Goodman Fielder has announced that it will be spending NZ$27m to expand and upgrade it ultra-heat treated (UHT) milk plant in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The manufacturer says that the increased production capacity will enable it to meet growth opportunities across the Asia Pacific Region and will include an extension of the existing UHT building, installation of a new pasteurising, sterilising and palletising line as well as the installation of a new 250 ml high speed filler.
“The premium UHT category in Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow by around 50 per cent over the next five years. This project will provide us with additional capacity to address this growing market through our iconic New Zealand Meadow Fresh brand and distribution capability,” said Goodman Fielder CEO, Chris Delaney.
“We are seeing increasing demand for our Meadow Fresh products in Asia Pacific, particularly China, as we continue to build on New Zealand’s natural, high quality dairy credentials. We are investing now to meet that demand and also plan for future growth.
“It is also very rewarding to be able to commit to a major investment at Meadow Fresh Christchurch given the impact that natural disasters have had on our site and our people over the last three years,” he said.
The upgrades are expected to be completed by October 2015.