26 | Mount Pack & Cool Extra capacity future proofs business Karen Phelps The new Tauranga Mount Pack & Cool (Mpac) facility will significantly increase handling capacity. “Covid does not care that the kiwifruit seasons comes first week of March. The build still has to happen so we had to find a way to solve issues as they arose.” to page 28 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT With the completion of the final stage of the Tauranga Mount Pack & Cool (Mpac) facility, production capacity will soar to 24 million trays. Work has been completed on the bin curing room with capacity for 6000 bins, new Compac packing line, mezzanine, 17 controlled atmosphere (CA) cool stores and four conventional cool stores. The temperature and humidity controlled packhouse will allow Mpac to pack gold kiwifruit in the ideal atmospheric conditions to ensure the labels adhere to the fruit, says Mpac managing director Brendon Lee. 94 Gargan Road, Tauriko, Tauranga 3110 | 07 575 2027 | office@harkinroofing.co.nz | www.harkinroofing.co.nz PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH MOUNT PACK N COOL AS THEIR PREFERRED INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL METAL ROOFING AND CLADDING SPECIALISTS The total coolstore capacity will be ten million trays. Brendon says this stage of Mpac’s expansion, which started early in 2021 is to keep up with demand. It will add approximately 21,000sqm and will employ an additional 300 people bumping up staff numbers by 100%. Prior significant investment saw Mpac add an additional 10,000sqm of cool storage completed in May 2020 adding 2.3 million trays of coolstore capacity to its already 23,000sqm building completed in 2018. “It’s giving us that extra capacity so we’re future proofing ourselves to handle the coming growth,” says Brendon. Form Building and Developments has successfully delivered the project. Senior site manager Karl Smith says that there were many challenges that arose across the build including Covid-19 and winter weather. “Covid does not care that the kiwifruit seasons comes first week of March,” he notes. “The build still has to happen so we had to find a way to solve issues as they arose.” While there were the usual supply chain issues, lockdowns in Auckland and Hamilton also saw difficulties getting some contractors and management personnel to site.
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