Acquired by the Samworth Brothers in 2018, the Solway Foods Manton Wood site was founded in 1988 and is today one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of sandwiches, with an annual turnover in excess of £75m.
Solway Foods’ initial problem was keeping the factory dry in order to reduce the spread of environmental micro & cross contamination. In order to resolve this, all water access had been limited to food hygiene operatives only by removing all hoses stored around the factory. However, this still left hose points which could be turned on.
A secondary issue was finding a way to neatly store away hoses out of the production areas when not in use. This was being done using single mobile hose stands, but these took up a wide floor area and involved hoses often being placed on top of each other, with the hose dragging along the floor.
Solway Foods Group had identified a need to replace their existing hose storage solution. However, after browsing the market, were unable to find a suitable option.
Solway approached QJS with a project brief explaining their predicament. QJS proposed a bespoke solution through a consultative approach, working with Solway to create diagrams of an innovative hosereel storage trolley.
The additional need to apply auto shut off valves was identified, meaning that water points could only be used when a hose was attached.
QJS delivered a bespoke NITA hose reel storage trolley that could store 12 hoses in a smaller, safer footprint area. Up to 12 hoses could be transported quickly and easily by any member of the hygiene team at once, rather than moving 12 individual hoses.
The trolley solution also means if the needs or flow of the factory change, Solway would not need to take down items bolted to the wall or floor. This flexible, mobile solution meant that the hygiene area could be kept clear and safe.
