Stertil Stokvis has installed a series of 14 dock houses to support a new factory extension for Noble Foods that wanted to efficiently handle increased business at its site in North Scarle, Lincolnshire
Valued at almost £140,000, the contract covered the supply and installation of 14 sets of loading bay equipment, each including dock houses, dock levellers, insulated overhead doors, dock bumpers, wheel guides, traffic lights and dock lights.
Noble Foods is one of the UK’s largest producers of eggs and egg products supplying millions of eggs every day to leading supermarkets.
The range of products for the 14 new loading bays was specified following a detailed survey by Stertil Stokvis of Noble Foods’ operation including the company’s use of delivery vehicles, fork trucks and manual handling equipment.
Each bay features a XF2520 dock leveller, which has a telescopic lip that extends in line with the loading bay platform. The lip extension can be accurately controlled to make vehicle positioning less critical and can also be partially withdrawn to allow full use of the loading area. Stertil Stokvis X series levellers can accommodate many different sizes of vehicle, including the stepped floors in vehicles such as refrigerated trucks, providing greater operational flexibility in the loading bay.
Stertil Stokvis, which has over 40 years experience in loading bays and dock areas, has also installed a Thermadoor into each bay. An electrically-operated door providing superior insulation properties, the Thermadoor is a highly-efficient, energy-saving, insulated overhead door. Its panels incorporate CFC-free polyurethane foam, giving a standard panel U-value of 0.43W/m2°C. In energy-conscious times, the Thermadoor is is said to be a sound choice, providing the dual benefits of security and superb insulation. To complete the equipment within the new dock houses, Stertil Stokvis added robust and durable PE dock bumpers, wheel guides, traffic lights and dock lights.
Significantly, the dock houses and all associated equipment may be easily relocated to different sites if necessary providing complete flexibility to allow for Noble Foods’ future expansion plans. Also, as non-permanent structures, the dock houses are not considered for rateable value purposes.
Peter Robertson, Noble Foods’ project manager, says: “Stertil Stokvis was already a tried-and-trusted supplier of ours. They came up with a competitive price for this job and, added to what we already knew about the high quality and reliability of their products and their after-sales support, it was an easy choice to award Stertil Stokvis the contract.”
Andrew Georgiou, general manager of Stertils Stokvis’s loading bay division, says: “Our excellent relationship with Noble Foods has already led to three additional orders and we are working on a number of other projects as well. We’re very pleased with the success of this installation, which fully equips the new factory extension while ensuring the client retains flexibility for the future.”
