Open Country Dairy remains tight-lipped about its Wanganui milk powder plant but excavations on land right next door to the Heads Rd factory are the first tangible sign that things are happening.
Local businesses and suppliers appear to be gearing up for expansion at the plant.
Dairy Fresh provides the tankers which collect the milk for the plant and it has been advertising for more drivers and dispatchers for its depots both in Wanganui and Taupo, where Open Country has a factory producing powder and long-life milk. And more warehouse space has also been secured by another contractor to handle any extra production coming from the city plant.
Open Country opened the single drying tower plant in Wanganui in 2009 with the first bag of powdered milk coming off the production line on August 1. It has three plants - Wanganui, Taupo and Southland - with a combined capacity of handling about 900 million litres of milk annually and exports to 50 countries. It is a private company, majority-owned by New Zealand food group Talley's.