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This bulletin was published for the official opening on the

10th of May 2003 and to celebrate our 25th year in the

mushroom business.

Our company names have also been changed:

JanssenKessel is now Christiaens Controls

Van Rens is now Christiaens Construction

Christiaens Horst is now Christiaens Machines and

Chrisko is now Christiaens Machines

Our group has built a new facility covering 5 acres

with 3 production units:

• Construction

• Machines

• Controls

About 100 engineers, both in the office and around the

world, are responsible for our projects.This bulletin will give

you an impression of a number of active projects.

Simplicity is just everything.............

Construction of 9 phase 2 / 3 tunnels of 200 ton eachand 10 phase 4, or pinned trays, rooms. Planned startof production: September 2003.

christiaens group I projects I page 2

In the mid-1990s, a number ofCanadian growers decided tostart producing full-growncompost centrally. The risingdemand for mushrooms fromthe USA and the resultingshortage of compost meant adecision was taken in 2001 wastaken to drastically enlarge theexisting facility.In July 2001 work commencedon the construction of 5indoor tunnels each with a600-ton capacity and at thesame time 8 phase 2 / 3 tunnelseach of 200 tons. This had theimmediate effect of doublingthe production capacity to atotal of 725 tons of fully-grown

substrate weekly. As a highlevel of mechanisation waschosen by filling from above,only one extra employee wasneeded to cope with the doub-ling in capacity.

The indoor phase 1 system wasthe ideal solution:- Less total floor surface com-

pared to heaps- Compost turner and pre-wet

machine no longer required- Quicker composting time- No more weekend work- No weather influences (+35º

to -40ºC)- Considerable reduction in

odour nuisance

"We chose Christiaens fortheir expertise and buildingknowledge. The co-operativemembers were convinced thatonly a system already proven inEurope would be the answer. Inthe Christiaens Group we havefound a partner able to solveour problems today and in thefuture ".

Christiaens has become the regu-lar supplier for the co-operativemembers.

mushroom producers co-operativeharley, canada

dohme haveland champignonstietzow, germany

In 1998, at the formerTheeuwen in Blitterswijck, anexpansion drive was under wayto construct various com-posting facilities throughoutEurope. Christiaens was appro-ached for the engineering sideof the composting facility andthe tray farm. Construction ofa phase 4 farm started in 1999.This is a farm where the traysare filled and kept in roomsuntil the pinheading stage. Thetrays are then distributed tovarious independent growersin the surrounding area whosubsequently manage furthergrowth and harvesting.

A year later a phase 2 / 3 tun-nel facility was built with a

capacity of 800 tons of fully-grown substrate per week.In 2001 the project was roun-ded off with an indoor phase 1facility consisting of 5 600-tontunnels and a weekly producti-on of 1200 tons. During thisperiod the entire company wastaken over by a joint venturebetween Walkro and Heveco.

In 2003, they commissionedChristiaens to handle theextension of both the phase 2 /3 tunnels and the phase 4.Thiswill increase the current capa-city to 1800 tons phase 1.

In 1998 Sjra Willems decidedto build a new growing farm formushrooms for the canningindustry. The existing farmcomprised 14 rooms with 4beds high shelving. The newfarm had 6 rooms each 3 timeslarger with 7 beds high. Totalcultivation surface of 750m2

per room.In 2000 the new farm doubledits size to 12 rooms.In 2002 construction startedon a new farm of 6 rooms of1200m2. Contrary to the first

scheme, this turnkey key pro-ject was entirely in Christiaens'hands.

pilzhofwallhausen, germany

page 3

maatschap willemskessel, the netherlands


Feedback to composters, and agood sense of field experiencelie at the root of innovation.With this in mind a number ofworkshops were organised toallow all players in the "game"to transfer and share theirpool of knowledge. Compos-ters from far and wide attendedthese workshops. They weregiven the opportunity to learnabout the basics of ‘black box’composting.

In 2002 Christiaens came intocontact with Germinados de com-post.

The request was for a turnkeyinstallation with as output 400-tons phase 3 substrate, whichcorresponds to 20,000 blocksof fully-grown substrate foragaricus.

The first spade put into theground in May 2002. InDecember of the same yearthe first blocks were rolling offthe block press.....The current production capaci-ty amounts to 1 million blocksannually.The reason to choose fully-grown substrate was clear: theyare the very first producers onthe Spanish market. In addition,fully-grown compost has the

advantage of producing betterquality mushrooms with areduced chance of diseases.Using additives and improvedhygiene, higher productionlevels can be achieved.

Shorter cycle times on thefarms means that the produc-tion capacity per farm can beraised by some 30%.

"After visiting several productionfacilities built by Christiaens inEurope, we came to the con-clusion that their technologywas best suited to ourdemands" according to AlfredoLopez of Germinados.

germinados del compost s.l.lodosa, navarra, spain

workshop phase 1 composting

EMPTYING HALL

3 BUNKERS OF 600 TONS

In 1993, Rob Tolson of Elf FarmSupplies developed the first aera-ted floor using the spigot system.

2 tunnels were built, each of 300tons, to house the compost for thelast few days of the compostingprocess. The current installationhas a capacity of 600 tons offresh compost weekly.

"We opted for Christiaensbecause only they could supplymachinery that meets our ownexacting standards. We alsobenefited from their wealth ofexperience during the enginee-ring and implementation stagesof the project".

The phase 1 project started atthe beginning of 2003. Theinstallation comprises 8 phase

1 tunnels of 300 ton filled fromthe top. Spent processed air isextracted via an air washer andchimney duct." The biggest gains can be seenin the reduced number of loa-der and man-hours," says RobTolson.The follow-up order is 13phase 2 / 3 tunnels for the pro-duction of 480 tons fully-grownsubstrate each week.

elf farm suppliessydney, australia

Funghi di Treviso is a co-opera-tive formed by a group ofmushroom growers in theTreviso region (close to Venice)with the aim of creating a jointmarketing strategy for theirmushrooms.As Christiaens had already sup-plied several of the members inthe past with climate installa-tions, computers and machinery,the group had enough confidencein Christiaens to commission aturnkey growing facility of 24rooms to answer growing mar-ket demands for their produce.

Building started in July 2002.7 Months later the first mush-rooms were being harvested.The farm is set up to handle anannual production of approxi-mately 2000 tons.

High production levels andexcellent mushroom qualitywere the decisive factors moti-vating one of the members tocommission another projectfor a 12 room growing farm in2003...

funghi di trevisotreviso, italy

highveld mushrooms


That Christiaens is a truly globalplayer is illustrated by the fact thatwe are also active in South Africa.

Chris Richardson of HighveldMushrooms approached Christiaensin 1999 for advice about how hecould improve his compost quality.More than a year of preparationand fact-finding by Highveld resul-ted in the construction of a phase1 indoor installation with a capaci-ty of 400 tons of fresh compostper week. The set-up comprises 4indoor tunnels of 400 tons withspigot flooring, filled from the top.

"In our view an indoor system isthe most technologically highlyadvanced method of guaranteeing

optimal and constant compostquality. We also had to considerthe universal problem of odournuisance. Building an indoorsystem was really the only viableoption. Our mushroom produc-tion rose immediately by 15 to20%.The constant compost qualityalso results in more constantmushroom production. Anotheradvantage of the new installation isa reduction in labour costs."

The excellent experience withChristiaens has lead to anothercommission for the constructionof 6 phase 2 / 3 tunnels.

PHASE 1 FACILITY

TOP LAYER FILTER

PHASE 1 AIRHANDLER

Filled manure tunnel Filling from above

Air diffuser system

Climate control

Ammonia washer

Construction of 5 composting tunnels of 40 x 8 metres.Including complete engineering, climate + control system, and processair washers.Annual production 100,000 tons

op de beek antwerp, belgium

animal manure processing

page 7

Air washing system and spraying tank

Computer control

Process fan 75,000 m3/hrAnnual production 100,000 tons of animal manure.

Core demands:- Germ-free product- Dry matter approx. 60 %- Export quality- Stable

Christiaens Construction B.V.

Witveldweg 1045961 ND Horst

[email protected]

tel. +31 (0)77 399 95 40fax +31 (0)77 399 95 41

Christiaens Machines B.V.


[email protected]

tel. +31 (0)77 399 95 60fax +31 (0)77 399 95 61

Christiaens Controls B.V.


[email protected]

tel. +31 (0)77 399 95 80fax +31 (0)77 399 95 81

t h e p o w e r o f c o m b i n e d e x p e r i e n c e

projects in progress worldwide in the year 2003Biofunghi, Hungary Phase 1 indoor en Phase 2/3 tunnels

Cabragh, Ireland Phase 2/3 tunnels

Central Composting BC Phase 1 complete indoor

Thy Champignon, Denmark Mushroom farm

Grespan, Italy Mushroom farm, 12 growing rooms

Linde KCA project MBA Linz Austria Machines for waste composting

Walkro Blitterswijck, Holland 17 Phase 2/3 tunnels of 200 ton

Surayaya, Indonesia Phase 1 composting and 7 Phase 2 tunnels of 200 ton

Banff, Canada Sewage sludge composting

Highveld, South-Africa 6 Phase 2/3 tunnels of 200 ton

Pilze Nagy, Hungary 4 tunnels for Pleurotes Substrate

Holpol, Poland Extension for 3 Phase 2/3 tunnels

Hennewellner, Germany 5 tunnels phase 2/3 of 200 tons

Eurocompost, Serbia indoor and phase 2 for 450 ton/week

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