June 10, 2026 • 7 mins
Michelle Watt talks to Chris Kane, Fonterra’s Director of New Zealand Manufacturing, about the winners at this year's Best Site Cup.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time to talk to the team at Fontira, and
today we're joined by Chris Caine, Fontira's director of New
Zealand Manufacturing. Hey, Chris, how are you great?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Michelle?
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Thanks for having met And so.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
The season has just started and this is usually when
your sites are taking a bit of a short break
to celebrate the season that was, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
That's correct. It's been an incredibly busy season, Milk, as
you're probably worsping up all over the country around about
four percent. And over the next couple of months we
get a bit of a rest, but not much of
rest because we're stressing to all of our essential maintenance
programs and quite a few big capitalwicks programs.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
But also as we get towards.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
The end of the season, it is nice to stop
and reflect on the season we've had. So this is
the time to stop and celebrate.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
And last week we.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Had our own two hundred leaders from across our twenty
four manufacturing sites plus all our business partners just come
together in Auckland and celebrate the annual Best Site Cup.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Awesome, so best Site Cup I'm taking that is the
best sites around New Zealand for Fonterra Canpete. Well do
you call it competing?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Oh, it's a friendly competition. It's always some competition now,
but yeah, that's correct, and we've got twenty four sites
and it's quite a number of categories. I think about
twenty cups square awards. But it was certainly a highlight
in the year for everyone and it's not just an
opportunity for us to say thank you for everyone to
connect as you can appreciate twenty four sites all the
way from Northland and the Sutherland and the teams don't
(01:22):
get much of an opportunity to see each other, so
that was a great a great opportunity for us to
come together.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And the big winner last.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Week was the Clancy Boys site there in South Canterbury
who took home several awards including the Customer Cup, Health
and Safety Cup, Delivery Excellence Cup and a couple of
cups from the Greater China team.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
For cheese and milk fans.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
And they had just that standing season, had record mozzarella
production but also can plead some pretty big major decarbonization
projects and again as I've mentioned, they processed record volumes
of milk, so full credit that site. You know, they've
worked incredibly hard. We've got great leaders on site and
they deserve all the accolades they can get. But other
(02:05):
notable winners were the Edendale site down the Scytheland who
took out our best large site and again great progress
from quality and they've done some big projects as well,
white and the best medium site. They produced record volumes
of UHT cream so that was great and Rapaoa randed
that off and been awarded the best Small site. And
(02:26):
they've had some great capacity on locks really well round
site and critical and North Island process.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
And now one of the favorites for me is the
Director's Cup.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's a favorite because I hit the picket and that
went to the Farrier site for their step change in
quality and leadership culture.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So yeah, it was it was a great night.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
It makes Fonterra's definitely sound like a fantastic place to
be part of in the workforce. And I know they
have some great graduate programs as well with people working
their way up and I've nine people that have been
in Fronterira for years and worked their way all the
way up to some of those top jobs, so it
must be an incredible place to work.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Our spot on, you know, and it's just very great
to see the camaraderie and the people coming together. But
as you say, you know people who enter as a
grad or even a as a apprentice and can work
their way up. And that's one of the nice things
well Fonterra because we're so diverse, the number of sites
we've got. We've got seven th people of manufacturing. We
had people started in manufacturing, they've ended up off shore,
(03:21):
so it's just an incredible place to be.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
So many opportunities and talking about opportunities, looking back at
the Edendale plant, the best Large Site award that it won,
the UHT installation electro boilers happened down there. Now I
chatted to Andrew John's like the UHT plant down there,
that's on its way and it's going to bring big
things to Southland, I think by the sound of it.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I actually Edendale a couple of weeks ago and.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Just this weekend we did some wet commissioning, so we'll
be into production later in the season and we'll be
getting those cream packs off shore. But that is very
significant because our last invest in UHC was probably ten
years ago at the white To site, so that's sort
of really on the pindust strategy to bear leader in
food service and that's just a fantastic investment there and
(04:06):
great to that side. And you mentioned also with the
electro boilers making great, great steps towards at de carbonization journey.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So a great year across the board for Fonterra. It's
been a big season with milk collections. That must have
been a really busy year for the teams at the
manufacturing sites.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah. Absolutely, it was an incredibly busy year with milk
coolumbs up all over the country action but particularly the
Sath Island. It's gone gang buses and I think we're
four or five percent up in terms of milk collection
down there. And you know, our teams have done an
incredible job. With over seven thousand employees based across rural
New Zealand, they play such a critical role not only
(04:42):
in the performance of manufacturing and the CUP, but also
how we connect the local communities in New Zealand so.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
That these awards that there are more than just results.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
They reflect the daily commitment to safety, quality, team work
and continuous improvement and also how we face them to
the communities and support them.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Yeah, it's amazing Fonterra have a big plant to play
in those rural communities, not just with the farms and
milk collections, but the plants everyone that's involved in that process.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yeah. Absolutely, and you know, look, last year we had
a I think it was a few challenges with some
by severe weather storms that we couldn't actually couldn't really control,
and are so proud of the way the team rallied
and supported the local community, particularly Orange and the Edendale
when we had those really high winds. That was probably
back in October. But yeah, it's just the world we
(05:31):
live in and it's so great to have people who
are connected to the communities and give it their best.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
What was your highlight of the season, Chris.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Oh, this quite a few highlights, Michelle, but you probably
I think the three things that will come to mind,
I think firstly, and we talked about it a little
bit before we kept on making great progress on our
detub journey. Has been multiple projects. We talked about the
electric boiler at Edendale, but also a clany boy they
shed at a boiler conversion. So you know, there's quite
a few projects either starting upper in flights and that
(06:02):
sort of shures up both energy security as well as
reducing our scope one and two emissions. I think. Secondly,
which is really nice, we'll get into this growth investment.
So we've progressed several growth projects. A new advanced protein
hub it's does home in South Canterbury, new butter capability
at both Edgecomb buttersheets and Clandy Boy with un Bolt butter,
(06:25):
and as you mentioned before, a new UHT plant at
Edendale that will be commissioned through the season.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
But lastly and most important for me, the most important
for me, and it's just.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
The way our people have facedned the challenges and stepped
up every day.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So you know, we've made really great progress this season.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
We're making sure we're building a resilient manufacturing network that
can support the growing demand of high value theiry ingredients
and continue to return strong value to our farmers shareholders.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Who are we here to serve.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And it must be extremely motivating and inspiring for yourself
getting to lead all these great people doing great things
as well.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Chris, Absolutely, you know it's such a sad.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
It's nice with the.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Production stats and the quality and so forth, and the
cattle investments, but the one thing we have in abundance
is just really really good people, and that just gives
you just gives you a lot of pride.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Excellent, Well, thank you so much for chatting to us today.
It sounds like big things happening. I Fonterra, look forward
to the season ahead and see what else comes along.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Thanks a lot, Michelle take here
It's time to talk to the team at Fontira, and
today we're joined by Chris Caine, Fontira's director of New
Zealand Manufacturing. Hey, Chris, how are you great?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Michelle?
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Thanks for having met And so.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
The season has just started and this is usually when
your sites are taking a bit of a short break
to celebrate the season that was, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
That's correct. It's been an incredibly busy season, Milk, as
you're probably worsping up all over the country around about
four percent. And over the next couple of months we
get a bit of a rest, but not much of
rest because we're stressing to all of our essential maintenance
programs and quite a few big capitalwicks programs.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
But also as we get towards.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
The end of the season, it is nice to stop
and reflect on the season we've had. So this is
the time to stop and celebrate.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
And last week we.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Had our own two hundred leaders from across our twenty
four manufacturing sites plus all our business partners just come
together in Auckland and celebrate the annual Best Site Cup.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Awesome, so best Site Cup I'm taking that is the
best sites around New Zealand for Fonterra Canpete. Well do
you call it competing?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Oh, it's a friendly competition. It's always some competition now,
but yeah, that's correct, and we've got twenty four sites
and it's quite a number of categories. I think about
twenty cups square awards. But it was certainly a highlight
in the year for everyone and it's not just an
opportunity for us to say thank you for everyone to
connect as you can appreciate twenty four sites all the
way from Northland and the Sutherland and the teams don't
(01:22):
get much of an opportunity to see each other, so
that was a great a great opportunity for us to
come together.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And the big winner last.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Week was the Clancy Boys site there in South Canterbury
who took home several awards including the Customer Cup, Health
and Safety Cup, Delivery Excellence Cup and a couple of
cups from the Greater China team.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
For cheese and milk fans.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
And they had just that standing season, had record mozzarella
production but also can plead some pretty big major decarbonization
projects and again as I've mentioned, they processed record volumes
of milk, so full credit that site. You know, they've
worked incredibly hard. We've got great leaders on site and
they deserve all the accolades they can get. But other
(02:05):
notable winners were the Edendale site down the Scytheland who
took out our best large site and again great progress
from quality and they've done some big projects as well,
white and the best medium site. They produced record volumes
of UHT cream so that was great and Rapaoa randed
that off and been awarded the best Small site. And
(02:26):
they've had some great capacity on locks really well round
site and critical and North Island process.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
And now one of the favorites for me is the
Director's Cup.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's a favorite because I hit the picket and that
went to the Farrier site for their step change in
quality and leadership culture.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So yeah, it was it was a great night.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
It makes Fonterra's definitely sound like a fantastic place to
be part of in the workforce. And I know they
have some great graduate programs as well with people working
their way up and I've nine people that have been
in Fronterira for years and worked their way all the
way up to some of those top jobs, so it
must be an incredible place to work.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Our spot on, you know, and it's just very great
to see the camaraderie and the people coming together. But
as you say, you know people who enter as a
grad or even a as a apprentice and can work
their way up. And that's one of the nice things
well Fonterra because we're so diverse, the number of sites
we've got. We've got seven th people of manufacturing. We
had people started in manufacturing, they've ended up off shore,
(03:21):
so it's just an incredible place to be.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
So many opportunities and talking about opportunities, looking back at
the Edendale plant, the best Large Site award that it won,
the UHT installation electro boilers happened down there. Now I
chatted to Andrew John's like the UHT plant down there,
that's on its way and it's going to bring big
things to Southland, I think by the sound of it.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I actually Edendale a couple of weeks ago and.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Just this weekend we did some wet commissioning, so we'll
be into production later in the season and we'll be
getting those cream packs off shore. But that is very
significant because our last invest in UHC was probably ten
years ago at the white To site, so that's sort
of really on the pindust strategy to bear leader in
food service and that's just a fantastic investment there and
(04:06):
great to that side. And you mentioned also with the
electro boilers making great, great steps towards at de carbonization journey.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So a great year across the board for Fonterra. It's
been a big season with milk collections. That must have
been a really busy year for the teams at the
manufacturing sites.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah. Absolutely, it was an incredibly busy year with milk
coolumbs up all over the country action but particularly the
Sath Island. It's gone gang buses and I think we're
four or five percent up in terms of milk collection
down there. And you know, our teams have done an
incredible job. With over seven thousand employees based across rural
New Zealand, they play such a critical role not only
(04:42):
in the performance of manufacturing and the CUP, but also
how we connect the local communities in New Zealand so.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
That these awards that there are more than just results.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
They reflect the daily commitment to safety, quality, team work
and continuous improvement and also how we face them to
the communities and support them.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Yeah, it's amazing Fonterra have a big plant to play
in those rural communities, not just with the farms and
milk collections, but the plants everyone that's involved in that process.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yeah. Absolutely, and you know, look, last year we had
a I think it was a few challenges with some
by severe weather storms that we couldn't actually couldn't really control,
and are so proud of the way the team rallied
and supported the local community, particularly Orange and the Edendale
when we had those really high winds. That was probably
back in October. But yeah, it's just the world we
(05:31):
live in and it's so great to have people who
are connected to the communities and give it their best.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
What was your highlight of the season, Chris.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Oh, this quite a few highlights, Michelle, but you probably
I think the three things that will come to mind,
I think firstly, and we talked about it a little
bit before we kept on making great progress on our
detub journey. Has been multiple projects. We talked about the
electric boiler at Edendale, but also a clany boy they
shed at a boiler conversion. So you know, there's quite
a few projects either starting upper in flights and that
(06:02):
sort of shures up both energy security as well as
reducing our scope one and two emissions. I think. Secondly,
which is really nice, we'll get into this growth investment.
So we've progressed several growth projects. A new advanced protein
hub it's does home in South Canterbury, new butter capability
at both Edgecomb buttersheets and Clandy Boy with un Bolt butter,
(06:25):
and as you mentioned before, a new UHT plant at
Edendale that will be commissioned through the season.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
But lastly and most important for me, the most important
for me, and it's just.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
The way our people have facedned the challenges and stepped
up every day.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So you know, we've made really great progress this season.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
We're making sure we're building a resilient manufacturing network that
can support the growing demand of high value theiry ingredients
and continue to return strong value to our farmers shareholders.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Who are we here to serve.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And it must be extremely motivating and inspiring for yourself
getting to lead all these great people doing great things
as well.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Chris, Absolutely, you know it's such a sad.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
It's nice with the.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Production stats and the quality and so forth, and the
cattle investments, but the one thing we have in abundance
is just really really good people, and that just gives
you just gives you a lot of pride.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Excellent, Well, thank you so much for chatting to us today.
It sounds like big things happening. I Fonterra, look forward
to the season ahead and see what else comes along.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Thanks a lot, Michelle take here
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