$12 million salmon processing facility opens in Tasmania

Not only does Huon Aquaculture’s new plant look beautiful, it is expected to deliver more than one million dollars in cost savings for the company in its first year of operation.

Huon Aquaculture has officially opened its new Smokehouse and Product Innovation Centre in Parramatta Creek, Tasmania. Designed and constructed by Australasian food manufacturing specialist Wiley, the 2500 m² value-added salmon processing facility and a 750 m² administration facility doubles Huon’s footprint.

The state-of-the-art salmon processing facility centralises Huon’s operations and is expected to deliver more than one million dollars in cost savings for the company in its first year of operation under one site.

Majority privately owned, the Huon Aquaculture Group produces around 17,000 tonnes of fresh salmon per year and is recognised globally as being the premium producer of fresh and smoked salmon products. Huon currently employs around 520 people in most states of Australia.

With almost a century of experience in designing, engineering and constructing food and beverage facilities, Wiley has the technical process engineering expertise to deliver world-class customised solutions. Highlights of Huon’s new facilities include:

• A suspended walkway installed across existing and new processing facilities provides access to staff entry areas, as well as viewing facilities for customers and visitors. Visitors get to see first-hand Huon’s clean, efficient and transparent fish processing facility.
• The new 750 m² office and staff amenities include state-of-the-art meeting rooms, boardroom, laboratory and product development and extended car-parking facilities. The dining room and commercial kitchen are complemented by staff breakout and bbq areas for 100 employees.
• The aesthetic of the administration facility was designed to showcase the client’s corporate identity and branding, provide an impressive roadside impact and be aligned with Huon’s open culture.
• The existing fresh salmon processing facility, completed in Stage One, received a reconfiguration of process areas and upgrades works to drainage and floors with a new epoxy finish.
• Wiley was committed to using local subcontractors on the project, supporting the ongoing growth of the local economy with 100 local jobs created.
• LED lighting has been incorporated throughout the new facility providing an improved environment for the staff and saving on energy consumption and maintenance.
• An innovative solution was delivered to accommodate the switch room and plant room for refrigeration. A 40′ high cube container was customised to accommodate both functions and sited in the most cost-efficient location on-site. The primary driver behind this solution was to remove the need for development approval and save both construction time and costs.

Huon Aquaculture Managing Director Peter Bender said: “I really appreciate Wiley’s expertise and felt confident through the whole process. Our new facility will enable us to increase our production capacity and efficiency, while reducing our environmental footprint.

“We produce around 17,000 tonnes of fresh salmon each year, with our new facility part of our four-year $160 million controlled growth strategy.

“This world-class site will incorporate whole fish, fresh fish, and value-added cold and hot smoked production, successfully bringing together our full range of seafood processing at a single location.”

Wiley Managing Director Tom Wiley said: “As a long-term partner with Huon Aquaculture, we were very pleased to support Huon through this landmark project and we value the relationship.

“Over 10 months, we designed and constructed a state-of-the-art facility on time and on budget with a great spirit of collaboration.

“A key focus was ensuring that we futureproofed the facility, which involved ensuring everything we designed could be further expanded over the years as the company continues to grow.

“This has been a very rewarding project for our team, including our 100 local subcontractors, and I’d like to congratulate Huon for this excellent result driven by their vision, leadership and collaboration.

“Together we’ve been able to innovate a design that consolidates two operations, reduces inefficiencies, delivers a safe working environment for staff and continues producing high-quality products that only serve to enhance Huon’s global reputation as a premium producer of fresh and smoked salmon products.

“We feel very privileged to have been able to work with the entire Huon team.”

Inside and outside Huon's new boardroom.