Novità

Sweden’s leading coffee producer chooses Swisslog for its automated high-bay warehouse

13.10.2023

Arvid Nordquist HAB – Sweden’s leading coffee producer and a Nordic sales and marketing company for its own and others’ brands – has chosen Swisslog as its automation partner for a new high-bay warehouse and roastery in Järfälla, north of Stockholm.

»We need more space for both our coffee production and our head office, which has been located in Solna for almost 60 years. We’ve now outgrown those premises and, together with the real estate company Sagax, we’re building a new modern, streamlined and resource-efficient coffee roastery with minimal environmental impact and a good work environment,« says Peter Dannqvist, Supply Chain Director at Arvid Nordquist HAB.

Proximity, security and great commitment

The automation facility – an automated high-bay warehouse for pallets and a ProMove conveyor solution that automatically transports the coffee from production to the warehouse – is dimensioned for 9,000 pallets and three pallet cranes. Initially, 6,000 pallet locations and two Vectura cranes are being built and installed, managed and controlled by Swisslog’s SynQ WMS software.

»This solution means that we can produce coffee in shifts without having staff in the warehouse. We also save a lot of space compared to, for instance, if we had built a manual pallet warehouse,« explains Peter.

One year ago, a letter of intent was signed between Arvid Nordquist and Swisslog, which involved Swisslog developing a purely conceptual automation solution. Swisslog was chosen as the solution supplier due to a combination of factors.

»Based on the solution developed, we held discussions with several automation companies. Apart from its competitive price, Swisslog’s market presence here in Sweden, their great commitment and their expertise were ultimately the reasons why we chose them. Swisslog simply felt the best and safest option,« says Peter.

The facility is built from wood

The new roastery will also be Sweden’s first, and indeed one of only a few roasteries in the world, to be built from wood. Wood was chosen to ensure a sustainable and climate-smart solution.

»The entire building, except the high-bay warehouse, is largely constructed of wood, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions because wood captures and stores carbon dioxide even when it is inside a building. Another positive effect is that the choice of wood results in reduced noise and less transportation during construction,« says Peter.

»We’re really pleased and proud to have been tasked to deliver an energy-efficient and space-saving automation solution to Arvid Nordquist,« says Niklas Nilsson, Sales Manager at Swisslog.

Ground has already been broken for the new facility, and the installations will begin in 2024, with the entire facility operational by 1 July 2025.