Following intensive consultations, Viscon BV, a division of the Visser Group in ’s-Gravendeel, and Freshpack Handling Systems BV in ’s-Gravenzande, a division of Sorma SpA of Italy, have expressed their intention to concentrate their activities in the horticultural food production, mushrooms, potatoes, fruit and vegetables handling and packaging sector in a company to be newly formed called Viscon Horti Systems BV.

As a result of the integration with Freshpack and the parent company Sorma SpA, Viscon’s comprehensive line of material handling products will be further expanded to incorporate a wider range of sorting systems, weighing and packaging machines, strapping and palletizing machines and packaging materials.

The activities in the area of weighing and packaging operations as well as the sales of packaging materials will basically be continued under the Freshpack name.

As a result of the consolidation of activities, Viscon Horti Systems will be a in a position to supply a total package for the handling and packaging of fruit, vegetables, potatoes and mushrooms for any horticultural production and packaging company, ranging from small to large enterprises; in brief, a total supplier in the whole chain from harvest to supermarket.

For the sorting of fruit and vegetables, a close cooperation will be entered into with Compac New Zealand, for many years already a partner of Sorma in Italy. This will enable turnkey projects including sorting systems to be offered on a worldwide basis.

Expectations are that the process of integration will be completed before the end of 2008, and Viscon Horti Systems BV will be fully operational at the beginning of 2009.

Both Viscon and Freshpack have been successfully engaged in the aforementioned sectors for many years and, as a result of the integration, will be even better positioned to offer as one company a complete line of products to the increasingly professionalized national and international horticultural production and packaging companies.