Colona is a Belgian family-owned sauce producer with a long tradition of supplying the foodservice and retail sectors. With steady annual growth, the company’s production site in Waremme was gradually reaching its operational limits.
To support this continued growth, Colona needed to free up space at its production site, outsource part of its finished goods storage, and rely on a logistics partner able to ensure reliable service while accommodating increasing volumes.
The challenge: Supporting growth while keeping production running smoothly
As volumes increased, Colona’s existing storage and logistics setup became more constrained.
The main challenges included:
- A production facility approaching storage capacity
- Logistics practices that needed further structuring to support higher volumes
- Pallet preparation processes that required greater consistence
- A need for stable and efficient transport management
- A very short timeline to externalise storage while maintaining operational continuity
At the same time, the transition had to be executed within a particularly tight timeframe. The partnership was finalised in mid-July, and the new logistics site needed to be operational by mid-September.
All existing stock had to be transferred within a two-week window, with picking activities starting on 1 October. Maintaining production continuity throughout this transition was essential. Every delay would directly impact production.
Our approach: A carefully coordinated logistics transition
To meet this timeline, the WSC teams worked simultaneously on several key actions:
- Installing racking and warehouse signage
- Preparing the building to comply with food storage requirements
- Organising storage zones and operational workflows
- Recruiting and training warehouse operators
- Mapping and preparing Colona’s logistics flows
By mid-September, the La Louvière warehouse was ready to receive the first volumes of Colona’s pallets.
High operational activity from the start
From the first weeks of operation, logistics activity quickly ramped up:
- Several thousand order lines prepared daily
- Around 300 pallets prepared each day
- Between 300 and 400 inbound pallets received daily
This required continuous adjustments to picking methods, stock flows and operational priorities to stabilise the operation.
Structuring logistics to support a fast growing food company
Handling higher volumes was only part of the project. As Colona continues to grow, the company also aimed to strengthen the structure of its logistics processes.
Working together, the teams:
- Optimised pallet building practices
- Clarified operational processes
- Improved coordination with transport partners
Regular follow-ups ensured that improvements could be implemented progressively and translated into more reliable and efficient daily operations.
The objective was clear: reduce operational friction, improve consistency, and build a logistics setup that can support future growth.
Choosing La Louvière: a data-driven logistics decision
While Colona initially considered a warehouse closer to its production site, our detailed logistics network and transport analysis provided a broader view.
The study highlighted that:
- A large share of Colona’s customers are located in France
- La Louvière offered an ideal geographical location and efficient access to key transport corridors
- The location could optimise outbound transport flows
These elements contributed to the decision to operate from the warehouse in La Louvière.
The result: A stable and scalable logistics setup
One year after the start of the collaboration:
- Orders are prepared and shipped according to schedule, with minimal delays
- Processes have been documented in detail, which gives us a solid basis for further process optimization
- Outsourcing part of the storage helped free up space at the production site and increased production capacity
- The logistics setup in La Louvière supports Colona’s continued and strategic growth
Today, the collaboration between Weerts Supply Chain and Colona is built on regular communication, coordination, and operational alignment. Appropriate governance has been put in place to monitor the operations in a structured way.
As the Site Manager explains:
For this to work, we need to form a team with our client.
When one link is missing, everything can quickly go wrong.
Working hand in hand is the key to a reliable and sustainable service.
With structured logistic flows, scalable capacity and stable operations, Colona now has a logistics setup designed to support its development in the years ahead.
Ready to strengthen your food logistics operations?
If your growth is putting pressure on storage capacity, picking volumes or transport flows, WSC can help you design a sustainable, long-term food logistics solution tailored to your business.
