Bonduelle and Raben - green partnership

Bonduelle, a world leader in the production and processing of vegetables, expands its cooperation with Raben Group. Due to the successful cooperation of the companies in Hungary, it was only natural that when choosing a logistics partner for the Polish market, Bonduelle decided to trust a proven partner and place its goods in the Raben green warehouse in Ruda Śląska. As well as developing side by side, the companies also have a similar approach to doing business.

Bonduelle and Raben Group have been working together in Hungary since 2011, providing local distribution, groupage deliveries, or deliveries from the customer's warehouse to its recipients. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that Bonduelle's eyes turned to Raben when looking for a business partner in Poland.

“30% of our business is serving the food industry, we also have extensive experience in deliveries to retail chains, so we know perfectly well how we can support our customers in creating a safe and sustainable supply chain. We have been working with Bonduelle on the Hungarian market for many years, so I am glad that we are now expanding it to the Polish market," comments Agnieszka Haik, Group Business Development Director, Raben Group, and adds that "In February 2021, we started warehouse services in one of our newly opened ecological logistics centers for handling food products in Ruda Śląska."

The warehouse in Ruda Śląska takes products that are delivered from the client's factories by Raben. In Poland, Bonduelle deals in the production of merchandise for the Polish market and export, carried out in 2 factories located in Gniewkowo and Ruchocice. It also distributes goods to retail chains, and soon it will provide other value-added services, including co-packing.

Bonduelle relies on Raben

The key elements in Raben's favour were the comprehensiveness of services provided by the operator and well-established experience in the area of servicing the food industry, as well as in the implementation of deliveries to retail chains. A convergent approach to the issue of the natural environment is also important. Both companies want their impact to be positive. Ecology is of paramount importance to them. By saving natural resources, measuring, reporting and reducing greenhouse gas emissions they take action for the common good - the future. So that the next generations have access to the same resources that we use now.

“Bonduelle, in line with its mission, wants to have a positive impact on the environment, the planet and people around it, while maintaining the right business perspective and promoting agricultural production based on respect for natural resources. Raben also won us over by looking beyond profit and, just like us, trying to support the environment by neutralizing its carbon footprint, for example by reducing CO₂ emissions, transport optimization or environmentally friendly warehouses. We are eager to develop cooperation with a partner who, apart from a competitive market offer, shows a sustainable approach to business and has CSR in its DNA, " emphasizes Robert Firlik, Supply Chain Director Central Europe, Bonduelle.

Green warehouses

Raben Logistics Polska currently has approx. 500 000 m² of warehouse space. Every year, by investing in new facilities and modernizing older ones, the company focuses on energy efficiency. Its facilities include such solutions as: LED lighting and automatic lighting control systems (through motion detection and measurement of the amount of daylight) in combination with skylights providing access to natural light; gas heating based on radiators with increased radiation efficiency; thermal insulation of hydraulic ramp platforms; mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, as well as power generators covering 100% of the electricity demand.

“Additionally, as a socially responsible company, we undertake a number of actions to meet the long-term climate challenges. We take care that the trailers are fully filled, create consolidation points, and measure CO₂ on a regular basis. We systematically replace the fleet stock with a new one that meets the latest requirements on greenhouse gas emissions and we accommodate many ecological enhancement measures in warehouses that allow to save natural resources. Furthermore, we neutralize our environmental impact through tree planting campaigns. We also purchased energy for 2021 and 2022 with a guarantee of origin, which will result in an approx. 30% of reduction in direct and indirect emissions and allow us to run 100% of our own facilities on green electricity," says Agnieszka Haik.

Apart from the measures accommodated in other locations, the Raben warehouse in Prologis Park in Ruda Śląska has solar collectors for heating water used in the park offices and hybrid lights illuminating the premises and running on solar and wind energy.

“Raben is a strategic partner for us. We are connected not only by a highly targeted approach to ecology, but also by a mutual understanding of business needs. I also appreciate the feeling of partnership and the fact that even before becoming our logistics operator in Poland, the company delegated resources to calculate gravity based on the flows received from Bonduelle and proposed a solution that suits us best," concludes Robert Firlik.

Hand in hand with ecology

Raben also focuses on modern energy-saving technologies: Li-Ion batteries in forklifts, autonomous forklifts, sorters, robots; and constantly improves processes (new systems, IoT, optimizations) to increase their operational efficiency. In addition, for several years, the logistics operator has been investing in new cargo fleet solutions (double deck trailers, swap bodies and CityLiners), in order to reduce CO₂ emissions per pallet. These measures enable greater flexibility in route planning, allow you to load twice as many pallets (double deck and swap body) or make it possible to replace 2 smaller cars with one CityLiner which, thanks to its special design, can operate in built-up areas.