Fonterra Australia has forked out for two new milk silos to boost the efficiency of its Western Star butter manufacturing site at Cobden in southwest Victoria.
The $1 million upgrade is part of a previously announced $20 million dollar move to modernise its sites in southwest Victoria over the next three years.
The new silos will boost production efficiencies at the site and allow potential, future increases in the capacity of the site, according to Fonterra.
“The new silos are really all about future-proofing the Cobden site. They will generate good productivity gains and support future growth, which is great news for our suppliers,” said Cobden site manager Rob Howell.
The Cobden site, which began operating in 1888, also manufactures cream and milk powders. According to Fonterra, it's one of the NZ company's top ten manufacturing sites in Australia.
“Fonterra remains deeply committed to manufacturing in southwest Victoria, so we are pleased we can invest to modernise the site and continue to deliver high quality dairy products to our valued customers,” said Howell.
Fonterra’s Cobden manufacturing site recently won 12 awards at the 2013 Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) Australian Dairy Product Awards.
Western Star butter received gold for every category the brand was entered in, and its bulk dairy products, Bulk Salted and Bulk Unsalted Butter, also received the Arthur E Hacquoil Memorial Gold Medallion and E T Heard Memorial Gold Medallion.
Fonterra’s Tasmanian sites, Wynyard and Spreyton, received 10 awards between them for their cheese and milk powder products, and its Wagga Wagga manufacturing site in NSW, won five medals.
Fonterra's Victorian manufacturing site, which makes Western Star butter, gets an upgrade
