The biggest Easter nest in Switzerland: Galliker Altishofen
For months, a busy fleet of around 600 temperature-controlled trucks travel to and from Altishofen - loaded with a total of more than 50,000 pallets of Easter products. The long lead time is the result of the high production volume, which the producers would not be able to handle in a shorter time. Production, transport, storage and customising interlock like cogwheels to supply Swiss supermarkets, grocery shops and small delicatessens with chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs and other sweet temptations at Easter time. The chocolate, as a delicate cargo, is not only transported at a controlled temperature, but is also stored in a product-appropriate manner and processed in customising if required.
To ensure that the delicious chocolate bunnies retain their shape, a constant temperature of between 15 and 18°C is essential. This applies to transport from the production site as well as to delivery, storage time and, of course, to customising the products - because Galliker not only collects the chocolate goods for customers from the production sites in Switzerland and neighbouring countries using a total of 600 temperature-controlled lorries: around half of the 50,000 Easter pallets are stored or processed in Altishofen during the Easter preparation period. The existing FSSC22000 certification guarantees compliance with all relevant guidelines.
High season in customising for individual Easter products
The customised assembly of individual product components such as co-packing, labelling, price tagging, sorting and the equipping of sales displays are part of the daily business - of course, as with transport, always in a temperature-controlled environment, explains Kilian Gasser, Head of Logistics Centre 4 and therefore of the entire customising area: " Especially in the weeks leading up to Easter, the order volume increases significantly. At times of high capacity utilisation, we increase our customising staff by a good third to around 70 people. At this time, almost our entire department is dedicated to the Easter business - employees from other logistics departments are called in to provide support."
Increased efficiency in production thanks to flexible warehouse utilisation
The importance of the Easter business is also reflected in the increasing demand for storage space. Reto Barrer, Sales Manager at Galliker Food Logistics, explains: "While the basic transport volume for Galliker has remained similarly high over the last few years, the demand for storage space in particular has increased. On the customer side, areas previously used for storage purposes are often being converted - for example to additional production space." The capacity gained is more lucrative for producers than using the space for storage, as the need for warehousing fluctuates significantly over the seasons.
While manufacturers have to compensate for fluctuating storage requirements and thus for empty space in their own warehouses, Galliker enables variable utilisation of storage space throughout the year - a contribution to efficiency and flexibility in the chocolate business. Galliker Transport not only meets all requirements regarding the transport and processing of chocolate and temperature-controlled food products in general, but also enables customers to focus more strongly on their core production business thanks to its flexibility in warehousing and individual customising.
Further information about Galliker Food Logistics can be found at LINK.