I’ve visited a couple of dairy factories before. At Konini when I was a kid there was one over the road from where Mum and Dad’s best man lived and we used to wander through. And when I lived in Hamilton went to TeRapa a few times.
The first thing about Clandeboye is the scale. 46% of Fonterra’s South Island milk. 12.4 million litres/day at peak. Two cheese plants, three milk powder plants, protein product plants (WheyProteinConcentrate and Lactose) and cream plants (butter and AnhydrousMilkFat). 100% export. About 13,000 tons/day.
They have a secret system for making mozzarella which cuts months out of the process and each of their milk powder driers is bigger and much more efficient than the one before it.
Alan Bennett the head guy there (they employ over 800) at peak is really switched on, loves projects but has a keen sense of where the competition is at and treats the plant like one of his kids.
A really positive relationship with the union with whom they work closely in order to improve efficiency and productivity. Both Alan and the union want to develop more and better jobs – and cut out the boring ones which can and are being done by massively increased mechanisation and robots.
Good place to lift my understanding of that part of Fonterra’s business – thanks.
