Perfect Planning Allows Sam Dennigan & Company to Comfortably Meet Increased Demand for fresh potatoes

For some companies, responding to a sudden and unexpected increase in demand could cause problems, but not at Sam Dennigan and Company, which handled a 20% rise in orders with ease. Sam Dennigan and Company is one of Ireland's leading food manufacturers, sourcing, shipping, distributing and marketing over 100,000 tonnes of fresh produce each year to customers across Ireland, the UK and Europe.

In September 2020, fuelled by the pandemic, Sam Dennigan and Company saw demand for its fresh potatoes leap by a fifth. Thankfully, the company had had the foresight to invest in a new, state-of-the-art packing line and two years of planning and development work paid off. Sam Dennigan and Company’s new line was designed and installed by Haith Group, which had been appointed in October 2018.

Duane Hill, Sales Director at Haith:
 

"We spent two years working together to ensure the new line was perfect. Dennigan’s wanted a complete turnkey project and put their trust in us after seeing what we had done for some of the biggest food manufacturers in the UK, such as Morrison’s. In fact, we took Ray Maher, Sam Dennigan and Company’s General Manager on a guided tour of that particular project to show him what we are capable of!"

Haith's team designed every element of the seven-figure improvement plan, from the drainage and position of the walls through to the line and location of the optical grader and end of line packing equipment.

Installation of the new line started in July, with Haith's team working during the first national coronavirus lockdown. Despite the challenging circumstances, the installation went without a hitch, and the new line was up and running by the end of the month.

The optical grading and sizing line starts with two Rota-Tip TE box tipplers, which feed a pair of Supa Flume De-Stoners. Two self-cleaning barrel washers and two direct-drive roller dryers follow. Finally, a Newtec Celox optical grader feeds multiple packing lines.
 Haith's Rota-Tip TE’s are gentle on the crop and suitable for a variety of box sizes. With an integrated feed hopper, they can handle up to 32 tonnes per hour and with a 155° rotation emptying is guaranteed. Fully automatic, with a touchscreen HMI, Haith has utilised all-electric motors to make the Rota-Tip TE incredibly economical.

Once tipped, Sam Dennigan and Company's potatoes enter a Haith Supa-Flume De-Stoner, which can handle up to 50 tonnes per hour. With a heavy-duty stone discharge elevator, close-coupled pump and external bearings, Haith's De-Stoner is highly efficient and reliable.

Following de-stoning, the produce enters a pair of Haith Barrel Washers. All of Haith's latest advancements feature in the washers, including an electrically operated radial door, direct barrel drive, 4mm thick stainless steel slotted barrel and full pintle lining.

A SEW energy-efficient drive is mounted on the barrel top shaft and Haith has also incorporated cooper split bearings for easy maintenance. Nearly all of the equipment that Haith installed is manufactured from stainless steel and features SEW drives, external bearings and the patent-pending Pro-Flow Transfer chutes, which are designed to eliminate damage to delicate produce.

The line was commissioned, and almost immediately afterwards Sam Dennigan and Company saw orders increase by 20%.

Ray Maher:
 

"Haith's timing was perfect! We could not have planned it any better. Demand for our potatoes went through the roof just one week after Haith's team left the site."

"Our previous line would not have been able to handle the extra capacity, but with the new line, it was a breeze, and we know we have the capacity to increase throughput even more. We have been impressed by everything Haith has done. From the planning through to installation and commissioning, it has been a pleasure to work with them."

The level of service Sam Dennigan and Company has received, and the new line's effectiveness have led the company to place another order with Haith, which will see a new dry brush and onion packing line added to its potato packing facility in 2021