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Kornspitz Reaches Lofty Heights backaldrin puts high rack warehouse into operation
Asten, Austria, April 22, 2008 -- Millions of Kornspitz, the popular grain roll from backaldrin, are baked daily in 61 countries around the world. In order to fulfil growing demand in Austria and abroad, Austria’s leading producer of baking goods and Kornspitz inventor backaldrin has constructed a new high rack warehouse at its plant in Asten. The new storage facility has room for 11,800 pallets, which corresponds to a half-year’s supply of the raw materials required for the Kornspitz. The high rack warehouse also sets new fire protection standards. The high quality ingredients for Kornspitz and the other products manufactured by backaldrin are stored at an oxygen content of 15.3 per cent, which would stifle any potential fire.
"The new high rack warehouse contains the global reserves for the Kornspitz, partly at lofty heights", says backaldrin owner Peter Augendopler, referring to the measurements of the new building, which was officially put into operation today. The interior storage area of the modern storage facility boasts a height of 37 meters and a length of 70 meters, with room for 11,800 pallets. Completed in one year, the fully automated high rack warehouse provides the required storage capacity for backaldrin at its Asten production plant up until the year 2011. The underlying reason for this forward-looking expansion is the successful development of the company, combined with a further extension of its export activities, Augendopler adds. backaldrin invested close to EUR 20 million during the 2007/08 financial year to upgrade its facility. In addition to the high rack warehouse, backaldrin also constructed a new quality assurance laboratory as well as additional office space. The warehouse technology and logistics are state-of-the-art, also setting new standards in Austria for fire protection and control engineering. That unpleasant burnt smell, or water, would make the food in the warehouse unusable. For this reason, backaldrin has installed an innovative fire safety system. "The use of nitrogen has enabled us to reduce the oxygen content in the surrounding air from 21 to 15.3 per cent, so that any potential fire would be quickly nipped in the bud," says Stefan Hutter, Managing Director at backaldrin. "If one walks into the warehouse with a burning cigarette, it would be immediately extinguished."
The SAP TRM-based control engineering system regulating storage administration and material logistics is unique in Austria. It is directly linked to the SAP software installed in the customer's office. "Data concerning the raw materials and ingredients on their way to being processed into a finished product is compiled in a unique inventory management system. This is a major advantage in ensuring the traceability of the food, from the raw material supplier to the customer", Stefan Hutter explains. The logistical backbone of backaldrin is the so-called "Spine", at a length of 120 meters. It links the handling of incoming and outgoing goods as well as all production and storage facilities. "One can imagine it to be like a two-lane connecting road, in which the flow of traffic is automatically regulated," Hutter explains.
PURPUR in 40 countries
The "Spine" is not only responsible for the raw materials used in the Kornspitz. backaldrin manufactures more than 400 basic baking ingredients for bread, rolls and pastries, many of which are also available as organic products. Founded in 1964, the family-owned company now successfully operates in more than 80 countries, 15 with own subsidiaries. The export quota exceeds a level of 75 per cent. In addition to the Kornspitz, backaldrin has also established numerous other successful brands, such as PURPUR. Made of purple wheat, PURPUR baking goods are now processed in close to 40 countries worldwide. "Starting from scratch, we created a successful international brand, which corresponds to the trend towards healthy nutrition", Peter Augendopler is happy to report.
backaldrin increases revenues by 12 per cent
In the 2007/08 financial year, backaldrin generated revenues of EUR 118 million, an increase of 12 per cent compared to EUR 105 million in 2006/07. "backaldrin is strongly represented in many markets", Peter Augendopler says. In addition to Austria and Germany, the company has a strong foothold in Italy, Poland, Russia and the Middle East, where the company constructed its second production plant in 2006, in the Jordanian capital of Amman.
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