USA – GEA, a German corporation mostly active in the food and beverages sector, has commenced operations at its newly inaugurated US$20 million facility in Janesville, Wisconsin; a strategic move targeting to meet the growing demands of its customer base in the US Midwest.
According to GEA, the 86,000-square-feet facility focuses on fabrication, repair, logistics, and training, catering to industries such as dairy, food, marine, and pharmaceuticals.
Azam Owaisi, CEO of GEA North America said, “Opening the new Janesville facility as anticipated in December 2023 represents a significant step toward meeting our customers where they operate.
It highlights GEA’s commitment to product quality and service excellence. We are excited to become a vibrant employer and partner for the Janesville community.”
The Janesville facility’s production capabilities center around separators, decanters, valves, and pump assembly, vital components in various industrial applications.
GEA’s commitment to environmental responsibility is evident through eco-friendly features like LED lighting, electric car charging stations, and an efficient heating and cooling system.
This move follows GEA’s recent investments, including the opening of a homogenizer production facility in Parma, Italy, and a partnership with Unilever to reduce greenhouse emissions in dairy farming.
GEA partners with Nestle
Simultaneously, Nestle is responding to increased demand for its Althera and Alfare infant formula brands by doubling production capacity at the Nunspeet plant.
In a move towards sustainability, Nestle has partnered with GEA to implement a heat recovery system fed by exhaust air from the spray drying plant.
This system provides 80°C hot water for operation, aiming to reduce carbon emissions, dust emissions, and water demand.
Nestle’s investment in the Nunspeet plant aligns with its climate strategy, focusing on renewable heat energy.
Gerben Koopmans, Engineering Manager at Nestle, highlights the innovative approach, stating, “The GEA system enables us to reduce the plant’s steam consumption by 75%.”
The project, executed with a subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, is set to position the Nunspeet plant as a Group-wide demonstrator for future-oriented solutions in milk powder production.
According to a statement by GEA, its role in the project includes providing an ammonia heat pump for the spray dryer, a second heat pump for the production line, and various state-of-the-art process technologies for maximum energy efficiency.
Ronald Hofland, GEA Sales Manager, emphasizes the integrated solutions, stating, “Our solutions combining process technology with heating and cooling technology set a new benchmark in milk powder production.”
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