DAIRY
Norco Lismore icecream factory is back
A
fter an 18-month flood recovery process that cost more than $100m, the Norco Lismore ice-cream factory is officially back in business with 130 employees back on the job and ice cream back on supermarket shelves. The factory was left decimated by the devastating 2022 Lismore floods, and the uncertainty that surrounded its future proved that it was far more than just a factory to the town and people of Lismore. With the help of Australian and NSW Government funding, the factory has now been reopened following a year-long rebuild and commissioning process that has seen the 100% farmer-owned dairy co-operative build a more modern and flood-resilient facility than ever before, featuring flood-proof design and technologies that have equipped the site to defend a 15.0 m flood — higher than the 2022 levels. 20
January/February 2024
The 10,800 m2 heritage-listed factory sits on 2.279 hectares and operates 24/7, five days a week (midnight Sunday to midnight Friday); a sixth day of operation may be introduced in the future. The factory is capable of producing approximately 42 million litres of ice cream per year. That equates to approximately 808,000 litres of ice cream a week and 162,000 litres on any given day. In addition to its own Norco brands, the factory produces ice cream for Australia’s major supermarkets and retailers, including five major retail customers in Australia and overseas, spanning over 50 individual SKUs. Michael Hampson, Norco Chief Executive Officer commented how proud he was about the reopening of the rebuilt factory.
www.foodprocessing.com.au