A Bullsbrook stockfeed mill is on track to open its doors by July 2025.
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The new multi-million-dollar facility was given the green light of approval by the State Development Assessment Unit under the WA Planning Commission in 2022, and is a project of NewCo Mills to shore up supply to stockfeed manufacturer Thompson & Redwood and Westpork.
It is anticipated to produce about 220,000 tonnes of feed each year, sourcing grains, pulses and oilseeds from growers in the South West.
Thompson & Redwood general manager Stephen Lamond said they were working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but couldn't keep up with the demand for its premium stockfeed.
Mr Lamond said they reached full capacity about five years ago and had been missing out on a lot of work.
He said the Bullsbrook mill would quadruple production capacity in the short-term, with potential for additional growth in the long-term.
"There is a lot of growth in the types of feeds we make, particularly the monogastric markets," Mr Lamond said.
"Our affiliated companies like Kojonup Feeds are pretty much operating at full capacity too.
"The current mill is very old and inefficient, so the new mill will allow us to meet demand, improve productivity and reduce energy use.
"The extra capacity will ensure there is a fallback position for the industry if one of the other major suppliers has a production problem."
Mr Lamond said completion of the facility was running on schedule, subject to shipping.
He said most of the civil works had been finished, with the first equipment expected to start arriving in March or April,
"This could now be pushed back by a few weeks with the Red Sea tensions, but we still plan to commence our commissioning at the end of March 2025 and be operational by July of that year.
"The packing sheds are going up in the next six weeks, and the silos will arrive when the shipping sorts itself out.
"We are very happy with how the process is going and everything is as planned."
The mill will include two sheds (feed mill and packaging), an administration building, four incoming grain silos and other associated infrastructure.
It is proposed to operate Monday to Friday for 24 hours a day, and will create 43 jobs with 24 existing employees and 19-newly created roles.
Mr Thompson said a transition for employees, including training, would start six months before the mill opened.
"We are in the process of setting up all of the systems, processes and peripheral information required and hope to have it up and running this time next year," he said.
