Sundale Schreiber open R 97.1m cheese processing plant in East London  

PRESS RELEASE

16 November 2021

The Joint Venture (JV) between local Sundale Dairy and global giant, Schreiber Foods in a Slice-on-Slice (SOS) cheese processing plant at the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) is a significant development for the agro-processing sector as a driver of economic reform in the Eastern Cape.

The grand opening of the Sundale Schreiber factory is a celebration of the first production off the casting line that will supply processed cheese to quick service restaurants. The new facility is a game changer. At present, 70% of SOS cheese slices in South Africa are imported, and the new factory facilitates the supply of local content to the African continent, opening new markets for local business.

The Sundale Schreiber JV is an investment in an entire process line from start to finish – from the processing of the product in the cooking process, through the casting line to case packing that is done on imported equipment from Italy. The new state-of-the-art facility was designed by Schreiber Foods and represents a R 97m investment in the plant and a further R 50m in the processing equipment. The biggest investment is in people with employment opportunities, secondments to international plants and upskilling of local employees.

The emphasis at the plant is on creating a crazy-clean space in an inherently messy manufacturing environment. The priority is on food and partner safety. According to Brad McNeely, Schreiber’s Operations Start-Up Manager, “the Sundale Schreiber plant is a world-class facility that demonstrates that East London is well positioned as a global hub for manufacturing. We aim to attract other global investment to the city through our partnership.”

According to Sundale CEO, Pierre van Rensburg, “We have created something that is global but personal. We share a culture of always being audit ready and are focussed on getting safe production out to a market that demands consistent quality and food safety.” Van Rensburg went on to say that there is a shared vision to deliver exceptional quality, service, and innovation.

The partnership with Schreiber creates opportunities for skilled labour in the Eastern Cape and is a welcome boost for the sector that relies on export opportunities for sustainability.

ENDS

Press Release prepared by La-Mont.

For more information contact Lynette Howe on lynette@la-mont.com or contact her on 083 443 8100.