Delacon’s production capacity triples
Reality exceeded the expectations of phytogenics producer Delacon when a 2007 expansion proved within six years to be too small. “When building the previous production facility we expected to be set for the next ten to 15 years,” Markus Dedl, CEO of the Austrian company, told Pig Progress.
“But we needed to do something now, as we were already running on 100% capacity.” Expansion at the production facility, in Steyregg, Austria, resulted in acquiring an adjacent building, which was recently added to the already existing facility. The expanded facility, is altogether 2,000 m2, and includes production offices and an enlarged laboratory, plus two production lines. With the expansion, total production capacity has been tripled from about 2,000 tonnes to 6,000 tonnes/ year.
Demand for phytogenics – or plant derived natural substances – has come from all parts of the world. Dedl says, “We notice substantial growth in Europe. Of course, here sustainability plays a large role. The industry is looking for quality replacements for antibiotics, and for products promoting animal welfare and animal health. Those are clear targets for Europe.” He continues, “In Asia and the Middle East, growth is driven by different needs. It’s about resource management and increasing feed efficiency. The Americas would fall in between these two. On one hand one can see development in the search for antibiotic alternatives but it is not as decided yet as in Europe. On the other hand, performance is still an issue.”
In the financial year just ended, Delacon posted a preliminary turnover of about €20 million – 40% of this came from the pork industry and an equal share came from the poultry business. The remainder is made up from the ruminants business and a little bit from aquaculture. In the new facility a full electronic management system has been installed. All the bigger components, like several types of herbs used in the company’s products, can now be dosed by an automated process using a series of silos and micro-bins. “Only the micro materials will have to be added by hand,” Dedl adds. In total, over 100 different types of raw materials are used.
Dedl says also traceability has been enhanced in the facility, with the use of barcodes from beginning to the end. The expanded facility opened on 24 May, with an international event also highlighting the company’s 25 years existence. The event attracted over 200 people from over 20 countries. It is likely that it isn’t Delacon’s last event either. The company’s headquarters, about 1 km from the plant, will be the next target for expansion.
Source: Pig Progress magazine. Volume 29.6 (2013)
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