Butter plant opens
Open Country opened its new $50 million butter plant at Wahāroa last month. The country’s second largest milk processor will export its product to North America, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the UK and Europe.
Chief executive Mark de Lautour said around 20,000 tonnes of butter each year will be sold to the global market. The new plant will produce half of its butter in small retail packets, mostly for US mega retailer Costco’s exclusive Kirkland grass-fed brand and the rest in bulk 25kg cartons for commercial use.
Butter has soared in price globally since Open Country made the decision to build the plant two years ago. Photos: Mary Anne Gill (all names from left to right)
See: The spread of butter
Serving up cool drinks – Madsen Catering’s Nicole Rihia and Leo Wallace from Hamilton with MPI’s Stephen Cunningham and Murray van der Maas.
Craig, left, and Allister Wilson of Elstow.
Waharoa dairy farmers Cliff and June Hazelton were among the first to supply Open Country in its early days.
Open Country butter factory opening, from left CEO Mark de Latour, Andrew Talley, Laurie Margrain, Matamata Piako mayor Ash Turner, Sam Lewis, Curtis Mercer, Steve Koekemoer, Milan Talley.
