Harder logistics relocates operations from Rügen Fisch

The operational relocator HARDER logistics from Neu-Ulm has successfully completed a major order for the company Rügen Fisch from Sassnitz within nine months. The two-phase project included the gutting and dismantling of a production hall as well as the relocation of twelve production and packaging lines while operations continued.

(Neu-Ulm/Sassnitz) The HARDER team consisted of up to twelve employees at peak times. The reason for commissioning HARDER logistics was that the production sites of the fish canning producer Hawesta based in Lübeck and Rügen Fisch (both subsidiaries of the Thai Union Group) were consolidated in Sassnitz.

Rügen Fisch chose HARDER logistics because the industrial logistics provider could offer the combination of the desired services with its own personnel and equipment. “The concept of dismantling and relocating operations from a single source convinced us,” reports Ralf Link. The managing director of the project and planning office PKV – J. Müller from Ratingen was comprehensively responsible for the planning and execution of the project, including the construction measures. Regarding the goals, he says: “The sites were consolidated to optimize the utilization of the plant. The renovation measures aimed to streamline the material flow in the organically grown plant.”

The HARDER logistics-related activities began at the end of 2022 with the dismantling and gutting of the building section in Sassnitz, where one of the two production areas was located and which was to be repurposed into a packaging hall. “As part of these measures, we outsourced three production lines and dismantled all media. The demolition work included the removal of reinforced concrete walls and the disassembly of ceilings. In total, we disposed of 60 containers of scrap sorted by materials,” provides Johannes Danieli, project manager at HARDER logistics, an insight.

Relocation during ongoing operations

After the completion of the packaging hall in Sassnitz, HARDER logistics relocated the associated packaging lines during ongoing production over a period of six months. The HARDER team dismantled six of the systems at the Hawesta site in Lübeck and made them operational again in collaboration with the manufacturer’s fitters in Sassnitz. Additionally, four packaging lines were relocated within the Rügen plant. “Over six months, about 25 high-tech transports took place between the two Baltic Sea cities, coordinated with production. Our own fleet, our assembly platform, and a contracted 200-ton crane were used,” summarizes Danieli. With the combination of crane and assembly platform, the systems were partially lifted over the unpaved yard and transported to the upper floors. The HARDER project manager adds: “Everything weighing over three tons was not brought in via the freight elevator but through the facades.”

The two-week period was tight

In the final project step, HARDER logistics relocated a salad production line from Lübeck to Sassnitz and brought in an additional production line that had been temporarily stored into the now optimized material flow plant. Project planner for Rügen Fisch Ralf Link particularly emphasizes the performance: “The period of about two weeks for clearing, gutting, and dismantling the future packaging hall was tight. The success of the following project phases depended on the success of this component. With the swift and high-quality execution, HARDER logistics significantly contributed to the success of the overall project.”

Photo: © HARDER