Who are your customers?
“Our customers operate in the Finnish retail and foodservice markets, so export has not been a big share of our sales. That’s why reacting to increasing domestic poultry consumption is the main reason for building the greenfield. But of course, once we have our 15,000 bph processing plant up and running, we will have more possibilities for the expansion of our export plans.”
What are your main end products?
“In Finland, fresh filet is the main article and I’m sure it will remain like that. The whole natural filet itself is not an important article, but when it has been cut into slices, cubes or stripes, it becomes a major seller. Compared to other markets in Europe, Finland stands out for its marinated fillets. Around 75% of products are marinated or brine salted before being put into the tray. We’re applying all those different marinades in our own processing plant.”
On the other hand, sales of thigh fillets have become quite big too in Finland. Marel’s Thigh Fillet System will certainly do well in the new Nurmo plant. “In our new factory we will have a Marel feet processing system as well but feet are for export only, they’re not sold on the domestic market. As for the giblets, they are not eaten in big volumes in Finland, they are going to pet food.”
Why did you choose ATLAS live bird handling?
“Animal welfare is a hot topic in Finland and it was one of the major reasons for choosing ATLAS. When automatically loading the birds at the farm with a catching machine, ATLAS is quite efficient and humane. It is more gentle because a SmartStack has only one compartment per layer. No need to keep repositioning the feeding conveyor as with other systems. ATLAS also lowers the cost of our logistics. We can load more birds on the trucks than with other systems, giving them even more space than before. We also expect to have a much more hygienic system as every SmartStack layer is washed separately, creating more opportunities to deep clean all surfaces.
We have very strict animal welfare rules and our veterinarians follow them precisely. They will see that the CAS SmoothFlow system, when combined with ATLAS, is probably the most humane system, leaving broilers in their trays and guiding them smoothly through the chambers.”