Portogruaro, the rebirth of the former Pansac factory

The former Pansac plant in Summaga, Portogruaro, opens up solid prospects for a fresh start. In recent days, in fact, the acquisition of the industrial site by Cereal Docks Spa has been finalised. Cereal Docks Spa, is an agri-food group based in Vicenza, active in the first processing of cereals and oilseeds for applications in the livestock, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and technical sectors.

The key factor in the investment is the location of the area in the very close proximity of both the plant in Via dell’Agricoltura and the Freight Terminal. This is how Portogruaro confirms its role as a strategic hub for the logistics of the Cereal Docks Group, a hub for the supply of cereals from the Eastern Veneto and Eastern European countries and to ensure continuity and efficiency of supplies, an important factor in the competitiveness of customer service.

The ‘second born’ of the Cereal Docks plants, conceived and built between 1998 and 2000, expands its specialisation in the drying, storage and logistics of conventional cereals (corn, barley, wheat), using a sustainable logistics platform based on rail transport: 80% of the over a thousand freight trains moved by the Cereal Docks Group pass through Portogruaro, thanks also to the integration with the company Portogruaro Interporto Spa, which provides logistical services on site.

From today we look at the future, confirms the plant manager, Antonio Canzian: “In recent years the activity of Cereal Docks Portogruaro has grown at a sustained pace and we felt the need to have new spaces for the development of our traditional activities, even if we are considering the possibility of starting a new industrial project, always linked to the core business of grain processing. At the moment, we are pleased to be able to help revitalise an inactive production area since 2010 of 45 thousand square metres, which is now collapsing and close to complete deterioration. We have commissioned local companies to carry out the first clearing and cleaning operations, as well as safety measures, and we expect to be ready in time for the harvesting campaign at the end of August-September. The employment perspective is also optimistic: the Summaga plant currently employs more than 50 people, including direct and indirect employees, and the expansion will bring further increases”.

The choice of location in Portogruaro has turned out to be a winning one: at present the logistics network extends to the heart of the Po Valley, thanks also to the connections with another logistics centre of the Group, Fiorenzuola d’Arda in the province of Piacenza, and involves farmers from a large area of Eastern Veneto and the nearby Friuli Venezia Giulia. “Today, more than 1.500 farmers bring their harvests to our plant – continues Canzian – and to the collection centres collaborating with Cereal Docks, present in San Stino di Livenza, Jesolo, S. Michele al Tagliamento, San Donà di Piave. We are located in an area dedicated to the production of cereals and benefit from a strategic position. This represents a value for the management of short, sustainable and certified supply chains, which lead back to SISTEMA GREEN® “.

The quality commitment is just as important: “The market is asking for ever greater guarantees – explains Canzian – and for this reason we have invested in strengthening our quality laboratory, with the purchase of a PCR – RT equipment to verify the presence/absence of genetically modified organisms. The laboratory is equipped with control instruments of all mycotoxins, normalized or non, and sampling systems in the flow of loading/unloading trains to improve the accuracy of the analysis of batches of goods entering and leaving the plant. The upcoming plans are aimed at strengthening the link with the territory – concludes Canzian – especially with farmers, who represent the most important partners in terms of quality, safety and traceability of our products”.