26 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Southland: Open Country Dairy Richard Loader Awarua expansion trebles capacity CEO Steve Koekemoer - proud of what the kiwi-owned company has achieved. to page 28 O P EN C OUN T RY DA I RY WWW.SOUTHPORT.CO.NZ LOGISTIC & WAREHOUSING SOLUTIONS P R O U D T O S U P P O R T I Icon Logistics Ltd is proud to be associated with Open Country Dairy 03 477 9595 www.iconlogistics.co.nz www.ico • Devanning & Warehousing Specialists • Container & Curtainsider Transport NZ Wide • Licensed Customs Bond Store • MPI High Risk facility Ph 216 9025 ALL HOURS - 28 Otepuni Avenue. PO Box 526, Invercargill AUTO WINDSCREEN REPLACEMENTS LTD Glass repairs, on farm machinery and road working equipment. One of the largest stockists of windscreens in Southland • windscreen replacements • truck & bus windscreens • stone chip & crack repairs • wholesale windscreens • on site service • open saturday mornings We cover the whole of Southland A true Kiwi success story, since commissioning its first spray drier at its Southland site in Awarua in 2007, Open Country Dairy has expanded its operation to include two new spray driers, and more than trebled its on-site processing capacity. The business has also progressively added product flexibility with the addition of an Anhydrous Milk Fat (AMF) plant and more recently a Skim Milk Concentrate (SMC) plant, which is currently being commissioned. A white liquid of creamy texture that contains 35% dry matter, SMC is produced by removing water from skimmed milk, and can be efficiently transported to Open Country Dairy’s customers within New Zealand. Construction of the SMC plant was a response from farmers wanting to become part of Open Country Dairy’s supplier network. At the time, the business had reached capacity and the new facility will now enable the inclusion of a few extra suppliers. The business wanted to diversify into other products. SMC was considered a good option, and approved by the board, with construction commencing earlier this year. Located between Bluff and Invercargill, Open Country Dairy’s Awarua facility draws milk from a very loyal supplier base throughout the Southland region, many of whom have actively supported the home-grown milk processor from the start of its journey. Operating in an industry where significant foreign investment is the norm, Open Country Dairy is wholly New Zealand and family owned.
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