New company processes all Canty milk

Press, 15 May 1987, Page 5

New company processes all Canty milk

Through a merger with the Tai Tapu Dairy Company, the Temuka Dairy Co-operative, Ltd, officially went out of existence on Wednesday and a new company, Alpine Dairy Products, Ltd, will come into existence from June 1.

Until that date, the combined dairy companies will operate under the Tai Tapu banner. Canterbury’s entire milk supply from Culverden to south of Oamaru will now be processed at the company’s factory at Clandeboye, near Temuka.

Alpine Dairy’s secretary and financial controller, Mr Paul Larking, said yesterday that 180 million litres of milk is expected to be processed in the first year. Eleven tankers will be out on the job each day taking milk to Clandeboye. The combined assets of the hew company are worth $6O million. The factory at Tai Tapu will continue to process butter while cheese will be made at Clandeboye. The company also has a packing and parmesan grating plant in Temuka. A total of 110 staff will be based at Tai Tapu and

at Temuka and Clandeboye.

“There has been some rationalisation but mostly reorganisation,” said Mr Larking. “The new general manager is Mr Volker Rademacher, the former general manager of the Temuka Co-opera-tive, and he will continue to be based in Temuka.

“There have only Been minimal staff changes among two or three chief executive positions, Mr Larking said. The merger allowed more efficient use of plant and buildings, he said. A new $l7 million cheese factory, one of the most advanced of its kind in the world, was completed at Clandeboye last year.

Tai Tapu’s contribution to the merger was its large butter processing plant and its ability to distribute within the Christchurch area.

Mr Larking said the name of the company, Alpine Dairy was selected after market research. He said a new logo portraying a small portion of dairy factory plant is certain to become a familiar sight round Canterbury in the next few months. $