Sjoerd living and working in Washington’s Tri-Cities area in spring 2023

“No one likes onion skins, leaves, and dust. A clean working environment makes happy workers and good performance of high-tech equipment. And what’s more: retailers and consumers pay a premium for clean onions", according to Sjoerd van Diepen, Technical Sales Advisor at Modesta. He will be working and living in North America for the next two months to meet with new and existing clients and keep an eye on various Modesta projects that are currently being installed.

Father and son Larry and Kerrick Bauman opted for a new Modesta chain filter about a year ago. The new system is currently being installed and will lead to total dust extraction capacity of 110 000 m3/hr (65 000 cfm) to support the topping, grading, and packing processes at Target Ag (Othello, WA). Modesta actively contributes to a cleaner product by removing onion skins, which allows Target AG to appeal to a larger client base.

The Baumans’ decision to invest in a durable dust extraction solution is in line with recent HSE developments: food safety regulations are becoming increasingly strict and awareness about the importance of a healthy working environment is rising. Modesta’s enclosed waste scraper conveyors ensure a clean factory floor, free of dust or onion skins.

Blue Sky Onions (Royal City, WA) has invested in high-tech equipment for sorting and packing onions in recent months. Modesta's advanced dust extraction system and processing of onion waste is crucial for the proper functioning of sensors, camera technology and mechanical parts. This project will also go live before the start of the new onion season.

“I look forward to meeting onion growers/packers of all shapes and sizes in North America,” said Sjoerd, who will be living in Tri-Cities with his wife and their 6-year-old twins until June 19. Sjoerd is a true veteran when it comes to the agri business: he has over ten years of experience in three different onion processing companies.

Target AG and Blue Sky Onions follow the lead of onion growers/packers Baker & Murakami (OR), Big O Farms (NY) and Bybee Farms (WA) to ensure clean, safe and healthy onions and facilities. Sjoerd emphasizes that Modesta does not only serve the larger projects: “Our range of dust extraction filters starts at 5 100 m3/hour (3 000 cfm) so feel free to reach out!”

Sjoerd van Diepen
Technical Sales Advisor
Mobile +31 682 483 343
svd@modestafilters.com
www.modestafilters.com/agri