Verbruggen Palletizing Solutions is introducing a new machine for the fruit-growing sector at Fruit Logistica 2025. "We saw opportunities in this sector, so we embarked on a journey to develop a new palletizer specifically for it. This is an entry-level model at a competitive price while maintaining the renowned Verbruggen quality," says Collin Koornstra of Verbruggen Palletizing Solutions. The machine was officially unveiled to partners and customers on the eve of Fruit Logistica.
The team at Verbruggen Palletizing Solutions
"Originally, our primary focus was on the agricultural sector, where we have installed many machines," he continues. "However, we have decided to expand into other markets. One of these is the fruit-growing sector, where we see significant potential. The development process began with fundamental questions: 'What should this new machine do? Why can't an existing model from our portfolio fulfill this need?' We conducted a thorough study to determine the exact customer requirements, considering factors such as scale, cost, and capacity. Based on these insights, we developed several concepts."
Rik Tanghe, Thomas and Bart from Profixx and Remy Tanghe from RTL Patat
"One of these concepts reaffirmed what we were already doing, so we built upon that foundation. The key objectives were to create an affordable, high-quality machine with a compact footprint. It needed to be space-efficient, easy to transport, and simple to install. Additionally, we wanted to maintain Verbruggen's well-known quality at a price point that would be highly attractive to customers. With these goals in mind, we developed a modular machine that can be installed either by our specialists or by a customer's technical team, ensuring maximum flexibility."
Tom Rossier of Verbruggen Palletizing Solutions
The result is an entry-level model that enables fruit growers to palletize various types of packaging for their fruit. Collin explains: "This machine is specifically designed to handle delicate products. We closely analyzed market needs, such as stacking boxes with taps or specific folding crates, which require an exceptional level of precision. It was essential that our machine could handle these tasks flawlessly. We also considered the broad range of packaging materials used by our customers and optimized our solution accordingly. This is a Verbruggen machine at a price you wouldn't typically associate with our brand."
Maarten Verbruggen of Verbruggen with Faruk, Sunny, and Bharat of All-round Vegetables Processing
SMEs worldwide
With this new machine, Verbruggen can now cater to medium and small businesses worldwide. "We have been expanding significantly in recent years. For instance, we now have branches in Argentina and Thailand and are seeing increasing demand from these regions. However, competition is fierce—China dominates the Asian market, and South America has a well-developed automation sector. To establish ourselves in these markets, we recognized the need to introduce entry-level models. This is particularly relevant in fruit growing, where packaging must happen quickly after harvest. In such cases, deploying five affordable machines is often more practical than investing in one expensive unit."
Rutger Verbruggen with the EAS Dramas team from Greece.
"This marks a new step for us—one towards greater flexibility. While we currently offer a high level of customization, we aim to transition towards structured customization to better meet market demand with our strong portfolio," Collin explains. "This project exemplifies how we identify market opportunities and take calculated risks. By showcasing our ideas at Fruit Logistica, we are making ourselves vulnerable, but we see this as a necessary step. Last night's official launch was a great success, providing us with valuable feedback. In a few weeks, the machine will be available for order."
Angelo Cascino and Robbert Jan Boom of Intralox and Johan van der Reest of Verbruggen.
Bauke Faber of Verbruggen, Simon Lee of Tong Engineering, Ton van 't Hof of Verbruggen, and David Wilson of Tong Engineering
Verbruggen Palletizing Solutions will be at Fruit Logistica in Hall 6.1, Stand B-40
For more information
Verbruggen Palletizing Solutions
+31 527 62 02 32
info@verbruggen-palletizing.com
www.verbruggen-palletizing.com