Celebrating Fonterra Pahiatua's 50 years
Employees at Fonterra's Pahiatua site gathered this week to celebrate the site's 50 years of manufacturing, marking half a century of supporting dairy farmers, producing world-class products and contributing to the local community.
Built in 1976, the lower North Island site started as part of the Tui Co-operative before changing to Tui Milk Products, then it was part of Kiwi Dairies, and finally Fonterra following formation of the Co-operative in 2001.
Behind every milestone are the people who have helped shape the site's success. Around 220 employees work across manufacturing, maintenance, transport, distribution and environmental teams, making it one of the Manawatū-Whanganui region’s largest employers.
Pahiatua Site Operations Manager Arun Rajeev says the site's greatest strength has always been its people.
"It is a proud moment for the Pahiatua team and an opportunity to recognise the generations of people whose hard work and dedication have helped make the site what it is today. The knowledge, commitment and pride of our teams, past and present, have helped build a strong legacy, and we're proud of the role the site continues to play for our farmers, our customers and the local community."
The celebrations also recognised a special milestone for one of the site's longest-serving employees. Tanker Driver Robbie Sargent is marking 50 years with the Co-op this year, having started with Tui at the Mangatainoka Cheese Factory in 1976 before moving to the Pahiatua site in 1984.
It is a proud moment for the Pahiatua team and an opportunity to recognise the generations of people whose hard work and dedication have helped make the site what it is today.
Over five decades, the site has continually adapted to meet the needs of farmers, customers and markets. Early operations included powder plants, a butter plant, dry blending facilities and calf milk replacement powder, reflecting the evolving product mix of the time.
Today, the site operates three powder plants, producing whole milk powder for the Co-op's customers across global markets. During peak season, it can process up to 4 million litres of milk per day and more than 600 million litres each season.
Recent investment has further expanded the site's capabilities. In 2024, capital upgrades enabled the production of specialty milk powder, used in confectionery applications.
Pahiatua's strong performance has earned recognition across reliability, sustainability and quality. In recent years, the team has received multiple awards, including Best Medium Site awards and Greater China CEO Quality Star Milk Powder at Fonterra's annual Best Site Cup awards.
Pahiatua site in 1976
Sustainability has been another defining strength with the site being among the most water-efficient sites in the Fonterra network, supported by advanced wastewater treatment and water reuse initiatives.