Fresh food wholesaler puts new deep-freeze warehouse into operation

(See Leuze at Machine Building North, 13 May 2026, on stand 84)

What may look like 'just' another high-bay warehouse to outsiders is a quantum leap for the company: faster order picking, optimised processes and significantly improved working conditions for employees. The project was implemented by the intralogistics experts at Klinkhammer Intralogistics.

As one of the leading food wholesalers in the region, Fruchte Jork supplies over 13,000 items to around 600 restaurants and hotels within a radius of 180 kilometres. The company's steady growth brought the previous manual deep-freeze warehouse, in which order picking was carried out with forklifts at minus 22 degrees, to its limits.

Together with Klinkhammer, Fruchte Jork developed a concept that takes storage capacity, picking performance, and energy efficiency to the next level. "In recent years, we have evolved from a traditional fruit and vegetable wholesaler to a fresh produce service provider. The automated logistics centre is another milestone in our growth strategy," says Maximilian Jork, Managing Director of Fruchte Jork.

Five lanes at full power

The new, automated deep-freeze warehouse has 26,280 tray storage positions. The goods are stored efficiently in terms of both space and energy - and leave the warehouse as automatically as they came in. Goods-to-person picking delivers the trays directly to the workstation at an ergonomic height. This means less bending, less lifting, and less time in the frosty storage area.

An integrated sequence buffer ensures that orders are processed in exactly the right order. Flexible tray systems allow various sizes of cartons to be stored. State-of-the-art stacker cranes with camera technology ensure precise control and reduce energy consumption by recovering power during braking. The result is greater precision, shorter distances and reduced electricity consumption.

Precise and safe - even at minus 30 degrees

The Leuze FBPS 607i bar code positioning system increases efficiency and reduces costs in automated warehouse operations. Klinkhammer has been using the FBPS 607i from Leuze for positioning its stacker cranes since 2022. The first safe bar code positioning system with redundant SSI interface and integrated heating enables use even at temperatures as low as -30degC. Connected directly to the drive's frequency converter, the system reacts in just 10 milliseconds.

At the same time, the FBPS meets the stricter requirements of the new machinery directive: Where two separate devices were once needed to achieve the required performance level, today a single FBPS does the job. This saves time during installation and integration and also makes the solution economically attractive.

The new deep-freeze warehouse is just the beginning. In the second expansion phase, automatic shuttle warehouses for chilled and dry goods were put into operation, which automatically combine orders. This makes the entire logistics process even more efficient. With this investment, Fruchte Jork is not only boosting its competitiveness but also making a clear statement: Modern automation can increase productivity and save energy all while ensuring better working conditions.