48 | Affco - Wairoa REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Wellbeing initiatives The company exports to over 74 countries with a customer base, which includes leading food retail chains, supermarkets, restaurants and leather merchants. from page 46 • Civil construction • Rural earthmoving • Sub-surface drainage • House site preparation Proudly serving the Wairoa and East Coast regions for over 40 years CONTACT US 06 8384040 / Sam: 0275851766 operations@prydecontracting.co.nz www.prydecontracting.co.nz Proudly supporting AFFCOWairoa 12Waitane Place, Napier 027 293 2678 www.tekam.co.nz ken@tekam.co.nz • Bespoke design build projects for food, Bio-tech, and By-products industries. • Stainless steel fabrication. • Maintenance engineering. • Specialist structural, transport and pressure vessel certi ied welding. , , . . . , . Tekamare amulti-facet engineering company specialising in: : These wellbeing initiatives site alongside long-standing support such as supplying staff with fruit every day and lunch three times a week and supplying a minivans to pick staff up for work. Alongside this Affco is investing heavily in new infrastructure and technology to make the workspace safer and more efficient. The coal-fired boiler is being replaced with a biomass boiler to reduce the plant’s carbon footprint. It will be commissioned mid 2023. A new refrigeration plant is being developed including a new carton blast and carton buffer, that sorts cartons into pallets without manual handling. It will include high temperature heat pumps to reduce energy usage and all latest safety technology such as pressure valves and ammonia detection technology. Guardian band saws are increasing safety for workers with auto stop technology and Affco is looking at putting in an automated coldstore racking system so pallets can be automatically racked and stored to reduce forklift use. Environmental work is also being undertaken including putting in a wetland area with native plantings and filtering systems for stormwater to improve water quality into the river. AFFCO Wairoa has been a mainstay of the community since 1916. The plant came under AFFCO group ownership in 1990. The plant employs approximately 650 people in the peak season, operating over two shifts processing lamb, mutton, and beef, saving all associated cuts and offal plus its own rendering plant producing meat and bone meal and tallow. The plant is the largest in AFFCO’s stable of meat processing plants and Wairoa processes 1.2 million lamb carcasses per year and 100,00 beef carcasses. AFFCO Wairoa is approved for all major markets including EU, US, Middle East, China and Malaysia and is fully Halal, AUS-MEAT and BRC certified. AFFCO has operated in New Zealand since 1904 and over the nine North Island and two South Island plants processes and exports more than 150,000 tonnes of meat products and by products every year. The company exports to over 74 countries with a customer base, which includes leading food retail chains, supermarkets, restaurants and leather merchants. Clients include McDonalds and US supermarket chain Costco. While exporting is the main market AFFCO is also a major meat supplier on the domestic market of high value premium meat cuts specially prepared for the retail, hotel and restaurant trade. As a major employer in the area Dean says the Wairoa plant has significant value to the local community. It sponsors many local groups, schools and clubs including supplying uniforms and barbeques for the Wairoa High School Ross Shield sports tournament and donating to the local golf course.
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