Village Dairy, a growing dairy manufacturer in Gippsland, Victoria, is being supported by the state government to expand its export sales via the new equipment needed to supply increasing demand from Asian markets in the coming year.
“Village Dairy is a great regional success story and we are proud to support the company so it can diversify, grow and create more jobs for people in the Latrobe Valley,” minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas said.
The cheese and yoghurt manufacturer expanded its operations from Dandenong to Traralgon in 2019 after receiving initial support from the government. It produces a range of yoghurts including pot set, Indian Dahi, Ayran and Greek, as well as Mango lassi and cheeses such as paneer, feta and haloumi.
“It’s exciting to see the continued development of this Traralgon business and new jobs coming on board. We will continue to back businesses in the Valley that create jobs and boost the economy,” member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said.
Village Dairy recently received a $62,500 grant through the Regional Recovery Fund to upgrade its cool room and fill its biggest ever contract. The company has hired four new staff to run the equipment and deliver on the lucrative yoghurt packaging deal, taking its workforce up to 18. It is looking to hire more staff next month.
“The Victorian government’s investment meant we had the resources we needed to fill our biggest ever contract – and with our plans to export to Asia and production at capacity already, we plan to have even more jobs at Village Dairy to support the Latrobe Valley,” Village Dairy business manager Gavin Hunter said.
The Victorian government has provided a range of funding support for Village Dairy.
The Latrobe Valley Authority provided a stamp duty reimbursement through the Economic Growth Zone Reimbursement Scheme, when the business purchased the former Brancourts site in Traralgon in 2019. As a result, 13 former Brancourts staff were hired by Village Dairy.
The dairy manufacturer has also benefitted from funding through the Agriculture Workforce Plan to semi-automate its cheese-packaging processes, allowing staff to work at a safe social distance from each other. This helped to maintain jobs during the pandemic.
The Victorian government continues to make significant investment in the Latrobe Valley to create new jobs and a thriving regional economy for workers, their families and the community.
For more information go to rdv.vic.gov.au/news/latrobevalleyjobs.