$2M quick freeze factory

Press, 7 July 1977, Page 19

$2M quick freeze factory

A $2 million factory between Woodbourne and Renwick is being erected by the firm of Petersville International to quick

freeze and dehydrate vegetables grown on contract in the district. The firm, a subsidiary of the Australian company of Petersville (Aust.), Ltd, is the only one owned by the

company in New Zealanud. The firm has a factory

in Blenheim which has had a variety of owners over the last 20 years. Petersville bought into it in 1968 and took over the whole business in 1973.

Most of ; ts deep frozen and dehydrated vegetables are exported to Australia, although some of the produce — mainly peas and corn — is sold through a few outlets in Auckland and Wellington.

The group to which the Marlborough factory be-

longs maintains a policy of expansion on a climatic basis, so that if one of the factories in, for example, Tasmania, has a bad season, its short-fall can be made up from one of its other factories in a different climatic area.

The new factory is about half-way towards completion. It will double the capacity of the present factory in Blenheim. In establishing it upon a 56ha site the planners have looked towards possible future expansion.

This year, the firm hopes to have growers plant about UOOha of peas on contract and about 121 ha of corn. During the season, the factory will employ a staff of between 70 and 80, of which about 12 are permanent employees. The factory is due for completion in Ocotober, in time for the next growing season.

Since the firm met all the criteria, it was granted a $lOO,OOO regional development loan for the new project.

In the planning, provision has been made for a pollution-free water disposal system. All waste water used in the processing will be disposed of through an overhead irrigation system on to the company’s land around the factory.