Project Snapshot
- · Client: Food ingredients manufacturer
- · Location: Netherlands to Spain
- · AIS branch involved: AIS Eurelo
- · Project duration: Approx. 7 weeks
- · Project value: €484,000
- · Role on project: Lead relocation partner
Relocating a citrus fibre processing line from the Netherlands to Spain
The dismantling and relocation of a citrus fibre processing line from the Netherlands to a new owner in Spain, presented several challenges.
In addition to international logistics, sterile working requirements, and coordinating ongoing production in the facility of origin, this relocation project became more complex when the original scope changed at a late stage in the project.
On top of this, the project was delivered during periods of extremely high temperatures, with loading operations taking place in temperatures of around 40°C.
Overall project management was led by Jerome Richerts, supported during the initial phases by AIS VIG Industrial Project Manager Rich Taylor, who was based on site for the first three to four weeks.
A collaborative approach to a challenging cross-border industrial relocation
Due to the scale of the project, equipment was dispatched over several weeks, with almost 30 separate truck movements required to complete the relocation. As works were undertaken within a live food production facility, our teams followed strict sterile working procedures to protect product integrity and enable production to continue safely alongside the relocation.
To maintain close coordination with the client, our project teams provided regular shipment updates, packing lists, transport documentation and photographic records for every load.
A number of unexpected changes throughout the project meant our teams had to be adaptable, including: Changes to transport sequence, a component that could not be loaded because it had been incorrectly declared by the shipping company, and incorrect shipping information supplied by third parties that meant that a steam boiler container weighed 30 tonnes rather than the 10 tonnes originally advised. This required a revised transport strategy and additional permitting before the item could be moved safely.
One of the biggest challenges faced by the AIS Eurelo team was a lack of available space at the receiving facility in Spain. As a result, equipment could not be delivered to a single location as the scope of works originally intended.
To overcome this, deliveries were split across two sites, including the client’s main production facility and a nearby external storage area. We worked closely with the customer to coordinate unloading schedules and determine where individual loads would be delivered and stored.
Despite being new to AIS Eurelo, Jerome’s experience, combined with the early support of AIS VIG Industrial Project Manager Rich Taylor, ensured the team remained adaptable and in control as challenges emerged, even in prolonged periods of high temperatures.
At the end of the project, the client commented, “I just want to thank you for speeding up the delivery of the last two trucks so we can keep our commitment to the landlord and overall the good job you have done during the dismantling and transport service. I do believe good communication both with our local team and the Spanish team has been key as well as your resilience and problem solving.”
Rather than acting merely as a transport provider, we acted as the central partner, ensuring all relocation activities remained aligned across multiple stakeholders and locations. As a result, the project was successfully completed with all remaining shipments arriving in Spain and signed off by the customer.