The following article was published in the dairy magazine “Mælkeritidende” in February 2012. By Anne Marie Thøgersen

ALECTIA is a 100-year-old, highly respected engineer and consulting company, with planning and design of hospitals as its original foundation. Since then the knowledge-based company has developed into one of Denmark’s leading consulting companies through acquisitions and organic growth. Today ALECTIA provides consulting in the areas of service, production, public authorities, investors and production facilities within the industries of brew, pharma, food and dairy, as well as consulting on occupational health and safety and health management. – The only thing that we do not master is geotechnical surveys, Rolf Pedersen says with a wry smile. Rolf Pedersen, who is the market manager of ALECTIA’s dairy unit, emphasizes that ALECTIA’s primary focus of the future within all the competences of the company will be: Sustainability. 

Knowledge-based company
Five years ago MA Project and MB (the occupational health service of the dairies) became part of ALECTIA, and ALECTIA is now known as the expert within design and planning and as the occupational health and safety consultant in the dairy industry.

“With the acquisitions MA and MB were included in a large knowledge-based company with many new special competences within the areas of process technology, occupational health and safety, business development, buildings, water, energy and environment, and the dairies benefit from this”, explains market manager of ALECTIA’s dairy unit Rolf Pedersen. Rolf, who has an MSc in Dairy Technology, joined ALECTIA a few years ago with a view to increase focus on and contact to dairy customers in Denmark and abroad.

Dairies in Denmark and Sweden
It is almost impossible to find a Danish dairy where ALECTIA has not been involved in assignments with its knowledge and consulting services – from smaller adjustments to major building projects.
Among others, Arla Foods’ cheese dairies in Taulov, Holstebro, Høgelund and Kruså belong to the latter category, and in Sweden ALECTIA has left its imprint with planning and building consultancy on Arla Foods’ large powder plant in Vimmerby.

Throughout recent years, medium-sized Danish dairies, such as Mammen, Them and Thise, have asked for expert help at ALECTIA for large production plant extensions as well as for consulting services regarding environment, physical and mental working environment, workplace assessments, machinery safety, etc.

Currently, ALECTIA is busy with several large extensions on Arla dairies, among these Kruså Dairy was completed last year, while the extension on Taulov Dairy is in full activity, as well as on Danmark Protein; a facility that will be geared up to a significant increase of the whey powder production.

Dairies in Saudi Arabia, China and Chile
Internationally, ALECTIA has attracted favourable notice on several continents. In Saudi Arabia the large dairy Almarai, built in the middle of the seventies, is still a lighthouse in the regional dairy business.

In China ALECTIA has been the project responsible for building Arla Mengnius’ spray drying plant. And the rumour about ALECTIA’s extensive dairy expertise has reached Chile where the country’s largest co-operative dairy has hired the Danish company for planning and design of an entirely new cheese factory (see the fact sheet).

Production processes and optimization
“In the dairy industry ALECTIA is known for planning and designing buildings and supply installations. We are probably less known for our competences within planning, establishment and optimization of productions. However, ALECTIA’s expert knowledge within production processes, warehouses and logistics can help to optimize the production of the dairies”, Rolf Pedersen emphasizes.

Mapping of product flows and key figures, and knowledge of costs in the overall value chain provide the background for the optimization of the existing production, and it is an essential basis in connection with the design of new plants. Combined with a financial analysis from the business consultants, ALECTIA delivers a decision basis for structural changes in connection with the companies’ strategic initiatives.

ALECTIA offers to manage projects and provide the general overview throughout the entire process from planning, layout and tender documentation to implementation, including CE labelling in connection with purchase of new equipment and transfer of equipment.

Occupational health and safety – and prices!
ALECTIA is Denmark’s leading health and safety consultant, and ALECTIA’s health and safety competences are well-known in the dairy industry. Actually, the department has been the midwife on several recognized health and safety projects on the dairies. Some of these have even been rewarded with the Working Environment Award more than once, and recently in 2011. Last year the Dairy Network, constituted by 19 smaller dairies, won the Working Environment Award in the category musculoskeletal disorders because they in cooperation and together with ALECTIA have mapped and solved several work-related ergonomic problems.

Our common environment
From basement to roof in the ALECTIA house you come across the word: Sustainability! "If we want growth in the future, we must optimize our production areas and create economic growth at the same time as we reduce the negative impact on the surrounding nature, water, soil, air and the employees. And ALECTIA has all the skills to tackle this major challenge”, Rolf Pedersen concludes.

5 divisions in ALECTIA
Leadership, health and safety: The health and safety services and consultancy cover the physical and mental working environment, health, and management and organisation development.

Process: Planning and design of all facilities from raw material reception, product production, bottling and packing processes for logistics and warehouses, and strategy development, planning and improvement of operation, including financial circumstances, supply chain, process optimization and sustainability. ALECTIA’s consulting services for the dairy sector belong in the Process division, however expert knowledge from other groups are used for solving the assignments – depending on the specific projects and requirements of the dairy customers.

Water, energy and environment: Energy and CO2 reduction, water, soil, nature restoration, etc.

Building: New buildings, extensions, restorations– from idea to operation of the completed buildings.

ALECTIA International: Covers all international activities, projects, partnerships and alliances.

Furthermore, ALECTIA has agents all over the world and the company establishes temporary project departments in the countries where ALECTIA carries out projects for international customers.

ALECTIA designs a large dairy in Chile
One of Chile’s largest dairy companies, COLUN, has chosen ALECTIA as their adviser in connection with the design of a new cheese dairy. The project includes Master Plan and Conceptual Design and consulting services regarding process, supply, project management and buildings. The facility will be one of the most environmentally friendly and efficient cheese dairies in South America and it is scheduled for completion in 2013. Read more

Read more about ALECTIA's dairy competences