Modernizing Production at Culivers: A Smarter Way to Cook
Culivers, a leading producer of ready-made meals crafted with fresh ingredients, prepares and delivers over 150,000 meals, components, soups, and sauces every week. These are supplied to Sligro Food Group wholesalers, supermarkets, hospitality venues, and care institutions across the Netherlands.
To sustain its growth and maintain consistent quality, Culivers identified the need to modernize its production control system and electrical infrastructure at its large Eindhoven kitchen.
Our systems were aging, spare parts were becoming difficult to source, and downtime was a growing risk
explains Plant Manager Ronald Dielis.
“Given that our kitchen operates five days a week, unplanned downtime simply isn’t an option. We needed to ensure 100% operational reliability.”
Engineering Efficiency: Actemium’s Expert Approach
Culivers turned to Actemium to engineer a forward-looking automation solution. During the pre-engineering phase, Actemium’s team immersed themselves in Culivers’ kitchen operations to map every process and piece of equipment.
We spent a day on-site, documenting workflows and technical details
says Client Manager Adriaan van de Ven.
“From there, we developed a comprehensive User Requirement Specification and provided a tailored proposal.”
Together, the teams selected a Siemens PLC paired with an Ignition SCADA system — a scalable, cost-effective platform offering strong technical capabilities. “We trusted Actemium’s expertise to guide us,” notes Carlo Wijnen, Head of Technical Services. “Ignition was the right choice — it’s flexible, intuitive, and perfectly suited to our needs. We wanted a system that meets industrial standards without unnecessary complexity.”
Smart Execution, Smooth Transition
Actemium teams in the Netherlands’ ability to combine technical expertise with practical problem-solving was evident throughout the project. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused supply chain delays, Actemium proposed creative solutions to minimize downtime risk — including arranging for temporary repairs through trusted partners until the new PLCs arrived.
Equally important was ensuring strong user adoption. Actemium worked closely with Culivers’ chefs to redesign the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) for improved usability. “By involving our kitchen team early, we ensured the system truly met their needs,” Wijnen explains. “The transition went 100% smoothly.”
The system rebuild took place in the summer of 2023, executed flawlessly over a single weekend. “Actemium helped us prepare meticulously — cables were pre-installed, and risks clearly identified,” says Wijnen. “Production restarted Monday morning without a hitch.”
Reliable, Safe, and Future-Ready Production
Since the upgrade, Culivers’ kitchen has experienced zero breakdowns and significantly improved operational efficiency. The new system allows chefs to control all eight kettles via four HMIs, reducing manual actions and simplifying workflows. Enhanced safety features, such as sensor monitoring for cleaning and coupling operations, ensure a safer working environment and protect product integrity.
“Production now runs like clockwork,” says Dielis. “Actemium has proven to be a trusted technical partner that truly understands our processes and anticipates our needs. They’re already supporting us on new equipment installations — and likely future upgrades too.”
The collaboration also established a solid foundation for remote maintenance and service. Through a secure connection, Actemium can now access PLC and SCADA systems directly for troubleshooting and support, fully separated from the corporate network to ensure cybersecurity compliance.
“Actemium not only delivered a state-of-the-art control system but also gave us confidence in our future operations,” concludes Van de Ven. “Their domain expertise, proactive thinking, and focus on reliability have set us up for long-term success.”