Pine Hill in $20m plant upgrade
Pine Hill Dairy (PHD) is undertaking a $20 million modernisation of its entire plant operations. This was announced recently at the unveiling of a 60th anniversary commemorative mural in the car park of The Pine, St Michael company. “We have embarked on a total overhaul of our equipment,” general manager of SLU Beverages, Shafia London, […] The post Pine Hill in $20m plant upgrade appeared first on nationnews.com.
Black News 
Pine Hill Dairy (PHD) is undertaking a $20 million modernisation of its entire plant operations.
This was announced recently at the unveiling of a 60th anniversary commemorative mural in the car park of The Pine, St Michael company.
“We have embarked on a total overhaul of our equipment,” general manager of SLU Beverages, Shafia London, told those in attendance.
“We are going to be modernising our entire plant operations at over US$10 million (BDS$20 million).”
The works, already under way in partnership with global packaging giant Tetra Pak, are expected to transform the facility into a fully modern plant by year’s end.
However, London acknowledged the road ahead will not be without difficulty.
“The next few months are going to be challenging for us, but it is a necessary investment in the future of this business. Once stabilised, the transformation will allow us to deliver even higher standards of quality and quantity,” she stated.
The announcement comes on the heels of a difficult period for the company. Last year, PHD faced significant supply chain disruptions, with powdered milk shortages among the hardest-hitting challenges, but London said those were now behind them.
“We’re pleased to confirm that that issue has been resolved. We have been able to find suppliers and backup suppliers and since then we have been having a steady supply of our dairy products,” she noted.
Supply of raw milk from local farmers has also rebounded, aided by a dedicated farm improvement programme that brought in world-class agricultural experts to work directly with Barbadian dairy farmers, she pointed out. London added that milk supply from farmers has already surpassed last year’s levels and was now in line with figures from over five years ago.
With stability restored, PHD is turning its attention to bringing back some products that were discontinued during the crisis. Chocolate milk has already been reintroduced, and a lactose-free option is expected to return shortly.
Looking regionally, the company has ambitions well beyond Barbados. PHD products are currently imported across most CARICOM territories, where the brand ranks in the top three for juice and dairy milks.
The modernised plant is expected to bolster that reach significantly, with London sharing that growth into new export markets will also mean greater employment opportunities.
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