Prime Minister Opens Hellers Factory Expansion

Prime Minister Opens Hellers Factory Expansion

Prime Minister John Key has just officially opened a multi-million dollar expansion of the Hellers meat processing plant on the outskirts of Christchurch.

At a function attended by local dignitaries, company supporters and suppliers were told the Kaiapoi expansion is a positive response to growing sales demand for Hellers’ products.

Hellers has become New Zealanders favourite smallgoods brand name and number one seller of sausages, bacon and ham, with indications the company and range of products will continue to grow.

The building upgrade has cost $18 million, doubled the size of the existing plant and brought all aspects of the Kaiapoi operation under one roof.

Founding director Todd Heller says the new expansion has been an exciting time and demonstrates the company’s confidence in the market.

“While it’s good news for us, we are pleased this expansion has created a real air of positivity in the industry and created benefits for others. The development has helped stimulate the New Zealand economy and has buoyed the construction industry in Christchurch,” he says.

“We are very conscious of the community-wide support we get and are humbled by the way the community is welcoming our expanded factory operation and backing our plans for the future.”

Hellers Managing Director Nick Harris says the development is a major milestone for the company.

“The expansion includes a new warehouse and distribution centre, freezers, inwards goods store, offices, ready-to-eat slicing and packing area, as well as new staff amenities including a shared lunch room for all staff,” he says.

“The expanded facility gives us room to grow in future, but very importantly also means our staff are now all together under one roof.”

The expansion also has national significance for Hellers. The company underwent a $2million expansion of its five year old Auckland factory two years ago, doubling the size of the warehouse and loading area there.

Background information:
• Hellers is an established New Zealand-owned company, with operations in Canterbury and Auckland
• Director Todd Heller is a fourth generation butcher who opened his first butchery in 1985
• Increasing demand for his innovative flavour combinations soon led to his adding a factory at the back of his shop, until in 1990 the special recipe sausages were being supplied to supermarkets
• In 1993 the company moved to its current meat processing plant near Kaiapoi
• The company employs 400 staff
• Hellers produces more than three million sausages a week, totalling about 180 million sausages a year. It also produces 90million slices of bacon and 100,000 Christmas hams
• The company produces 80 different varieties of sausages and saveloys, as well as bacon, ham and deli smallgoods, totalling, across the various brands, more than 400 products
• Hellers has won the prestigious titles of New Zealand’s Bacon Of The Year in 2008 and New Zealand’s Supreme Sausage in 2002 and 2008
• The company runs a television advertising campaign around its award-winning bacon and has coined the phrase “As sure as Hellers”
• Hellers is innovative and develops its own new products, flavours, technology and packaging – for example (the world’s first) sausages in re-sealable packs
Hellers has a community spirit and has long been supporting a large number of community fundraising events and will be supporting schools through its own “Sausages For Schools” programme

ENDS

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