Now we have with us Mr Pablo Fernandez Moriana, Area Manager of SILOS CORDOBA. The Company specializes in the manufacture of silos and the engineering, development and assembly of facilities and plants for industrial and agricultural purposes.
Today we will discuss with Mr. Pablo that how their company facilitates the storage of grains and their new product development
Starting with the interview, we would prefer that firstly you please share the past and upbringing of Silos Cordoba with our audience.
SILOS CORDOBA,SPAIN
Silos Cordoba started its operation in 1975, in Cordoba, Spain. The founder, Juan Lopez Lietor, commenced then a new business venture aimed at fulfilling the needs of the stockbreeding market. Silos Cordoba continued growing to respond the market demands and today the company offers a wide range of products and services that include the conception, planning, design and assembly of agribusiness facilities; the manufacturing of storage silos, and the manufacturing of grain conveying and handling systems.
Our company develops custom made solutions anywhere in the world. The galvanized sheet metal silos are today the best alternative for grain storage thanks to its versatility, easy assembly, hygienic handling and low cost storage.
Sir, Silos Cordoba is awarded as “Cordoba’s Companies of the Year 2013”, what is the guiding force behind this and how you describe this contentment?
Well, that award recognizes a good job done not only in 2013, but also during our complete trajectory. Moreover, during this 2014 we also received another award: WINGS award to Internationalization in the category Abroad Implementation. In this case, it recognizes the work of Andalusian companies that, in their internationalization process, have made investments abroad or established partnerships with foreign companies to operate in another country.
Those two awards are really valuable because they are not for a single fact but for our complete trajectory. It has been a continuous effort year after year which made great our company. Me and my colleagues are proud of being part of Silos Cordoba because we became a model in our sector many years ago and now we are a model also for other companies not involved in our activities.
Being a leading manufacture, which types of products the company is in specialized into and also please share the applications and advantages of each of them?
Unlike many of our competitors Silos Cordoba manufactures steel silos such as hopper silos, flat bottom silos, train and truck load silos, tempering and buffer silos; handling equipment such as bucket elevators, chain conveyors, belt conveyors and screw conveyors; all the necessaries catwalks and supports; connections and joints; specific structures involved like elevator towers, receiving pit intakes, grain storage shed facilities, etc. Summarizing, we supply turnkey projects to the market: all the customer needs with regard to a storage plant is just one call away.
Part of our product advantages is our steel strength, which is one of the highest among all the silos manufactures. That makes we are able to create stronger structure using less steel. Another important difference it is for sure our steel coating: as standard we offer Z-600 where most of the competitors use Z-450 or even lower. These two factors are really important firstly because having those factors storage plant useful life is longer; second because the investment related with storage plants is always high so there is no point to invest in projects if the useful life is going to be short.
A very good solution accepted by the market, especially in tropical countries is our insulations system: it is focused in the protection of the grain through avoiding sun radiation. Thanks to that the temperature inside the silo is more homogeneous preventing some specific problems like growth of fungi, grain chemical changes, change in colors and general appearance, etc. We create this system through double wall ring, either keeping a gap between them and creating a natural convection or installing between them materials such as rock wool or fiber wool.
In Silos Cordoba we are always developing new solutions thanks to our R&D department. Thanks to that we are continuously working in new designs, new products, looking for better and more efficient solutions. Actually we have an experimental plant where we test our products before launching to the market: products are always tested under aggressive circumstances for days or even month running 24/7. Thanks to that we can deliver really reliable solution to the market.
As we can see from your website that you are providing the state of the art technology to the Global Grain Millers. How this technology will commercially benefit the Grain Milling Industry globally?
It is a fact that grain milling industry need silo technology for its activity. Our technology can be easily implemented by grain millers, feed millers, distilleries, breweries, pasta companies, grain traders, etc. We supply to all of them our newest technology but of course it has to be adapted to the final grain storage: different grains, cereals, pulses, etc. need different ventilation systems, different cleaning and drying process, environmental conditions can vary even in hours and it could affect seriously to the grain…All these factors are taken in our studies for delivering the best solution to any quality maintenance program of grain processing companies.
Spot a light on your upcoming projects in the market.
Two important projects are now under construction are NKF in Iran, OBRINEL in Uruguay and TIRYAKI in Turkey.
NKF is designed for soya bean, corn and wheat. The total capacity is 489.792 m3. The project is made by 48 flat bottom silos 24.45/17. Loading is done at 1.200 tons per hour and unloading is done at 800 tons per hour.
OBRINEL has been designed mainly for wheat. It has being installed in Montevideo Port, Uruguay. The total capacity is 121.000 tons and includes 12 silos model 27,50/17, 1 hopper silo model 10,70/16 45º cone, 2 hopper silos model 5.35/5 60º cone, 2 hopper silos model 8,40/13 45º cone, truck load silos, two elevator tower, weighbridge. Handling equipment is also provide by Silos Cordoba, having 800 tons per hour loading capacity.
TIRYAKI was designed for canola and wheat and its composed by 19 flat bottom silos model 18.33/22, 11 flat bottom silos 14.51/22, 27 truck loading silos and 4 hopper silos model 9.17/12. The total capacity is 250.168 m3. Handling equipment was also provided by Silos Cordoba with loading and unloading capacity of 300 tons per hour.
OBRINEL (1)
OBRINEL (6)
OBRINEL (3) (1)
TIRYAKI (5) (1)
TIRYAKI (1) (1)
NKF (2) (2)
OBRINEL (6)
NKF (3)
OBRINEL (3) (1)
TIRYAKI (5) (1)
What makes you stand out when compared with your peers?
I am really proud to say that inside our company we have been implementing new ideas since years: Lean manufacturing or Six Sigma are just some of the new corporate philosophies we introduced, and thanks to them we are always in a continuous improvement plan. As examples of it there were many improvement such as creation or our R&D department along with the pilot for testing product; introducing new automatic machinery in our processing lines; we were the first silo manufacture using coating Z-600 which give our products longer useful life; we use as standard higher steel strength in our products so we can manufacturer our products using less steel, etc. All these factors lead us to the efficiency and at the end is the final customer who is taking the benefits from our efforts.
What type of management / supervision do you prefer in Silos Cordoba in making it remains at top level?
We consider the best way to guaranty the customer the maximum quality and reliability is the turnkey project so we can take care of every single detail. In this scenario, our technical team is in charge of the complete storage project design so there is no change of missing any part as tend to happens when several suppliers are involved.
Another way we work is having a supervisor at site from the beginning of the installation up to the commissioning and testing. Doing that we can certify that the project has been built according with our requirements and standards
You are also gloaming in poultry industry; do you face any challenges in it also maintaining its topmost position in poultry market?
The truth is that Silos Cordoba started its activity focused in poultry industry: Gandaria is our poultry division and it is has been working quite active since the beginning. This division were focused during many years in Spanish market due to it was a very good market before the crisis starts in 2007-2008. Previous to that crisis this division already planned the expansion abroad and in the recent years the sales figures of this division increased, the team is now bigger and the international presence became continuous.
In poultry sector we need to keep working in the same line as Bulk storage division is doing to achieve to be a reference in the market: having the new philophy, higher qualities and better services we are sure our poultry division could be a global reference in short or mid-terms.
Flash a light on Silos Cordoba’s different business units
Silos Cordoba S.L. organized its operation in specialized units that use the infrastructure and experience of the group.
Silos Córdoba deals with the engineering, development and assembly of facilities and plants for industrial and agricultural purposes. It offers full services, from defining the needs and settling the possible solutions to the conception and implementation of the project. It has as well a department focused in the development of biodiesel applications.
Quinta Metálica is specialized in supply and installation of all kind of metal claddings, specially zinc, copper, titanium, stainless steel, aluminium and lead. QM offers the complete construction solution for each project and manages from the base structural support up to the exterior and final metal cladding. Itis specialized as well in the engineering and metal transformation in different areas: personalized development of all kind of metal constructions, technical solutions and bolted finishings, agricultural and industrial warehouses.
Matra is specialized in the development and manufacturing of industrial conveying machinery. Matra offers solutions for farming, food industry, dry goods, etc…with the most advanced engineering systems and manufacturing means. Though this unit works in different markets segments, it represents an important support for Silos Cordoba in the development of industrial storage plants in order to provide the client with turn key projects.
GANDARIA is specialized in the manufacturing and marketing of products for all kind of cattle breeding facilities: pork, fowl, sheep, ovine, bovine, alternative farming… It also plans and develops farm facilities and plants.
At end we would like to ask you what charms the rice miller to Silos Cordoba?
This question summarize our interview because it includes all the Silos Cordoba advantages: manufacture using steel with highest coating, design and production flexibility, shorter delivery dates, better quality-price relationship, implementation of new technologies in storage plants, etc. There are many option available in the market but not those doesn’t meet the conditions mentioned in this conversation.
Mr Pablo, with your busy schedule, we are indeed fortunate to have you come in to do this interview. Thank you for sharing your substantial wisdom with our audience.We wish success for your future and for Silos Cordoba
Spanish Translation
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