The Otago Daily Times reported this week Oamaru’s Whitestone Cheese factory would double its production capacity and expand its Humber St site, creating 1100sq m of additional factory space.
Now Rainbow Confectionery general manager Brent Baillie has confirmed the confectionery manufacturer would finish its own factory expansion by the end of April.
While Rainbow Confectionery had not yet made plans for staffing at its expanded factory, its 2100sq m factory expansion and additions could create jobs, he said.
The company had 72 full-time employees at the factory and during the peak Easter manufacturing period, 121 employees were on the company payroll.
"We expect continual growth to create continued employment opportunities," Mr Baillie said.
The company’s expansion comes as another famous southern confectionery maker, Cadbury, prepares to leave New Zealand.
Mr Baillie declined to answer any questions, "out of respect to Cadbury’s Dunedin workers", about his thoughts on that decision and what it might mean for his company’s expansion, or whether the company was in discussions with Cadbury about any future production.
The Oamaru factory project had been expected to be finished in November 2016, but was delayed for various reasons, including the availability of subcontractors and the delivery of a code of compliance being delayed.
The expansion, once completed, would boost production capacity from just above 2700 tonnes a year at present to 8000 tonnes a year.
Rainbow Confectionery is the largest privately owned confectionery manufacturer in New Zealand. Mr Baillie said he was excited about the project being brought to a close and what that signalled for Oamaru.
"The management and owners at Rainbow Confectionery support its growth.
"It’s still important New Zealand has locally made confectionery ..."
Otago Chamber of Commerce North Otago advisory board chairman Stephen Halliwell said there were many indicators business was "very vibrant" in Oamaru at present.
"There’s a fair bit of investment going around," Mr Halliwell said.
"Obviously, money is as cheap as it’s been for a long time and times are good for investing in business. It’s great to see that here in Oamaru we’ve got investment in business going on."
