One of Australia’s premium global producers of fresh and smoked salmon products has opened a new $12 million state-of-the-art salmon processing facility, designed and constructed by Australasian food manufacturing specialist Wiley.
On Friday, Huon Aquaculture officially opened its new Smokehouse and Product Innovation Centre in Parramatta Creek, comprised of a 2,500m2 value-added salmon processing facility and a 750m2 administration facility.
Huon and Wiley celebrated the new facility involving a revamp and extension of Huon’s existing Parramatta Creek operation, now twice as large as its original footprint.
The collaboration has centralised Huon’s operations and is expected to deliver more than one million dollars in cost savings for the company in its first year of operation under one site.
Huon Aquaculture Managing Director Peter Bender said: “I really appreciate Wiley’s expertise and felt confident through the whole process. Our new facility will enable us to increase our production capacity and efficiency, while reducing our environmental footprint.
“We produce around 17,000 tonnes of fresh salmon each year, with our new facility part of our four-year $160 million controlled growth strategy.
“This world-class site will incorporate whole fish, fresh fish, and value-added cold and hot smoked production, successfully bringing together our full range of seafood processing at a single location.”
Wiley Managing Director Tom Wiley said: “As a long term partner with Huon Aquaculture, we were very pleased to support Huon through this landmark project and value their relationship.
“Over 10 months, we designed and constructed a state-of-the-art facility on time and on budget with a great spirit of collaboration.
“A key focus was ensuring that we future-proofed the facility, which involved ensuring everything we designed could be further expanded over the years as the company continues to grow.
“This has been a very rewarding project for our team, including our 100 local subcontractors, and I’d like to congratulate Huon for this excellent result driven by their vision, leadership, and collaboration.
“Together we’ve been able to innovate a design that consolidates two operations, reduces inefficiencies, delivers a safe working environment for staff, and continues producing high quality products that only serve to enhance Huon’s global reputation as a premium producer of fresh and smoked salmon products.
“We feel very privileged to have been able to work with the entire Huon team.“
Project details:
- A suspended walkway across existing and new processing facilities provides access to staff entry areas, as well as viewing facilities for customers and visitors. Visitors get to see first-hand Huon’s clean, efficient, and transparent fish processing facility.
- The new 750m² administration facility includes meeting rooms, a boardroom, laboratory and product development, and extended car-parking facilities. The dining room and commercial kitchen are complimented by staff breakout and barbeque areas for 100 employees.
- The existing fresh salmon processing facility, completed in stage one, received a reconfiguration of process areas and upgrade works to drainage and floors with a new epoxy finish.
- LED lighting has been incorporated throughout the new facility providing an improved environment for the staff and saving on energy consumption and maintenance.
- Wiley was committed to using local subcontractors on the project, supporting the ongoing growth of the local economy with 100 local jobs created. The new facility is expected to employ up to 70 people.
