Wednesday, 04 October 2023 13:55

Sweet century milestone for plant

Written by  Staff Reporters
During peak milk season, Fonterra’s Edgecumbe plant processes up to 3.7 million litres of milk every day. During peak milk season, Fonterra’s Edgecumbe plant processes up to 3.7 million litres of milk every day.

Surviving an earthquake and two major floods have made hitting the 100-year milestone that much sweeter for Fonterra’s Edgecumbe site.

The Bay of Plenty site first opened its doors in 1923 and has been at the heart of the community ever since.

The site lies right in the centre of the Rangitāiki Plains, which covers an area between Matata and Whakatane, extending from the coast to Kawerau.

It specialises in producing high-value products – anhydrous milk fat, casein and caseinates, whey protein concentrate, milk minerals and lipids. It’s one of only two sites in Aotearoa New Zealand that manufactures sodium caseinate for Fonterra’s customers to use in a variety of nutritional products.

Products from Edgecumbe are distributed to more than 53 markets globally and contribute significantly to Fonterra’s overall earnings. During peak milk season, Edgecumbe processes up to 3.7 million litres of milk every day.

Fonterra’s Edgecumbe operations manager, Allan Muggeridge, is proud of what the team, including many long serving and third generation employees, has achieved.

“Having the Edgecumbe site reach 100 years of operation is a remarkable achievement. Especially when we consider the obstacles that were overcome to reach this point.”

“We have seen more than our fair share of challenges over the years, including a couple of floods and a major earthquake. The continued operation of the site, even through those more difficult times, is a real testament to the resilience and strong character of the people who have kept it going over all these years.

“We are all extremely grateful for the hard work and clever foresight of the people that came before us, who shaped the site’s destiny into what it is today.

“Beyond just the people who have worked here, Edgecumbe site owes much of its success to the ongoing backing of the Edgecumbe community and in particular the local farmers. Without their support the site simply could not continue to operate.”

Alan Van Der Nagel, director New Zealand Manufacturing at Fonterra, says he’s proud of the hard work being done at the site and in the region.

“This milestone marks a significant achievement for the region. It is a testament to the hard work happening at Edgecumbe. The Edgecumbe team should be proud to be producing top-quality products that are sought after by customers around the world. I look forward to seeing what our people, farmers and the community will achieve together in the years ahead.”

The relationship the site has with the community helps make the site what it is, according to Tony Maclean, general manager Central North Island.

“The relationship with the local and surrounding communities is very important. A business cannot survive for such a long period without being a good social partner and the site has a strong history of working together with the community, particularly in times of adversity.”

The Edgecumbe site celebrated with a public open day on the 16th of September, where farmers, business owners and the community visited the site to learn about what is produced there.

More like this

Fonterra R&D: Innovation needs more than just PhDs

Common sense and good human judgement are still a key requirement for the super highly qualified staff working at one of New Zealand's largest and most important research facilities - Fonterra's R&D Centre at Palmerston North.

Featured

$52,500 fine for effluent mismanagement

A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.

Ospri brings Bovine TB testing in-house

The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.

National

Machinery & Products

Fliegl offers effluent solutions

Founded in Germany as recently as 1977, today, the Fliegl Group employs more than 1100 workers, offering an expansive range…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

It's all about economics

OPINION: According to media reports, the eye-watering price of butter has prompted Finance Minister Nicola Willis to ask for a…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter