Waitoa employees ready to respond to market demand for UHT in Asia
80 of the 100 new employees at Fonterra’s Waitoa UHT site have started work. The remaining 20 are expected to begin work between now and August,when all five of the site’s new milk processing lines will be operational.
UHT Operations Manager, Donald Lumsden, says there’s a real buzz around the site and the UHT hasn’t even started coming off the line yet.
“We were overwhelmed by the interest people expressed in the positions at Waitoa. 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,” says Donald.
Process Operator, Te Ngahau Bates, was one of the first people to sign up for a job at Waitoa’s new UHT milk processing site and is looking forward to seeing the first Anchor UHT milk and cream come off the line in a few weeks.
Starting in his role four months ago, Te Ngahau says in that time he has gone through intensive training to get him ready to help produce UHT products for customers throughout China and Asia.
“I have learnt about UHT and its nutritional value and the important role I play in food safety and quality. Our training has been focussed on making sure we get the product right the first time, every time,” says Te Ngahau.
“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.”