Mr Burton took over as site manager in December, moving back to New Zealand from Sydney with his wife and family after about 20 years in Australia.
Formerly from North Canterbury, Mr Burton embarked on his OE to Australia and did not return to New Zealand to work until moving to Dunedin in December.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, he acknowledged that there were often rumours swirling around the city about the future of the plant.
Redundancies were announced in 2008, as the company invested heavily in new plant, and rumours about further layoffs continued for several months after Kraft successful took over Cadbury after lifting its price to $NZ27 billion.
Bringing his family to Dunedin from Australia would, hopefully, show the staff and the wider community that the commitment was there for the plant to continue operations in the city, he said.
"With Dunedin coming through significant change and big investment in the last couple of years, the next two years will focus on sales, people, quality, production and customer service.
For me, the core brief is stabilising and growth.
"Cadbury has made a huge investment in new plant and equipment. You can't get a bigger sign in confidence for the future than that."
Asked whether Dunedin would even register on the radar of American food giant Kraft, Mr Burton said that the strategy of merging the two companies was around where Kraft did not have a strong presence, Cadbury did.
Climate played a large role in the success of the Dunedin site.
Wrapping small chocolates and bars was easier in cooler weather.
"The machinery works better in cooler weather. We do pray for cold weather, although my wife would disagree."
Mr Burton was last a site manager for Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing, in Sydney, focusing on health foods.
He acknowledged the irony of coming from that industry to chocolate making and was facing a steep learning curve about his new industry.
Coming from a dairy farm family background in Sefton, there was some synergy.
While chocolate making was not his background, there were a group of people in Dunedin who were experts in that field and Mr Burton was using their knowledge to help his own education.
"I'm good at the taste-testing end of the business."
The Dunedin plant was the Cadbury centre of excellence when it came to boxed chocolate such as Roses and Milk Tray - occasion gifts.
As the producer of chocolate-covered marshmallow products, such as Easter eggs, chocolate fish and pineapple lumps, the factory played a significant role in the group's global supply chain, he said.
The Dunedin plant produced 8000 tonnes of small chocolate products a year, and a "great deal of volume" in chocolate-covered marshmallow.
BURTON FILE
Adam Burton
• Cadbury Confectionery site manager, Dunedin
• Previous employment includes Sanitarium Health Foods and National Foods, both in Australia Aged 38
• Married with two sons
• Educated Rangiora High School and Newcastle University
• Interests: surfing, mountain biking, road cycling, snow boarding
• Supports Crusaders and the All Blacks. Sons have All Black jerseys, his Australian wife has a Wallabies jumper.
