$13.5 million investment in local fish processing

21 April 2011 MEDIA RELEASE

$13.5 million investment in local fish processing

A further $2.5 million investment will bring state of the art packaging technology to Sealord’s Nelson seafood plant. This brings the company’s investment in upgrading this local processing facility to $13.5 million over the past two years.

Following a $2 million upgrade in 2010 that has resulted in a complete revamp of Sealord’s frozen fish ranges, new state of the art conveyor and packaging equipment will further improve product quality, working conditions and efficiency. Sealord’s Operations Manager, Shane Norton, says the project will see bespoke equipment from the US combined with locally developed conveyor technology to improve the production quality of Sealord’s fish.

“All Sealord frozen products enjoyed by New Zealanders are produced in our Nelson factory and the $13.5 million invested over two years is enabling us to continue improving the quality of our products,” says Norton. The new system will reduce the amount of handling of products as well as the time taken to package it. Installation will begin in August with completion scheduled for mid September 2011. One important benefit is the way in which the investment will make it easier for Sealord staff to do their job. Close co-operation with both day and night shift workers has meant the practical use of the new equipment could be fine-tuned.

“Simple things like stretching over boxes to sort fish can make a big difference for people working for several hours on a production line. Sealord works closely with our employees when developing innovation, to make sure it is practical and efficient,” says Norton.

Products that will benefit from the new technology include Sealord Simply Crumbed, Family and Entertainment ranges – everything from fish fingers to crumbed hoki fillets.

The upgrade also impacts Sealord’s value-add export ranges including all seafood processed and exported to overseas markets such as the USA, Japan and China.

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