Fonterra Eltham factory extension

We were engaged by Fonterra to build an extension to their Eltham factory to support the expansion of their processed cheese production. The new building is connected to the existing factory, which remained operational throughout, requiring close collaboration with the client at all stages of the project.

The pre-cast concrete and structural steel building included a combination of reinforced concrete columns, beams, Comflor steel floor decks, Kingspan FoodZone products, and fire walls. As well as the base build, we also completed the services fitout ready for the installation of the specialist plant.

Health and safety was paramount on this site, with stringent hygiene protocols appropriate for the hygienic food production environment required once the buildings were connected.

In addition, the site is right beside KiwiRail’s busy North Island main trunk line, which required careful coordination to ensure that the rail service could continue to run safely. The adjacent railway also limited site access, and meant that additional concrete reinforcement was required for the foundations to protect the services pipes.

Despite these challenges and Taranaki’s severe winter weather conditions, the concerted efforts of our dedicated project team and trusted subcontractors meant that we met the project milestones successfully, with the factory now capable of producing 2.3 billion slices of cheese each year.