£200,000 investment and jobs boost as New Zealand dairy firm moves to Newport
A New Zealand dairy product company has made a £200,000 investment in the region as it looks to tap into the global agri market.
MilktechNZ Ltd, which specialises in customised milking equipment, has set up its new facility at the Agri–EPI Centre in Newport, believing there is a great potential market amongst UK dairy farmers for the kit they manufacture.
Their move has been supported by Telford & Wrekin Council’s Enterprise Telford business team and the Department for International Trade.
Customised milking equipment produced by MilkTechNZ supports good cow health, prevents over-milking, reduces vet bills and drug use and cuts down on the manpower needed for milking – by half a person per day.
MilkTechNZ will be looking to take on more staff – at least three – now it has a permanent home and wants to gain 15 per cent of the UK market share in the next three years.
MilkTechNZ currently boasts 42 per cent of the NZ market but cannot produce the kit fast enough. As a result, they are set to manufacture cups, which are part of the equipment, in Telford because they are cheaper to produce and it will ease the demand on production in New Zealand.
Councillor Lee Carter (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, Regeneration and the High Street, said: “We are thrilled that MilkTechNZ has chosen the Agri-EPI Centre as its new base.
“Moves like this highlight why Telford is such a prime location – not only geographically but also because of the strong agri and agri-tech links we have in the area.
“We were pleased to support MilkTechNZ with this move and help them to source a new office base which we hope will be the perfect place for them to do business throughout the UK and across Europe.”
MilkTechNZ have recently won numerous awards in New Zealand including National Business Award – producer award, CEO of the Year and Innovator of the Year and this month the firm also released a new product at Dairy-Tech - an event for the new generation of dairy farmers.
Brent Crothers, Sales Manager for MilkTechNZ, said: “The support from Telford & Wrekin Council and the DIT has been crucial. “From helping with banking issues, to finding us a home for our business to work from, the support has been very gratefully received.
“Working from the Agri-Epi Centre means that we are working alongside like-minded businesses all with the goal of improving farm performance and productivity.”
