Fonterra’s Te Awamutu site secures Transport Cup

A Fonterra milk truck unloading at a milk processing Factory in Te Awamutu. Photo / Brendan O'Hagen

Fonterra’s Te Awamutu site was awarded the Transport Cup at the annual Best Site Cup ceremony last Thursday night.

The site was also the runner-up for Best Medium Site.

Dubbed the ‘Oscars of Manufacturing’, the Best Site Cup awards are held annually to celebrate the successes of Fonterra’s manufacturing sites across the country.

Now in their 17th year, the awards spark a bit of friendly competition with the opportunity to win in a range of areas, from sustainability and innovation to efficiency.

More than 330 people are employed at the Te Awamutu site which produces whole milk powders, skim and buttermilk powder, butter (unsalted and salted), and anhydrous milk fat.

In peak season Te Awamutu processes up to 3 million litres of milk every day. The site was established as a creamery in 1889.

Fonterra manufacturing sites employ close to 7000 people throughout the country in a range of roles from factory processors to tanker operators, food safety and quality experts and environmental managers – all of them working to turn our farmers’ milk into products that end up in more than 140 countries around the world.

Fonterra’s Te Awamutu site won the Transport Cup which recognises exceptional Tanker Activity Management System (TAMS) scores. TAMS helps to ensure Fonterra tankers are driving safely and efficiently. They monitor tankers’ acceleration, braking and speed.

Te Awamutu took home the Transport Cup, meaning their tanker drivers are the safest and most efficient Fonterra fleet in New Zealand.

Considering the weather events that have affected the past year, as well as the twists and turns in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty’s roads, the Te Awamutu fleet’s TAMS score is a remarkable achievement.

Te Awamutu was runner-up for the Best Medium Site Cup for reasons including making remarkable progress in the sustainability space and showcasing strong improvements throughout the year, particularly with waste to landfill and water quality, as well as huge success with their site engagement and culture, as measured in a people and culture survey taken by all employees across Fonterra.

The Best Medium Site Cup recognises the best medium-sized site for FY23. This award is based on both performance and site culture.

Te Awamutu operations manager Russell Muir said in a statement being recognised as one of the best is a real feather in his site’s cap.

“We take real pride in the fact that we’re improving year on year and creating great results for shareholders and the local community.”