Australian farmer-owned dairy cooperative Norco is set to boost production at its Lismore ice cream facility with a $30 million factory upgrade kicking off this month.
The investment, which is expected to increase ice cream production by an additional 20 million litres per year, will allow Norco to meet current demand for its popular Hinterland ice cream range, while making space for new production lines and further expansion in the years to come.
Norco CEO, Michael Hampson, says that the factory upgrade demonstrates Norco’s commitment to building a sustainable future for the co-op’s farmer owners.
“As our largest commercial investment to date, the factory upgrade will allow us to double-down on our commitment to providing value to our farmers while also supporting the future of the local area with greater long-term employment opportunities,” he says.
“We’ve seen the demand for our ice cream manufacturing services really strengthen over the past few years, and the new facility will allow us to expand our production capacity to meet the needs of our current customers, and attract new ones, while also producing special and innovative flavours without compromising on the delivery of our core lines.”
Norco launched its premium ice cream range, Hinterland, just last year and has already seen massive demand for its locally sourced product that is now available in eleven flavours across Woolworths stores nationally.
“Our farmer owners have proven time and time again that they can maintain top quality milk even when the environment is tough, so we are confident that with this upgrade we will be able to grow our ice cream business and meet the growing consumer demand for more complex products at the right price,” says Mr Hampson.
Norco’s factory upgrade has been undertaken with support from both federal and local government with the dairy co-op receiving a $15 million grant towards the project as part of a major program targeting growth in regional areas.
The first phase of building works is currently underway and expected to be completed in the second half of next year.
