Norco celebrates two years of ice cream making at its reopened factory

The Norco ice cream factory was left decimated by the devastating 2022 Lismore floods, and the uncertainty that surrounded its future proved that it was far more than just a factory to the town and people of Lismore. After an 18-month flood recovery process that cost more than $100m, the factory resumed operations in late 2023.

Norco’s reopened Lismore ice cream factory has now produced over 34 million litres of ice cream — enough to fill more than 13 Olympic swimming pools or, if scooped and lined up, to stretch all the way from Sydney to Los Angeles with plenty left over to share.

Beyond the sweet stats, over the past two years, the factory has also delivered almost $50 million worth of economic activity to the Lismore region via local jobs, supplier partnerships and ongoing operations; a testament to the resilience and strength of the community.

Norco CEO Michael Hampson said: “We are incredibly proud that in just two years, our operation has been able to repay the community — via economic contribution — more than the value of the government funding that initially helped us get back up and running.

“And that is especially why we wanted this milestone to be a community celebration,” he said.

To mark the occasion, Norco hosted a community celebration on 21 November on the front steps of the factory at 120 Union Street, Lismore. Locals enjoyed Cape Byron ice creams — recently ranked Australia’s best branded vanilla ice cream by CHOICE — along with cow-themed face painting and family-friendly games.

“This celebration was about recognising the strength and spirit of the Lismore community, and especially on National Agriculture Day, honouring our producers who work tirelessly to deliver Australia’s best-tasting dairy,” Hampson said.

“We’re immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together over the past two years and wanted to thank the community for their unwavering support.”

Established in Byron Bay in 1895, Norco is a 100% Australian farmer-owned dairy co-operative with 281 active members on 188 dairy farms in northern New South Wales and South East Queensland. Annual milk production is over 200 million litres.

Image supplied.