McALLEN, TX and ATLANTA, GA – This upcoming spring will have more than flowers blooming. As a first for the company, ScanTech Sciences, Inc. will be opening an Electronic Cold-Pasteurization™ Center (ECP) in the spring of 2018. The initial phase of construction, which is almost complete, included the transformation of a 100,000-square-foot warehouse that was already exisiting into a temperature-controlled, cross-dock facility. Produce travelling to and from the U.S. and Mexico will be treated by the Rio Grande Valley Electronic Cold-Pasteurization Center, which will serve growers, packers, distributors, and retailers throughout the supply chain.
“ScanTech Sciences is going to lead the food industry in a new era of pest sterilization, pathogen reduction, and shelf-life extension for produce,” said Randy Main, General Manager, in a recent press release. “We are going to make a significant impact in the realm of food safety, and I am truly honored to be a part of that.”
For better safety and efficiency processing of 30 pallet loads at the case level that occurs in under 40 minutes, the company integrated cold chain best practices using cutting-edge technology for:
- Yard management
- Dock scheduling
- Conveyor control automation
- Handling
- Storage
- Finishing
To accurately store products in proper cold chain requirements, it manages five temperature zones with a high-density push-back racking system in the facility. While the pallets are managed by voice-commands that allow faster loading, storage, retrieval, and finishing services that create a more efficient through-put, a conveyance that spans over a mile moves product through the treatment facility. This, in turn, processes 120-160 cases per minute with proper and efficient sortation—all the while maintaining low vibration and a low grade pitch throughout the system.
Main is leading the operations efforts and will work to help move the company’s mission along, improving produce quality and safety while helping the entire food chain deliver fresher and higher quality fruits and vegetables. With 40 years of food industry experience in tow, Main’s experience dips in Reynosa, Mexico, at a candy cane manufacturer, as well as the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America at The Hershey Company.
“Randy’s extensive experience leading operations for food facilities will ensure that the Rio Grande Valley ECP Center not only runs efficiently, but also delivers on our promise to deliver premium produce for our customers,” said Chip Starns, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, in the same press release.
The company will be providing advanced ECP treatment as part of its integrated program, including logistics services like expediting border crossing and USDA processes, product traceability, smart palletizing, and information services like document management and shipment visibility. And with so much on the agenda, its no wonder that the company is looking to hire over 150 positions for the Rio Grande Center.
Congratulations on the headway made, ScanTech Sciences! AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you up-to-date with the freshest produce industry news.
