Nerta is ready to open a new factory
Three years after construction began, Belgian chemical supplier Nerta is ready to commission its new, large plant in Lokeren. The producer of car cleaning agents wants to make its production there more sustainable and efficient.
As a supplier of chemicals for cleaning cars, Nerta has long been a household name in the carwash industry. So the fact that the company will be present next month at SHINE, ProMedia’s carwash event in Krakow, is not surprising. And that timing is also convenient, because just then the company will be operating for the first time in its new large plant in Lokeren. “We are currently in full transition,” says CEO Christian De Munter. “Some machines have already been moved, and we aim to have the plant fully operational in the coming months.”
And that new, large plant was needed, he says. “Our previous production site dates back to the early 2000s, and since then legislation has been very tightened both environmentally and in terms of safety. So if we wanted to be compliant, we had to build a new site, where we can immediately make our production considerably more sustainable. We want to continue working on the biodegradability of our products. With many carwashes working with water recycling, that becomes even more of a necessity.”
Large storage tanks
The new site also offers some economies of scale. “For example, we have built a park with large storage tanks so that we can store our raw materials in large quantities. That allows us to purchase them when prices are favorable. And we are also betting on automation. The formulation of our production is carried out almost fully automatically.”
Being an expert on the Central European market, Nerta will be present as an exhibitor at the SHINE event in Krakow in October. “We have been present in Poland for many years,” said De Munter. “It is a very important country in the field of carwashes, which is why we ended up there naturally years ago. Meanwhile, we have a branch office there with not only an administrative office, but also storage for local distribution, and six salesmen responsible for sales.”
SHINE Car Wash Show Central Europe will take place Oct. 1 and 2 in Krakow, Poland. More information about the networking floor, workshops, the full program and location can be found here.
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