A year of investment and expansion at Wolfenden

With ambitious plans for continued development and growth, Wolfenden have made major investments this year – keeping the company at the forefront of innovation in agriculture.

Alongside new product development and relationships with companies such as EASYFIX, all aimed at helping improve herd comfort, maximising yields and reducing carbon emissions, recent investment has been in plant and equipment. Richard Moody, Wolfenden’s managing director, explains the rationale behind this,
“Our product innovation is second-to-none. Farmers certainly seem to appreciate the time and energy we put into these developments and the level of interest and engagement with our latest ranges at the Great Yorkshire Show this summer was welcome evidence of this. But we also know that, in addition to major projects and refurbishments which farmers can plan well in advance, there are always times when farms will need products on a short lead time, for essential repairs and for the day-to-day safe and efficient running of the farm. With that in mind, we have focused a significant part of our investment this year in new plant at our Lancashire base, ensuring that we can keep responding to and meeting these demands.”

New mixer and batching plant is part of this ongoing investment programme. The recent commissioning of a state-of-the-art computerised batch control system and PLC cabinet now operates a 2-discharge gate 1m3 planetary mixer. Allowing both ready-mix and precast to work in tandem, this new mixer set-up is designed to improve efficiency in the production process.

When investigating options for a new cement skip, Wolfenden selected Eichinger Equipment, whose own investment and history make them supplier of choice for some of the largest and best-known companies, worldwide. As Richard notes,
“Eichinger’s ethos, ‘Quality without Compromise’ chimes perfectly with that of Wolfenden. Critically, their industry expertise meant that we could be certain they could incorporate the bespoke elements we needed to ensure we produce our products safely and efficiently – with the benefits this brings to our customers.”
Wolfenden’s new cement skip has a large holding capacity, meaning a greater volume of product can be made, while keeping to a low height for forklift moveability. Multiple discharge options allow for working in tight spaces, while ensuring operative safety at all times.

A second part of Wolfenden’s ongoing upgrade rotation is investment in a Kramer Allrad wheel loader. Richard explains the new purchase,
“The harsh reality of working in the precast concrete environment inevitably takes its toll on kit, and this latest purchase allows us to replace our existing vehicle, which had certainly piled on the hours. In choosing Kramer Allrad, we knew we were going with a manufacturer who places great value on its own research and development, with advanced technology and the quality and reliability crucial to ensuring that we can meet our customers’ demands.”

One further and significant plant purchase this year is a new silo – a major part of Wolfenden’s product development strategy, facilitating the manufacture of low carbon products to help farmers reduce emissions and meet environmental targets. With a 100-tonne capacity, the new silo is significantly larger than the 30-tonne silo it replaces. Critically, the silo is split, enabling it to hold two different cement blends – currently, the Cemfree blend and ECOCEM GGBS, a high performance alternative to traditional cement designed to increase technical performance, improve product appearance and minimise environmental impact.

A new FM4 Volvo truck completes this year’s investment programme. This latest purchase complements all the plant investment. As Richard notes,
“Our old delivery vehicle had nearly a million miles on the clock, demonstrating the geographical spread of farmers who value and trust Wolfenden’s products and expertise.”