PACE Mechanical Handling and JT Hopkins & Sons are celebrating 30 years of working together following the installation of a state-of-the-art potato packing line.
The two companies first worked together in 1995, when PACE installed a single head weigher and stitcher line to replace an existing palletiser handling 25kg sacks of chipping potatoes.
Ten years later, Richard Hopkins asked PACE to return to its packhouse at Carsaig Farm in Wroot, North Lincolnshire, to install a double-head weigher and upgrade the stitcher.
After two decades of efficient operation, Richard decided to upgrade again, and at the beginning of 2025, PACE installed its latest weigher, stitcher and sack placer, allowing JT Hopkins & Sons to pack up to 360, 25kg sacks per hour.
Established in the 1940s, JT Hopkins & Sons is a family business that grows potatoes, carrots, and combinables. It also has cattle and operates a haulage business.
“We’re very impressed with the new line. It is fast, efficient and very well made,” says Richard. “In the ten years since we last improved the line, PACE has made several upgrades to its machines, and the difference in performance between old and new is significant. By upgrading, we have been able to relocate one of our team as he no longer needs to be on the line, which makes us more productive.”
PACE’s managing director, Nick Cesare, is proud of his thirty-year relationship with Richard. “As well as developing efficient and reliable packing solutions, we try our best to build long-term relationships with our customers,” he says. “I am delighted to have marked three decades of working with JT Hopkins & Sons and was thrilled when Richard asked us to quote for upgrading the line that we installed in 2005.”
Before committing to PACE, Richard visited another of Nick’s customers and saw their line working.
“It was important to do our due diligence, and we wanted to make sure we chose to work with the right company,” adds Richard. “We like Nick and the quality of his machines, but we needed to be sure we were getting the best solution at the right price for us. Seeing another potato grower using the latest version of PACE’s machines convinced us to place a third order with him.”
Established in 1996, PACE uses four core products to develop reliable, efficient, and cost-effective automated packaging and palletising solutions: the Gemini twin-head weigher, Orion Weigher, Orion Weigher and sack placer, and the CBC sack placer and stitcher line.
To learn more about PACE Mechanical and its automated solutions for potato packing, visit www.robotpalletizing.co.uk.
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