The origin and continuous availability of our products play a major role for us. With our international network we can reliably purchase quality pellets all year long from competent regional producers and suppliers. For this purpose we are always happy to bring in new talents, such as Benno Schneider recently.
Our new employee initially completed an apprenticeship as a shipping clerk. This was followed by studies of business administration in Bremen. He then started his career in a small trading company in Hamburg that trades in biofuels. The first two years he devoted to logistics and warehouse management, after which he went into active trading. Parallel to his work, he also completed a part-time master’s degree. For private reasons Benno Schneider then moved back to Bremen. In search of new professional challenges, he came across the Brüning | Group in a newspaper article. His interest was quickly awakened and one thing led to another – he recently joined our pellets unit and is already looking forward to the new product.
“Compared to a biofuel like oil, which is a very homogeneous product, the complexity of pellets is particularly exciting. Much more monitoring, control and testing is required here, a very close quality management is absolutely essential so that we can offer our customers a high-quality product,” says Benno Schneider.
In order to meet the demands of the customers, we regularly visit the producers so that we can get a precise picture on site. During these visits we make sure that the production plant is well maintained and in good condition. It is of course important for us that pellets of perfect quality are produced.
In addition, attention must be paid to storage and transport or means of transport. There should be as little dust as possible on conveyor belts, wheel loaders etc., because the less abrasion during transport or handling, the better. We also get an overview of how the trucks are controlled, as they must be kept very clean and dry. Pellets are a very sensitive product that has to be delivered to the customer’s home and heating plants in good condition, so that it can also be stored in a dry and clean place. Therefore, the transport vehicles must always be cleaned accordingly.
Benno Schneider adds: “What additionally excites me about this task is the international trade with pellets. In some cases it is amazing how different the customer wishes are, e.g. regarding the colour. The Italians prefer comparatively very light-coloured goods, which is not the first preference in Germany. Therefore the markets must be considered differently to a certain extent, although the colour says nothing about the burning properties. With regard to quality, other parameters such as ash content, length distribution and low fines content obviously play a role.
Quality is our priority – we have also had our pellets certified by the German pellet institute DEPI. As one of the first traders and stockists, we are authorized to offer certified wood pellets of the quality classes ENplus A1, ENplus A2 and ENplus B, because our goal is to supply the market with high-quality pellets.