Manildra Group director of business development Peter Millard was in town yesterday to officially announce the purchase of the Cootamundra site by his family’s business. 

Manildra is a 100 per cent Australian, family-owned and run business with diversified interests in everything from ethanol to flour to sugar to value-added products such as starch. 

The company is 62 years old and employs more than 1000 people, the lion’s share being in regional Australia. Their head office is in Sydney. 

Mr Millard explained the acquisition of GM Scott complements another recent purchase by Manildra of a beef boning room and retail ready meat packaging facility in Bomaderry on the south coast.

It is the intention of Manildra to expand use of the existing beef line at GM Scott, which has been under-utilised for the past decade. 

Cattle will be sourced from the local region with Mr Millard saying initial aims are for a modest run of around 100 head a day. 

GM Scott has been quietly processing cattle for some time, however their mainstay has, and will remain, lamb. 

“This is great MSA (Meat Standards of Australia) country,” Mr Millard said. 

With strong existing connections in the local area, Mr Millard said a big selling point for Manildra was the easy access to quality livestock. 

Manildra had been a client of GM Scott in the past and it was through these dealings, Mr Millard said the company had confidence in the meatworks and their future direction. 

All existing employment positions within GM Scott will be retained, according to Mr Millard, from senior management to the slaughter floor staff and everyone in between. 

He said, given the plans to increase the beef line and to add and invest in the boning room, there is potential for future growth in employment. 

“There is scale and opportunity for increased numbers to pass through the plant each day,” Mr Millard said. 

He indicated it will be “business as usual” for GM Scott approaching and following the changeover date. 

Mr Millard, along with other senior Manildra executives, will be present at the plant taking a hands-on approach to the running of the business. 

“We will support the team here to be the best it can be as a world-class facility,” Mr Millard said. 

GM Scott CEO Len Jones reiterated the business will operate as per usual following the July 1 takeover. 

He is excited by the company’s ‘tier two’ export licence coming into effect, literally opening up a whole new world to the business, as well as continuing to service their domestic clients. 

Some 14 months in the making, this new licence increases the number of countries GM Scott can export to from 22 to 184. 

Already, GM Scott has established connections with the USA and Hong Kong under the new licence and they are working towards exporting to China in the future. 

The future is bright for the abattoir, which is Cootamundra’s largest employer, and will remain so as all jobs are retained.