Eqraft and the Onion Tech Alliance partners are currently finishing the new onion facility for Big O Farms in Elba, New York. The comprehensive project includes receiving, cleaning, topping, grading, storage, packing, palletizing, waste management and safety measures. 

Eqraft develops facilities for processing agricultural bulk products such as onions and potatoes. Their legacy dates back to 1984, unfortunately that company went bankrupt by the end of last year. Eqraft is now under new management and led by Marcel Kampes and Rutger Keurhorst. Marcel has broad experience in optimizing industrial production processes and is responsible for general management at Eqraft. 

Rutger has been optimizing onion facilities for the past decade and is the architect of the so called “Onion Factory of the Future”, where a new facility is designed from scratch in close cooperation with the client and subcontractors. A great example is the new facility for MSP Onions in The Netherlands, with packing capacity up to 120 tons per hour. Rutger is responsible for the global sales and consulting team. 

In the past months, multiple Onion Toppers, Weighers and Baxmatics have been shipped and installed to the US and Canada. Eqraft’s electronic sorting machine (the Eqrader) has been optimized for North American onions. The Eqrader sorts quickly and automatically by internally and externally inspecting for quality, shape, weight and color – and even rot. The first Eqrader in the US will be used by Big O Farms. 

All installation, maintenance, support and spare parts are centrally coordinated by the dedicated Support Team at Eqraft’s HQ. They keep track of the maintenance for every machine installed in order to give the best possible support. Most of the machinery is equipped with remote access for swift response.

Norman “Snap” Keene (Sales Executive North America) is looking forward to meeting you at the NOA Summer Convention and bring you up to date on the latest developments at Eqraft and their latest US showcase for Big O Farms.