Workers begin at Fonterra's UHT processing plant

Employees at Fonterra’s new UHT processing plant in Waitoa have started work, with 80 of the 100 new employees already on deck. The remaining 20 will start work between now and August when all five of the site’s milk processing lines will be operational.

According to Donald Lumsden, UHT operations manager, the site is buzzing - despite the UHT not even coming off the lines yet.

“We were overwhelmed by the interest people expressed in the positions at Waitoa,” Lumsden said. “Clearly people see a strong future in dairy and with Fonterra. People are coming in to work excited and passionate about being here and it’s great to see.”

Fonterra Waitoa UHT process operators Dave Mallinger (left), Te Ngahau Bates (centre) and Eddie West (right) geared up and ready for the site’s upcoming first production.

Te Ngahau Bates, a process operator, was one of the first to sign up for a job at the Waitoa plant’s new UGT milk processing site. Since starting in his role four months ago, Bates says he has gone through intensive training to prepare him for producing UHT products.

“I have learnt about UHT and its nutritional value and the important role I play in food safety and quality. Our training has been focused on making sure we get the product right the first time, every time,” Bates said.

“When I come to work, everyone at Waitoa is excited to be here; we all want to make sure our UHT is a world-class product that families throughout China and Asia can enjoy.”

The site will process more than 100 million litres of milk per year once all five lines are operating