Replacing a screen cloth is not that difficult, according to Pieter Maes. "Especially when the installation is there, it is a matter of loosening clips, placing cloth on them and reattaching clips. A grower can handle that. "PM Textiles also supplies screen cloths directly to growers, without the intervention of the installer. Why? "It's a lot cheaper."
When it comes to screens and their origin, Pieter Maes has plenty of experience. He was commercial director at the largest Belgian screen manufacturer (PH-screens) for more than 20 years, and in those years he also gained a lot of knowledge about the origin and quality of screens. "At that time, and even today, many screens are being produced in China. No wonder: the quality is good, the price is acceptable and they have already had decades of experience with it."
Getting started
The current screen manufacturers also supply screens produced in China, to installers who in turn supply the growers. That makes the chain long and unnecessarily costly, according to Pieter. "Once the installation is there, it is a question of disconnecting the clips, placing the cloth on them and fastening the clips again. A grower can do that perfectly himself, possibly with a subcontractor. That will be a lot cheaper than if it has to go through that long chain." He continues: "The maintenance of the screen system usually works fine: lubricating the motor, pulling atlas wires - it's not that difficult. And in the past, when a lot of foil was used in the cucumber and tomato cultivation, the growers did that themselves as well."
Simple
The working method of Pieter Maes and PM Textiles is also simple. "A grower takes the measurements of the greenhouse himself. PM Textiles will get to work with the required dimensions including shrinkage and hanging. Based on that a quote is given, and then the roll is ordered from China. This is delivered to the grower a few weeks later. If desired, the grower can call in a subcontractor to help him with the installation and of course Pieter can also advise customers. "I certainly assist growers with advice and action."
Pieter understands all too well that large companies have no desire to deal with the hassle of screens, so he mainly focuses on smaller farms. "Greenhouses of 10,000 to 25,000m2 can be maintained by growers themselves. Call-out costs and installation costs can become considerable if a whole team is needed." He continues: "A screen installation will last 20 to 25 years, but the cloth is usually replaced after 8 to 10 years. So you have to replace it twice in the lifespan of a screen installation. So substantial savings are possible in that aspect."
In addition to the screen cloths, PM Textiles also offers ground cloth, insect mesh and polyester thread.
For more information:
P.M. Textiles bvba
Kwadepoelstraat 60A
BE - 8550 Zwevegem
+32 (0) 56 32 40 86
+ 32 (0) 473 61 49 53