In conversation with Gert-Jan van Beek, we get a look behind the scenes at Pluimveegroep Van Beek B.V. The company grew through acquisitions and further automation with Moba systems, but is certainly not done growing yet. With a team of 25 colleagues, Van Beek produces a lot itself for optimal quality. Several Moba systems, such as the Farmpacker Mopack100 and Omnia 250, increased capacity from 20,000 to 90,000 eggs per hour. The cooperation with Moba second-hand systems (SMS) is praised by Gert-Jan. Future growth will be pursued in small steps, with continued cooperation with Moba and SMS.
Poultry Group Van Beek B.V.
“Our story begins back in 1984,” says Gert-Jan van Beek, the owner of Van Beek B.V. “My parents started small in this area (Rhenen). Back then, we needed four people to do the work. In 2017, we started utilizing our overcapacity, which enabled us, in November 2018, to take over the customer base of a neighboring company and continue to grow. We were eager to innovate and automate more, as we had started manually. We had to learn quickly, and there was a lot involved, such as planning, logistics, egg quality, and tracking.”
In 2020, a big change occurred on both a business and personal level. Gert-Jan’s father passed away. “This gave us the drive to continue. We were more motivated than ever to keep our business going and to grow even more. The foundation was laid by my parents, and we are now building on that. As a result, we have been able to attract and acquire a number of new customers, have started producing more high-quality eggs ourselves, and have taken further steps in automation. We are truly on an upward trajectory and are becoming even better at mastering the craft.”
Currently, we strive to produce all eggs ourselves to maintain control over quality. We can regulate weight, color, shell quality, freshness, and nutrition. We have two poultry farms and work with suppliers who also provide eggs. Our team now consists of 25 colleagues (15 FTE), all from the local area, with varied ages and backgrounds. Our team includes many women as well as several retirees who still really enjoy the work and love staying busy.
Moba’s Machines
We use several machines from Moba, including the Farmpacker Mopack100 with a tray stacker and a robot from Meggson. In 2021, we purchased our Omnia 250 grader from Austria. To the Omnia 250, we added the loader TVS 120 to handle higher capacity; this is our latest Moba acquisition. Our first machine was a Moba 2000, which was machine number 5 at the time. We bought the latest machine through Moba SMS (Second-hand Moba Systems), and this was a great collaboration between Gert-Jan, Bertha (operations manager at Van Beek), the sales manager, and the SMS manager at Moba. Together, we found a top solution that we, as a company, fully support and are happy with. “Our company can certainly cope with machines coming from SMS,” Gert-Jan indicates. “These machines are brand new, spotless, and we have nothing to complain about! Together with Bertha, I visited SMS to ensure the machine ran smoothly from the start.”
We chose Moba because of their strong reputation in the egg sector, their excellent sorting capabilities, and the design of their machines. Moba’s proximity and individual egg handling also played a role in our decision. The machines we currently have are perfect for our needs. We are very satisfied with the performance and reliability of the machines. Without this satisfaction, we wouldn’t have entered into discussions for another machine. The helpdesk is easily accessible, and a service technician is usually available quickly to assist. We can always count on fast and adequate support, which is crucial for our business operations.
Benefits of Using Moba Machines
With the Moba 2000, we could process 20,000 eggs per hour, but now, with the new machines, we can grow to processing 90,000 eggs per hour. This has led to an increase in our capacity and new customers. Automating the infeed allows us to expand even further, and we have not yet reached our maximum capacity.
Gert-Jan found that it was relatively easy to learn how to work with the Moba machines. He says, “Of course, instructions were needed, and the SMS mechanics helped us very nicely with this. Through daily use, you quickly learn how to operate these machines, and they are very user-friendly.”
Future Plans
We see a positive future for our company. The combination of livestock farming and the packing station offers us many opportunities for growth. We aim to continue growing for several more years, but in small steps to keep everything manageable. It is a challenge to get everything right, but that challenge is what makes the work enjoyable. We hope to take another step together with Moba in the future, possibly with SMS.
We continue to look for ways to improve and grow our operations, and we are grateful for the support and cooperation with Moba.
