VDH controllers empower us to create great value for agriculture in our region

This is Glerum Koel- en Klimaattechniek

‘Based in the small town of Goes in Zeeland province, Glerum Koel- en Klimaattechniek has been designing, installing, and maintaining refrigeration systems for a wide range of industries, including hard fruit, agriculture and horticulture products, and seafood, since 1977. My father started his own business back in 1977, and I took over from him 7 years ago. Our customers are based in the circle between Rotterdam, Breda, Antwerp, and Bruges.’

Short lines, solid advice

‘The world of hard fruit is not that big, everybody basically knows each other. Our systems easily last between 20 and 30 years, and fruit companies are often passed on from “father to son.” I’m doing the maintenance on systems that my father installed. So, you’re basically dealing with the same people for decades. These long-term relationships add a human touch to the refrigeration and climate control technology business, with short lines of communication, and where everyone wants the best for each other. We know our technology down to the smallest detail, so we’re well placed to give advice.’

Specialist in hard fruit storage

‘We have traditionally always specialised in hard fruit storage, for which we also developed our own ultra low oxygen technology in the past. At the time, i.e. in the late 1970s, fruit storage was still in its infancy. We have since been tracking developments closely and are early adopters of VDH technology. Their first electronic controllers maybe had around 10 parameters; they now have hundreds.’

Developing together

‘I’m a bit of techie and focus on designing and selling new systems, so I’m fairly deeply versed in this field. Sometimes you come up against a limitation in how you want something to be switched or controlled. When that happens, I get in touch with VDH’s programmers to find a solution. It’s by no means common practice for a manufacturer to give you direct access to their developers like that. And sometimes it leads to them adding a feature to the new release. This is how we keep developing the solution together.’

Always the latest technology

‘Sure, that new knowledge also benefits possible competitors, while control technology that we develop in-house does not. However, the benefits of independent software are evident: VDH’s control package keeps growing in terms of features and comes with external support. As a result, we’re always assured of the latest technology that has been subjected to thorough testing and comes with excellent maintenance.’

VDH’s commitment

‘VDH is a stable club, where they manage to retain their people for the long term. That speaks to the healthy corporate culture they have there, and it breeds commitment to the products they make. They’re friendly, constructive, and they join our thought process. Like with any long-term relationship, you go through things together sometimes. You then work them out together, which is a matter of give and take. There is growth in the technology we supply in the agriculture domain. VDH controllers empower us to create great value for agriculture in our region as well.’