Installations begin at Arla's new super dairy

With three of Stourton Dairy's four main suppliers now running full scale on-site installations, the new Arla dairy is rapidly taking shape.

All the milk silos and the CIP (clean in place) unit are now in place. The blow moulding machines have arrived and are being installed ready to meet the first demand from the filling lines over the summer. Two boilers, a chilled water plant and air handling units are other highly visible signs of the significant progress.

"Everything is running according to the time scales we set and building activities are heavily focused on the filling hall at the moment, as we prepare to accommodate Krones and the arrival of their first filling machine next month," explained Allan Matthews, project manager for building and services.

"The main activities at the site are taking place indoors, but the installation of two weighbridges and the construction of a link road connecting the dairy and warehouse are some of the external activities in progress," he added.

The new Stourton Dairy will be completed in Autumn 2004, costing over £50 million, using Arla's highest level of environmentally friendly building and process technology. It will be an industry-leading fresh milk plant to rival anything in Europe.

Mikael Sternberg Christiansen, head of operations, said: "This investment by Arla Foods underlines the belief we have in the dairy market and our commitment to UK customers. It will provide the flexibility we require to meet their demands in terms of efficient, high-speed order turnaround and excellent service levels."

Production and technical director, Jens Termansen added: "We carried out a survey to identify the best location in the country for a nationwide distribution hub and state-of-the-art dairy and we found it in Stourton, Leeds. It is part of a major conurbation, but with unrivalled motorway access north, south, east and west. Logistically, we believe it is unbeatable."

Arla Foods UK plc is home to some of the UK’s leading dairy brands including Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor. Processing approximately two billion litres of milk a year Arla continues to be one of the UK’s leading dairy companies and a supplier of fresh liquid milk and cream to the top seven retailers.

Over 2,500 daily deliveries are made directly to stores nationwide and Arla brands can be found across the dairy category. As well as the leader of the butter, spreads and margarine sector, and a major supplier of other added value products including flavoured milk and cheese, Arla continues to build working relationships with Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a unique group of dairy farmers, which supplies around 90 per cent of Arla's total milk requirements.

Behind this leading business is a team of circa 2,800 people across the UK located at our dairies, distribution centres and head office.