Investing to meet rising demand Pick Szeged

efficient power plants. Starting with a broad spectrum of engineering works, the company offers assembly and commissioning, as well as optimisation and plant operation.

SKG’s media spokesman added, “We are ready to offer a complete package of services tailored to the specific requirements of our clients. It is clearly the case that in times of a decreasing economy, our customers are more focused on maintenance of their power plants than on building new ones. This has had a positive effect on the service side of our business. Interestingly, with the activities of our contracting division, our group is able to create its own new projects.”

Today SKG’s Contracting Division offers an entire design and coordination package for any tailor-made energy production project from a single source, and this includes the possibility of the company’s participation in the provision of equity capital. Cutting-edge biomass plant

The company’s first self-developed project was initiated just over two years ago when the financial close was achieved for the construction of a cutting-edge biomass plant located on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i in Hawaii’s north-westerly archipelago. Within a construction time of approximately two and a half years, an advanced biomass-fired power plant with the tested and proven ’pusher-type’ grate-technology

will be constructed. This plant utilises fuel from natural wood chips from local, fast growing timber resources.

This high-tech plant is the first of its kind on the island and an outstanding feature of the owner/operator concept is the ‘closedloop’ model. The required fuel quantity of around 65,000 tons per year is harvested from more than 2,000 hectares of woodland that was secured for the purchase. Another milestone on the way to the plant’s completion has commenced with the on-schedule delivery of the plant’s turbine on 9 January 2014. Upon completion, which is scheduled for later this year, the new biomass power plant will feed at least 6.7 MW of electricity into the island’s public electricity grid from renewable sources.

SKG’s media spokesman said, “A particular challenge of this ground-breaking project was the outside financing, which after the financial crisis of the euro was finally achieved with the involvement of the Deutsche Bank of New York. Further projects of a comparable size are being worked on within the group and are ready to be implemented in the coming year. From the SKG management point of view, this step is the right one in order to optimise the group’s competences and to create a business field with on-going projects that are largely independent of fluctuations relating to the economic cycle.” n

BETH Filter GmbH

BETH Filter constructions are created on 3D, so that a realistic representation of the plant can already be generated during the planning phase. However, it is not only the high quality standards, but above all also the good cooperation with customers which distinguishes this traditional company – always with the aim of improving business processes to provide customers with high-quality products as overall solutions meeting all requirements of innovate de-dusting and cleaning.

Pick Szeged Zrt. is the largest Hungarian exporter of processed meat products. The PICK brand is the only Hungarian food brand that has acquired significant recognition and a strong position in foreign markets. In order to sustain growth the company is now preparing to carry out a major investment; a brand new slaughterhouse unit is planned to be built in Mohács. Edina Beale investigates.

INVESTING TO MEET RISING DEMAND

Established over 145 years ago, Pick Szeged Zrt. today is the leading Hungarian meat processing plant. Headquartered in Szeged, in the south of Hungary, Pick currently operates production plants in four locations throughout the country. The company carries out all meat and salami processing in Szeged, whilst in Baja, ham and paté products are produced, the plant in Alsómocsolád produces dry sausages. The factory in Pécs is responsible for slaughtering and boningThe company currently employs in excess of 2800 people and in 2013 turnover was 65.3 billion HUF. Export sales play an important part of the turnover; 21.1 billion HUF was achieved from exports in 2013.

Adjusting to market needs

While the company flagship product is the world-famous PICK wintersalami, which has been unchanged since the beginning of the company, the business is very aware of consumer demand and changing tastes. In 2010 the company re-established the Herz brand, which is very popular in Hungary.. The revamped brand has also been of great value for introducing new ham products that are more in tune with current culinary trends., while still produces the ever-popular traditionally cured, premium quality Classic Téliszalámi (Winter Salami) made to Ármin Herz’s 126 year old original recipe. The salami is made with selected ingredients, unique herbs and the traditional beechwood smoking process.

Value for money is becoming more and more important to all food producers and Pick is aware that it needs to compete at all levels. Providing good quality food at affordable prices is the job of the FAMÍLIA brand. This brand was launched to provide quality products at lower prices for consumers on a budget.

Major Investment Programme

New product ranges, increased capacity and expanding sales and markets require long term strategic planning and investment. Pick has continually worked to improve efficiency, quality and hygiene standards. It has introduced an integrated control system, which has assisted in providing greatly improved food safety and product quality across the company. In the Alsómocsolád and Baja plants ‘High Care’ areas have been created which meet the highest hygiene requirements.

Pick are currently working with their partners on two major investments, which will significantly increase the company’s ability to meet the growing demand for their products.

The first project is the establishment of a new slaughterhouse in Mohács in Southern Hungary. This is a major undertaking for the company; the facility will have the ability to butcher 1 million pigs per shift and, initially, will employ 400 new staff. The state of the art operation will meet the highest food safety and hygiene requirements whilst providing the opportunity to greatly increase production of the finest quality products. At the present time preparations are well advanced and all the relevant permits and permissions are being sought whilst the most suitable equipment is being identified and sourced. The building plans are being prepared to ensure best use of the avail-