“Over the past few weeks, Fonterra has announced significant strategic investments to expand and upgrade its operations. Our strong balance sheet is enabling us to invest for future growth and support ongoing delivery of our strategy,” chief executive Miles Hurrell said.
The new cool store will be about 19,000sq m and will store around 26,000 tonnes of cheese, increasing the site’s cool store capacity by around 5,000 tonnes.
The Whareroa site, just south of Hāwera, was established in 1972. It processes up to 12.5 million litres of milk a day and produces about a fifth of Fonterra’s New Zealand production. It employs more than 1,000 people and has 11 plants.
The new cool store is strategically important as it will play a crucial role in the company’s supply chain resilience, chief operating officer Anna Palairet said.
Construction on the cool store will begin next month and will take place over two phases to enable the existing building to remain operational.
The expansion is expected to create local employment opportunities and is forecast to take three years to complete.
