Interview Potato Storage International: The safe keeper

The UK-based company Arundel Kerr Produce (AKP) was founded in 1999 by Richard Arundel and Bruce Kerr to market the potato production of William Kerr Farms in Suffolk. The initial success of the business soon attracted other growers from the area, who were looking to add value to their potato business by making use of AKP’s marketing knowledge, and soon the group was managing 1,000 acres of potatoes and marketing around 50,000 tons of potatoes produced by member growers. Over the past few years, the group has invested in a state-of-the-art storage and grading facility based in Elsham, North Lincolnshire, which was a good reason for us to ask AKP Group’s Storage Manager, Ben Mordue, to tell PSI’s readers more details about this new development and his work.

PSI: To start off, what made you choose to become a Storage Manager?

Having worked in agriculture since leaving Bishop Burton College, an opportunity arose in a large farming business growing both potatoes and onions. I moved within this business to the point of managing the full day-to-day operations for the onion side of the business, before this was then bought out by AKP and I transferred across to continue that role.

In 2006 Kirmington Potato Services was also purchased by AKP, which then also became my responsibility to manage. Therefore, I could say that it wasn’t so much a decision to become a Storage Manager, but much more of an opportunity that presented itself, which in turn has allowed me to fill a vital role within a company that has always been looking to grow and evolve.

PSi: How do you see your job and the responsibilities it brings? Please tell our readership in a few words what a ‘normal day at work’ looks like for you.

The role has its very busy periods, especially in the autumn when product is being loaded into store, which is a real peak of activity each season. Critical to this period is the planning process; this enables us to ensure that we store each crop at the most suitable temperature regime, as our aim is to maintain the best quality product for as long as possible. This ensures that when the potatoes are unloaded, they are in the best possible condition to meet customer requirements.

Day-to-day starts with a walk around all our stores, be they for processing or pre-packing material, which do require different controls, to make sure that all ventilation is working correctly and the product has been conditioned, checking and monitoring the sensors in store, which are at one of two central computer terminals.

Along with managing the store, I also operate a grading and distribution operation, which handles up to 150 tons of product per day, this being split-graded for customers, thus ensuring that the right potatoes get to the right place, at the right time.

PSI: What are the most important challenges you face in your job and how do you overcome them?

Maintaining product quality in ever-changing weather conditions, in order to make sure the customer is satisfied with the service we provide, which in turn enables us to continue to develop a new customer base in what is a very competitive industry.

This is achieved through good planning and increased attention to detail.

You can read the full exclusive interview in the Autumn issue of Potato Storage International magazine.

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