P-Plus
Wireless terminals: The perfect solution for PowerGrow
PowerGrow is a company which was set up 18 months ago near the Dutch town of Aalsmeer. The company, which is a member of the Rainbow Group, grows 27 acres of sweet peppers. One of the revolutionary new systems to be installed at PowerGrow is the P-Plus system with wireless terminals for labour and harvest registration.
‘Workers have no trouble operating the P-Plus terminals.’
Hennstedter Gewächshaus is a glasshouse operation with 15 acres of tomatoes in Germany. They have been using P-Plus for 2 years now. We asked Oliver Nissen, the head manager of Hennstedter Gewächshaus, a number of questions about P-Plus.
‘We have already saved 10 to 20 percent on labour costs’
Enniskillen is situated in Canada. This 15-acre operation grows sweet peppers and has been using P-Plus for 1 year now. Manager Adrian Roelands told us that some workers saw their wages almost double when performance-related pay was introduced. Workers who fail to achieve a certain productivity level are not offered long-term employment. Ennskillen now has a far smaller workforce than a year before, saving them 10 to 20% on labour costs.
‘I can see exactly how much of each product has been harvested at any moment.’
Juan Sánches Moreno has 6 businesses in Spain, covering a total of surface area of 128 acres. Although the businesses have only been using P-Plus for a short time, Juan Sánches Moreno says he has already begun to notice the benefits. The 6 operations are too far removed from one another to be interconnected with cables. However, thanks to each company’s connection using a PC telephone, Juan is able to oversee everything. A month after P-Plus was installed, we asked Juan Sánches Moreno about his experiences.
Upcoming trade fairs
IFAT
München, Germany
13 - 17 Sept
Horti Fair
Amsterdam Rai, the Netherlands
12 - 15 Oct
HortiMaX stand: 01.0517
Polutec 2010
Lyon, France
30 Nov - 3 Dec
HortiMaX stand: Holland Paviljoen
Tuinbouwrelatiedagen
Hardenberg, the Netherlands
11-13 Jan 2011
IPM
Essen, Germany
25-28 Jan 2011
Tuinbouwrelatiedagen
Gorinchem, the Netherlands
15-17 Feb 2011
