Bünting,with over 12,500 employees a major economic force in Northern Germany, has recently begun construction of a state-of-the-art fresh produce warehouse. In cooperation with Swisslog, maximum storage density, conveyor technology, and refrigeration technology will be combined on an area of 6,500 square meters by 2027.
The centerpiece of the system is a fully automated shuttle warehouse, including pre-zone robotics, characterized by its high performance and modular expandability. With 34,500 storage locations, the system offers maximum efficiency and flexibility for future volume increases, while simultaneously ensuring that both goods movement and delivery processes are consistently optimized all precisely and seamlessly networks guaranteeing transparency and process reliability in real time.
Origins in the tea trade
“Together with Bünting, we are bringing technology precisely to where it creates the greatest added value: to the heart of fresh food logistics,” says Sven Borghoff, Vice President Sales – Integrated Solutions EMEA Central, Swisslog. “From the outset, our collaboration has been characterized by clear goals, consulting expertise, strong dialogue on equal terms, and trust – that’s what makes this project
special.”
Tea bag machine. Photo: Bünting
The shuttle warehouse is complemented by state-of-the-art conveyor systems that enable consistently efficient goods movement and delivery. For storing temperature-sensitive goods, the system is designed to operate at constant temperatures between 0 and 2 degrees Celsius, thus meeting high standards for freshness and energy efficiency.
“With this construction project, the Bünting Group is achieving another milestone in improving its logistics structures,” says Helge-Christian Eilers, Managing Director of Bünting SCM/Logistics. The Bünting Group, a medium-sized trading company, has been headquartered in Leer (East Frisia) for over 200 years.
Gateway to East Frisia
Around 1800, Leer was one of Germany's rising trading centers. Because of its harbor, the
small town was known as the "Gateway to East Frisia." This is why the young court clerk Johann
Bünting from Edewecht in Oldenburg was drawn to this location, where in 1806 he
took the plunge into self-employment, thus beginning the Bünting story.
Bünting founded a small colonial goods business selling tea, coffee, tobacco, and spices. In 1815,
Weert Klopp, Johann Bünting's brother-in-law, joined the business. Together, they transformed the
small colonial goods store into an increasingly significant player in the trade. Tea imports, tobacco production
, and coffee roasting were soon being handled in-house. The continuous expansion of their
business activities has since led to the trading group that exists today.
