‘The new tanks are an important part of our sustainability process’
Gpi Tanks delivers 8 stainless steel tanks for a sustainable expansion project
Oliehoorn is a Dutch family-owned company that has been producing sauces and oils for the foodservice, retail, and food industry for over forty years. The company is taking the next step in sustainability with the construction of a new factory that operates fully gas-free and electric. For this project, Oliehoorn partnered with Synamic, an independent specialist in project management and technological innovation within the food industry. As part of this trajectory, Gpi Tanks supplied eight stainless steel tanks to replace the existing indoor tanks. We spoke about the project and the collaboration with Atso de Jong, Director of Operations at Oliehoorn, and Bas Veenstra, Technical Project Manager at Synamic.
Atso de Jong explains the motivation for the project: “With the ambition to become the most sustainable sauce producer in the Netherlands and to meet the growing market demand, we launched a sustainable expansion project to build a fully gas-free and energy-efficient factory. Together with Synamic, we explored what was needed to achieve this.” Bas Veenstra adds: “An important part of this expansion and sustainability project was renewing the tank farm. The existing tanks needed to be replaced and relocated to make room for the building extension. For this, eight new stainless steel tanks were required, positioned outside the facility. That’s where Gpi came into the picture.”
Choosing Gpi
Looking back at the start of the process, Bas recalls: “Over a year ago, we at Synamic initiated a tender process involving several parties for the delivery of the eight tanks. In this process, we didn’t just look at the price, but also at the completeness and quality of the proposal. Together with Oliehoorn, we ultimately chose Gpi. Both their approach and their professional, well-prepared presentation immediately gave us confidence.”
About the assignment
For this project, Gpi Tanks handled the complete engineering and production of eight stainless steel storage tanks with a capacity of 40 m³ each. These included seven oil tanks and one vinegar tank for bulk storage. The oil tanks were insulated and equipped with dimple plates for efficient temperature control, as well as agitators. The entire set of tanks was installed on a steel platform measuring 14,000 x 850 mm, including a 7,500 mm caged ladder and the necessary safety features.
The tanks replaced the existing indoor tanks. As the building was being expanded, the tanks had to be relocated. In the end, it was decided to replace the old tanks with new stainless steel tanks, installed outside the building, with a larger capacity than before.
Transport and installation
Engineering and production of the storage tanks were carried out by Gpi Tanks Poland, after which the tanks were transported in two partial deliveries by truck to Oliehoorn’s site. Gpi Tanks Netherlands was responsible for sales and the final on-site installation. This way, the strength of Gpi’s international collaboration was fully utilized: efficient production in Poland combined with the expertise and service of the Dutch team.
Bas comments on the delivery and installation: “Gpi carried out the installation excellently and entirely to our satisfaction. Within two days, all tanks were in place. What we also greatly appreciated was that Gpi provided a dedicated safety officer on-site, ensuring that work was carried out safely at all times.”
About the collaboration and the result
Bas looks back with satisfaction on the cooperation with Gpi: “Working with Gpi was very pleasant, with clear communication and efficient meetings. You notice they have extensive experience with these kinds of projects, which made everything run smoothly. As with any project, some adjustments were needed here and there, but Gpi handled those excellently as well.”
With the delivery of the eight stainless steel tanks, an important step has been taken towards further sustainability of the factory. Atso is enthusiastic about the new tanks: “With the arrival of the new tanks, we are taking a big step towards a more sustainable factory. We will reduce our energy consumption by as much as 40% and move towards fully CO₂-neutral production. Since the tanks now empty from the bottom, we are also improving the quality of our process. In addition, the new layout creates extra space, allowing us to further expand the factory and increase filling capacity.”
