Fonterra appoints new Oceania head
Fonterra has appointed Judith Swales to the new role of managing director for Oceania.
A total of 63 staff are now located on site in advance of completion of the new factory.
"Our staff are really pleased to be able to co-locate on the Glenavy site after almost 14 months of running dual operations on site and in Timaru," says Aidan Johnstone, chief executive officer for Oceania Dairy.
"Total staff numbers are expected to exceed 70 by the time the factory starts receiving milk in late July. We are still recruiting for positions in the laboratory, warehouse and office."
Although construction is not totally complete, the commissioning programme for the $214 million plant has started.
Dry commissioning work is underway on the chilled water system, the waste water treatment system and the bore water systems, and the boiler has been fired up to deliver steam.
"Construction will be completed in time for the arrival of our first milk supplies," says Johnstone.
"We will then run a further six weeks of commissioning and performance testing before the final handover of the factory from construction to production by the middle of September."
