Pulmuone Supports Smart Factory for New Bean Sprout Factory in Ganghwado Uri Maeul

On the 14th, at the 'New Bean Sprout Factory Completion Ceremony' held in Gilsang-myeon, Ganghwa Island, Incheon, dignitaries including Father Lee Daesung, Director of Ganghwa Island Uri Village (first from the left), Bishop Kim Seongsu of the Anglican Church of Korea (sixth from the left), Bishop Lee Gyeongho (eighth from the left), Yoo Cheonho, Governor of Ganghwa County (seventh from the left), Shin Deuksang, Chairman of the Ganghwa County Council (fifth from the left), and Pulmuone's CEO Lee Hyoyul (ninth from the left) are cutting the ribbon.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Pulmuone announced on the 15th that it attended the completion ceremony of the new bean sprout factory at the vocational rehabilitation facility for people with developmental disabilities, ‘Ganghwado Uri Maeul,’ which was rebuilt over two years with donations from various sectors after being completely destroyed by fire in October 2019, and pledged to support the independence of workers with developmental disabilities.

‘Ganghwado Uri Maeul’ built the new bean sprout factory with a total floor area of 1,329㎡ over two floors, larger than the previous factory (1,100㎡), funded by donations from about 3,600 people from all walks of society and support from local governments. Considering the unique working conditions of people with developmental disabilities, the entire production process was designed as a ‘smart factory’ with an automated system, making it easy, safe, and hygienic for workers with developmental disabilities. The temperature, water supply, and air quality of the bean sprout cultivation room can be remotely controlled, doubling the daily bean sprout production from 1.5 tons to 3 tons.

Since signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ganghwado Uri Maeul in 2011, Pulmuone has purchased 50% of the ‘domestic pesticide-free bean sprouts’ produced at the new factory and launched them as the first product of its social contribution flagship brand, ‘Lohas Together.’ This product is exclusively available online through Coupang. From 2012 until the fire, the eco-friendly domestic bean sprouts (300g) jointly cultivated by Pulmuone and Ganghwado Uri Maeul sold 4.5 million packs (approximately 8.5 billion KRW worth) in large supermarkets.

During the factory reconstruction process, Pulmuone formed a factory design task force team composed of bean sprout researchers and factory equipment experts to contribute to the design of the new bean sprout factory. Pulmuone applied its patented technology and specialized architectural personnel for sprout factories, collaborating with factory equipment experts to design the new factory as a ‘smart factory’ where workers with developmental disabilities can work safely and comfortably.

To this end, Pulmuone applied automation systems to the workplace and bean sprout manufacturing process to improve work efficiency and quality. Considering the safety of workers with developmental disabilities, the workplace was designed as a single floor to establish optimal workflow, and gentle ramps were installed instead of dangerous stairs.

Additionally, to prevent fire recurrence, Pulmuone collaborated with the telecommunications company ‘KT’ to establish an Internet of Things (IoT)-based disaster prevention sensor system. This system sends alerts to mobile phones in case of malfunctions, enabling faster response than before.

Meanwhile, the completion ceremony of the new bean sprout factory held on the 14th in Gilsang-myeon, Ganghwa, Incheon, was attended by Kim Seongsu, Bishops of the Anglican Church Lee Kyungho and others, National Assembly member Bae Junyoung, Ganghwa County Governor Yoo Cheonho, Ganghwa County Council Chairman Shin Deuksang, and Pulmuone’s CEO Lee Hyoyul.

Pulmuone CEO Lee Hyoyul said, “I am very pleased that the bean sprout factory has been reborn as a much larger and more splendid smart factory thanks to the sweat and efforts of Director Lee Daesung of Ganghwado Uri Maeul and related personnel,” and added, “Pulmuone will continue to strive to expand sales so that the high-quality and precious bean sprouts produced by Uri Maeul receive abundant love from customers.”