Background - Lanko
Lanko is gestig op 26 Maart 1958, op inisiatief van ‘n advieskomitee aangestel deur die Langkloof Boerekoöperasie. Die stigtingsvergadering is gehou in die NG Kerksaal van Krakeelrivier. Nege-en-sewentig produsente uit die streek het die vergadering bygewoon, aansoekvorms om lidmaatskap is voltooi en ‘n direksie is tydens hierdie vergadering verkies. Lanko het aanvanklik begin as Koöperatiewe Koelkamers.
‘n Perseel is bekom in Louterwater en die eerste twee koelkamers is voltooi in Maart 1960, waarna besigheid in April 1960 begin het. Op 23 November 1960 besluit die direksie egter om die dienste van Lanko uit te brei ten einde die sentrale verpakking van vrugte te hanteer. Die amptelike opening van die pakstoor het plaasgevind op 20 Januarie 1962, en is waargeneem deur Sy Edele Minister P.O. Sauer. Die amptelike handelsmerk van Lanko is op 31 Oktober 1961 deur die direksie aanvaar.
Lanko ontvang dan sy eerste vrugte vir verpakking gedurende die 1962-seisoen en verpak 17,5 ton appels en 3.5 ton pere gedurende daardie seisoen. Die hoofvariëteite in daardie jare was Jonathan, Ohenimuri, Starking, Golden Delicious, Winter Pearmain, Granny Smith en York Imperial.
In die jare 1962 tot 1979 brei Lanko sy verkoelingskapasiteit verder uit met die oprigting van ses addisionele groot gewone atmosferiese koelkamers. Gedurende 1983 word daar ook begin met die oprigting van ‘n beheerde atmosferiese koelkamerkompleks, wat in Februarie 1984 voltooi is en in April 1984 vir die eerste keer gevul is. Die BA-koelkamerkapasiteit is verder uitgebrei met 5,000 kratspasie in 1986, ‘n verdere 2,630 kratspasie in 2006 en die laaste toevoeging was in 2013 met ‘n addisionele 4,400 kratspasie. Lanko beskik dus tans oor 22,400 kratspasie BA-koelkamerfasiliteite.
Wat die pakstoor betref, is daar oor die jare verseker dat bygehou word met tegnologiese vernuwing en is die meganiese Barbet- en Bradwood-gradeerders vervang met elektroniese Wayland- en EHS-gradeerders. Vandag beskik die pakhuis oor hoogsgevorderde elektroniese en optiese Greefa-gradeerders wat kleur, defekte, grootte en gewig met groot akkuraatheid kan gradeer. Buiten die gesofistikeerde elektroniese paklynmasjienerie is die verpakkingsfasiliteit ook, na ‘n multi-miljoenrand opgradering in 2014, met tegnologies-gevorderde elektro-meganiese invoerlyne, dompelaars en sorteerlyne toegerus.
Lanko roem homself in ‘n toegewyde en lojale werkerskorps. Lanko het groot waardering vir die bydrae wat sy werknemers maak tot die sukses van sy besigheid. Die werkerskorps bestaan uit 44 permanente en ongeveer 330 seisoenale werknemers.
Lanko is ‘n privaatmaatskappy met 27 produsente-aandeelhouers. Die aandeelhouers is gevestig op ongeveer 15 verskillende produksie-eenhede/plase, wat die pakhuis voorsien van meer as 27,000 ton (70,000 grootmaathouers) appels en pere vir verpakking. Daar word gevolglik ongeveer 10,000 ton pere en 17,000 ton appels per jaar verpak, wat naastenby 1,35 miljoen kartonne (12.5 kg ekwivalente) vir uitvoer en ‘n verdere 400,000 kartonne vir die plaaslike mark voorsien. Die restant word vir inmaak en versapping gelewer.
Lanko was established on 26 March 1958, as a result of an initiative by an advisory committee of the Langkloof Farmers Co-op. The inaugural meeting was held in the church hall of the Krakeelrivier Dutch Reformed Church. Seventy nine producers from the Langkloof region attended the meeting and signed membership application forms. During this meeting the first Board of Directors was also elected. Lanko started off as a Co-operative Cold Storage Facility.
Land was acquired in Louterwater and the first two cold rooms were completed in March 1960, after which business started in April 1960. On 23 November 1960 the Board of Directors decided to expand the activities of Lanko to include the centralised packaging of apples and pears. The official opening of the packing facility took place on 20 January 1962 by his honourable Minister P.O. Sauer. The official trade mark of Lanko was accepted by the Board of Directors on 31 October 1961.
Lanko received its first crop for packing during the 1962 season. A total of 17.5 ton of apples and 3.5 ton of pears were packed during that season. The main varieties in those years were Jonathan, Ohenimuri, Starking, Golden Delicious, Winter Pearmain, Granny Smith and York Imperial.
In the years to follow, from 1962 to 1979, Lanko expanded its cold store facilities with the completion of six additional regular atmosphere cold rooms. In 1983 the erection of the first Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Cold Room complex began. Completion thereof followed in 1984 and was commissioned in April 1984. The CA cold storage capacity was expanded with an additional 5,000 bulk bin capacity in 1986. To keep up with increasing crop volumes and to gain more flexibility with regards to marketing options, the CA capacity had to be extended even more and an additional three CA Rooms with a capacity of 2,630 bulk bins in 2006 and four CA Rooms with a capacity of 4,400 bulk bins in 2013 were added, thus leaving Lanko with a total CA capacity of 22,400 bulk bins.
In terms of the packing facility, Lanko managed to stay in touch with technological developments within the fruit packing industry and as a result have advanced from the older mechanical fruit grading equipment, such as the old Barbet and Bradwood fruit grading machines, to highly sophisticated electronic and optic fruit grading equipment. Since 2009 a major upgrading project has been initiated in the packhouse. The installation of advanced Greefa electronic and optical fruit grading equipment include functions to grade fruit according colour, defects and size with immense accuracy. Apart from these highly sophisticated grading machines, technologically advanced electro-mechanical bin infeed, tipping and sorting equipment have been installed in 2014 as part of a multi-million Rand upgrade.
Lanko prides itself in a dedicated loyal workforce. We acknowledge the major role that our employees play in the success of our business. Our workforce consists of 44 permanent employees and a further 330 seasonal workers.
Lanko is a private company with 27 shareholders of whom the majority are fruit producers from the Langkloof region. They are located on 15 different production units/farms which provide the packhouse with more than 27,000 ton (70,000 bulk bins) of apples and pears annually. During a season ± 1.35 million cartons of fruit (12.5kg equivalents) are packed for export to various international markets, and a further ± 400,000 cartons for the domestic market, whilst fruit are also supplied in bulk for juicing and canning.