Fonterra Whareroa sets cheese record, wins top award

The site won the Best Large Site Award, which recognises excellence across all areas of operations.

Fonterra Whareroa was celebrated for its commitment for continuous improvement. The site has not only significantly lifted its quality standards and customer engagement but also started leading the way in building talent capability, while maintaining a sharp focus on sustainability.

Hayden Baylis, site operations manager for Whareroa South, say this is due responsibility for the team's hard work.

"Success is best when it's shared. I am incredibly proud of our team's achievements and the strong culture we've cultivated together. It's our dedication, unity, and shared values that drive us forward and make us truly exceptional," Baylis says.

Fonterra Whareroa also won the Japan Cheese Award for the strong performance of its cheese plants, making the site the second largest supply factory to the Japan market. The plant produced over 95,000 metric tonnes this season - exported across North and Southeast Asia markets in countries such as China, Japan and Korea.

Ryan Bernhardi, Whareroa cheese plant manager, says it always starts with the great work Fonterra farmers are doing on farms.

"We rely on our farmers' milk. There have been some dry weather conditions in the North Island this season, so we acknowledge and really appreciate their hard work to enable our success," he says.

A portion of Whareroa's cheese is sent to its neighbour site in Eltham to be processed into billions of cheese slices, while the rest is exported all over the world.

"Our cheese like cheddar and mozzarella are mainly used as ingredients for cheese snacks, processed cheese mix and in some local dishes," Bernhardi says.

Apart from topping pizzas and burgers, consumers in these markets are using cheese in local dishes such as cheese gyudon (Japanese beef rice bowl).

Dubbed the 'Oscars of Manufacturing', the Best Site Cup awards are held annually in Auckland to celebrate the successes of Fonterra's manufacturing sites across the country.

Now in their 19th year, the awards spark a bit of friendly competition with the opportunity to win in a range of areas, from sustainability and innovation to efficiency.

Other manufacturing sites in Taranaki: Eltham also took home two awards, including the Best Specialty Site Award and Customer Cup, while Kapuni was the runner-up for Best Specialty Site.

Tale of the Tape

• Established in 1972, Whareroa is one of Fonterra's largest manufacturing sites.
• With 11 plants, the site produces a wide range of products, including milk powder, cheese, protein, butter and lactic casein.
• Products from Whareroa are exported to more than 85 countries worldwide.
• With more than 1000 staff, the site can process up to 12.5 million litres of milk every day during peak season.