Safcol to build $80m food manufacturing facility in SA

A new $80 million food manufacturing facility is being purpose-built for Safcol Australia at Edinburgh in Adelaide’s north. The company officially broke ground on the new site on 2 June, alongside the opening of its new Adelaide Fish Market facility in Thebarton, as part of a broader strategy focused on long-term manufacturing growth, operational efficiency and supply chain resilience.

Designed to replace Safcol’s existing Elizabeth factory over the next two years, the new facility is being designed with advanced manufacturing technology that is expected to double the production capacity of the current site.

Safcol Australia CEO Andrew Mitchell said the investment was a strategic decision aimed at securing the future of local manufacturing operations while addressing increasing industry pressures.

“Our Elizabeth facility has served us incredibly well over many decades, but increasing energy costs, rising logistics pressures and aging infrastructure meant we reached a point where maintaining long-term competitiveness required significant change,” Mitchell said.

“The new site gives us the opportunity to redesign our operations from the ground up with modern manufacturing capability, greater efficiency and room to support future growth.”

Fish processing in the 1950s at Safcol.

Safcol’s sustainability and operational efficiency remain central to the design and future operation of the new facility, with opportunities for future renewable energy integration aimed at improving productivity and reducing energy and water consumption. The company has already implemented a range of sustainability initiatives across its existing operations, including solar-powered infrastructure and upgraded retort machinery that have reduced carbon emissions by approximately 240 tonnes annually and cut water usage by around 136 million litres each year.

Safcol currently manufactures around 60% of Australia’s wet baby food supply, including products for a leading baby food brand in Australia, alongside soups, canned vegetables, seafood products and products for major supermarket and national food brands. The Elizabeth operation also houses Safcol’s national warehousing and import business, supporting seafood and pet food distribution across Australia. In addition to producing its own South Australian Gourmet Foods range, Safcol manufactures products for a number of well-known Australian brands, including a gourmet food brand, supermarket private labels and other major food partners. The company also processes local mussels and Australian canned abalone for export markets.

Now in its 81st year of operation, Safcol said the new facility represents the next chapter in the company’s longstanding manufacturing presence in South Australia.

“This investment is about building a manufacturing footprint that is fit for the future while continuing to support Australian producers, local supply chains and South Australian jobs,” Mitchell said.

Safcol has appointed South Australian company Sagle Constructions as lead contractor for the new facility.

Top image caption: Rendering of the new facility. Images: Supplied