PRESS RELEASE: Australian Organic Dairy Centre set to welcome new operation – Corio Bay Dairy Group
Corio Bay Dairy Group (CBDG) is a joint venture between 100% Aussie farmer owned – Organic Dairy Farmers of Australia (ODFA), Wattle Health Australia (WHA), and Blend & Pack.
CBDG has commenced earthworks at Cowie Street, North Geelong, building Australia’s first dedicated organic nutritional spray dryer, producing organic infant formulas and other nutritional powder products. All made from high quality, organic milk from the dairy farmers who own ODFA, and a 50% stake in CBDG.
The $55M facility is expected to be fully operational within 12 months. Situated adjacent to the Organic Dairy Farmers of Australia manufacturing facility, both operations will work in unison and the spray dryer will have capacity to process in excess of 200,000 litres of fresh organic milk daily. It will bring great economic benefits to Geelong, directly employing around 45 staff, in addition to generating work for a range of contractors.
On March 7, it was announced that respected dairy industry leader – Dr Tony Mckenna – will take the helm as Chief Executive of CBDG on April 4.
Dr Mckenna has more than 30 years’ experience in the dairy industry, both within Australia and internationally. He holds a PhD in Food Technology from Massey University and a Diploma in Management from New Zealand Institute of Management.
Dr Mckenna has held senior positions with Saputo Australia, (owner of well-known brands Warrnambool Cheese & Butter, Great Ocean Road dairy and Devondale), as Director of Global Business Development – Whey & Ingredients – and most recently, as Senior Vice President of Ingredients, Nutritionals and China.
Dr McKenna is well-equipped to oversee the construction and commissioning of this new state-of-the-art organic spray dryer facility.
His other experience includes roles with Bodco Limited (CEO), New Zealand’s Synlait Milk (General Manager of Market & Development), and Tatura Milk Industries Australia (General Manager Technical & Nutritionals).
“I am excited to be leading this new initiative,” said Dr Tony McKenna upon his appointment. “It’s a great opportunity to be part of the growing organic movement and to bring quality, organic nutritional products from farm to consumer.
“Being part of the shareholder value chain for the ODFA farmer owners is also something I’m looking forward to. Farmers are such an important part of our communities and the innovative farmers who own Organic Dairy Farmers of Australia have brought significant benefit to the dairy industry since 2002, and will continue to be a disruptive force for positive change into the future.
“The success of CBDG will help drive the farm gate milk price for ODFA farmers and I’m pleased to be part of a successful and positive dairy farming story,” he said.
Organic Dairy Farmers Chair – Kylie Doyle said ODFA members are delighted to see the joint venture project turn soil.
“The ODFA Board recognised the value a dedicated organic dryer would bring to the co-operative’s members,” she said.
“Ensuring we had the right partners and build an asset suited to our needs and strategy was critical and it’s taken a number of years to reach this goal.
“Farmers who join ODFA are genuine people who have a focus on sustainability, are dedicated to the organic philosophies of healthy soil and happy cows and, are passionate about retaining their family farms for generations to come.
“Recognising opportunities and investing in niche, growth assets is critical to the future success of the dairy co-operative. And, recruiting the best people to manage these assets on our behalf is equally as critical.
“Dr McKenna’s appointment, together with the appointment of Jeff Cole to the position of CEO- Organic Dairy Farmers of Australia in December 2018, are key to driving the success of each of their respective organisations. Collectively, they will oversee Australia’s growing organic dairy centre in North Geelong. This hub will bring more local jobs to Geelong, in an industry that is only going to get bigger. It’s a very exciting time to be part of organic dairy in Australia.”, said Ms Doyle.
About Organic Dairy Farmers of Australia
Established in 2002, Organic Dairy Farmers of Australia is a 100% Australian organic dairy co-operative, owned by the farmers who produce our remarkable organic milk. We supply organic milk to companies in Australia and overseas and manufacture a range of organic dairy products at our production facility in North Geelong.