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VICTORIAN beef processor HW Greenham plans to expand and transform its Tongala beef plant in the Goulburn Valley from a hot-boning only manufacturing beef facility into a high quality chilled beef processing site over the next 12 months.

The multi-million dollar project aims for a completion date in June 2022, the company says.

“We are seeing increasing demand for high-quality Australian beef from our customers around the world, and this expansion at Tongala will allow our business to grow with that demand,” Greenham managing director Peter Greenham said.

The project represents the most significant capital investment in the company’s history, Mr Greenham said, creating 230 new full-time jobs.

Construction of the state-of-the-art facility will begin in August, with Shepparton based CAF Consulting selected to manage the build.

The radical transformation will see the existing cow processing facility gutted, and turned into chillers; a brand new cow processing plant will be built, together with new yards and holding pens, new load-out area and other infrastructure.

The new facility will be custom-designed with the latest processing equipment, increasing Tongala’s production capability from 50 tonnes per day to 200 tonnes per day, and giving access to ten or more new export beef markets.

While the new facility is being constructed, Greenham will continue operations, accepting all cows and bulls as business as usual. The existing manufacturing beef production stream will continue as normal.

Mr Greenham paid tribute to his late father (also Peter), who built an enviable legacy since commencing the Tongala operations in 1993.

“Tongala was our company’s first home, and we’re pleased to invest in the facility as we see an exciting opportunity for the Goulburn Valley region within the Australian beef industry,” he said.

Brand programs

While the Tongala facility has up to now been focused on producing lean grinding meat from cows and bulls for export markets, Greenham’s more recently acquired processing facilities – Greenham Tasmania at Smithton and Greenham Gippsland in southern Victoria – have built a strong reputation for producing high-quality beef brands, including Cape Grim, Bass Strait, and Altair Wagyu.

These brands are supported by cattle producers who are part of Greenham’s ‘lifetime traceable’ programs, which give access to key retail and food service customers around the world.

“The expansion at Tongala provides new opportunities for beef producers in the Goulburn Valley to join our supplier program,” Mr Greenham said.

Greenham’s free-range barley-fed brand, Wanderer will be processed at the facility as well as a new brand currently in development that will be exclusive to the Tongala site.

In a statement, the company said it appreciated the support of the Victorian Government through its Regional Jobs Fund, which will make a meaningful contribution to the project.

Greenham timeline

• Greenham Tongala was established in 1993 to meet growing export demands for quality Australian lean grinding beef and was the first hot boning plant in Australia.
• In 2001, Greenham purchased its Smithton, Tasmania facility which expanded Greenham’s capability to process premium grassfed beef.
• Greenham began to brand it’s premium graded beef and in 2007, when the world-renowned Cape Grim Beef brand was born.
• To keep up with the growing demand for premium beef, Greenham Gippsland was incorporated and a further four premium beef brands were launched.
• Today, Greenham announces a multi-million dollar transformation of its Tongala facility which will enable the site to process premium beef in addition to manufacturing beef.