Progressive Grocer - June/July 2009 - (Page 121)

Equipment Innovations The latest tools of the trade United Supermarkets Opens Ice-Making Plant The plant, which uses purified water, produces 100 pallets per day. week at a capacity of about 140 tons of ice per day, or about one pallet of ice every three-and-a-half minutes. Distributed by Llano Distributing, the ice is packaged in 7- and 20-pound bags under United’s private label Kristal brand. It will arrive in stores about 24 hours after production. “Although all the ice we currently produce is sold in United stores, we’ve built this facility for future growth with the intention of developing new markets,” Kitten said. “And, we hope this becomes only the first manufacturing venture for the company.” The first bags rolled off the conveyor belt in early March. “We produced 10 truckloads of ice simply for testing purposes before we opened the facility,” Kitten said. “Today, we can safely say we are producing a far superior product under the highest quality standards, using state-of-theart technology.” ■ A conveyor belt inside United Supermarkets’ 9,500-square-foot ice-making facility transports ice to be loaded onto pallets for distribution. nited Supermarkets has made its first venture into the manufacturing world with a new state-of-the-art ice-making facility — capable of producing 80 to 100 pallets of ice per day and producing ice using 100 percent reverse-osmosis water derived through a five-step purification process. The 9,000-square-foot plant is located at the Lubbock, Texas-based company’s distribution center at Llano Logistics, and is the only facility of its kind in the region, according to United. Company officials check the water quality daily, and weekly independent lab visits do the same. “The water quality is a real differentiator for us,” said Edward Kitten, director of manufacturing for United. “There are very few operators in the country — and none www.progressivegrocer.com U in this area — who are producing ice at the high quality level we are here.” The $4 million facility, funded in part by a grant from the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA), employs seven people and uses a totally automated system — human hands never touch the bags of ice until they’re ready to be placed in freezers at United stores. “We sourced equipment from all over the world, including the U.S., Canada and Japan,” Kitten said. “The palletizing robot is common to a variety of industries, and is incredibly efficient and virtually maintenance-free. It can completely stop and restart itself automatically. The team members employed at the plant love this operation because their jobs are consequential — they’re operating high-tech equipment and producing an important product.” The plant operates three days per 121 Progressive Grocer • June/July 2009 • http://www.eliasoncorp.com http://www.eliasoncorp.com http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - June/July 2009

Progressive Grocer - June/July 2009
Table of Contents
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/ Spotlight: Cheese/Shredded Cheese
Market Snapshot: Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, Calif.
Independents Report: The Advantages of Older Associates
Lempert Report: Food Experts Tackle the Economy
Industry Achievement: The Top 100 Women in Grocery
Multicultural Marketing: 2050 is Today
Retailer of the Year: Celebrating Kroger
2009 Deli/Bakery Operations Review: Shrink-Wrapped
Fresh Developments: Consumer Shifts Create New Complexities for Fresh Food Trading Partners
Produce: Brimming With Possibilities
Meat: Fired Up!
Store of the Month: Giant Eagle’s Express-Ohhh!
Cheese: Cooked Cheese and Other Spiritual Revelations
Beverage Alcohol: A Cup of Cheer
Frozen Foods: Frozen Vegetable Sales are Steaming
Real Estate: Bigger is not Always Better
Technology: At Your Service
Equipment Innovations
What’s Next: Editors’ Picks for Innovative Products

Progressive Grocer - June/July 2009