Boekestyn Greenhouses Takes a Big Step Toward Fully Automated Plant Production
The WPS Plant Order System, a Walking Plant System. | WPS
Boekestyn Greenhouses is taking a step toward fully automated plant production. The company is investing in an advanced Plant Order System from WPS, enabling it to manage its strong growth while simultaneously saving on labor.
The investment follows the second construction phase of the new location, realized by Havecon. Boekestyn’s production capacity will increase by approximately 70% in the coming years. Without automation, this would pose a significant challenge to daily operations. However, the new system allows Boekestyn to manage this growth with only a limited increase in staff. The system is scheduled for commissioning in mid-2026.
The Plant Order System
The Plant Order System automates the entire process from harvesting to order processing. Two harvesting robots take plants directly from the container system and place them in special carriers. A vision system assesses each plant for maturity and height, after which mature plants are automatically sorted for buffering or tray storage, and unripe plants are returned to cultivation.
In addition, the system includes:
- Fully automated transport via conveyors, tray stackers, and de-stackers (more than 3,000 meters of conveyor belt)
- Smart robotics for loading and unloading trays for storage in the cold room
- Order Control Software (OCS) for seamless order processing and integration with labeling and packaging lines
- Automatic box loading machines that increase packaging capacity
The system is also designed according to the Just-in-Time principle, based on the Lean methodology. This means that orders are processed efficiently and precisely at the right time, minimizing waste and allowing for optimal utilization of production capacity.
With this installation, Boekestyn will soon be able to process approximately 4,000 plants per hour, with the flexibility to easily switch between different pot sizes, colors, and varieties. With a minimal expansion in a future third phase, capacity could even grow to more than 5,000 plants per hour.
Strong Business Case by Consultancy Firm
This investment is based on a comprehensive Lean Scan conducted by Optimize by Nexus. This consultancy analyzed where the greatest labor savings can be achieved and helped Boekestyn build a solid business case for the future.
Proud of Partnership
According to Digna van Zanten, owner of WPS, Boekestyn Greenhouses’ investment is a significant milestone for the sector: “Boekestyn is one of the first Canadian potted plant growers to opt for high-tech automation on this scale. We expect that with this development, Boekestyn will set the tone for other professional growers to further invest in automation. We are proud to support their growth and count them among our customers.”
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