HME wins contract with dairy giant Arla
BROMSGROVE equipment manufacturer HME Technology has won a contract to supply the world’s biggest dairy.
Known as a major producer of engineering equipment for the educational sector, selling across the UK and abroad, it is a coup for HME because the work for milk giant Arla Foods is its first significant contract from industry.
Now it is hoping it can capitalise on this success by securing similar work.
The monetary value of the contract has not been disclosed.
Founded in 1984, HME supplies products including forges, brazing hearths, furnaces, welding tables, fume extraction systems, kilns, woodworking equipment, wood dust extraction systems, metal finishing and CNC machines.
The Arla Foods contract involves fitting out a complete workshop for the co-operative’s new £150m state-of-the-art dairy in Aylesbury.
Julian Davis, HME Technology’s managing director, said: “To supply into such a prestige development is brilliant for our future and demonstrates the safety and rigour of our proven machines. As a facility the dairy is second to none and incredibly technologically advanced.
“Arla’s health and safety team came to visit our headquarters to vet and inspect the machinery as safe, to current regulations, and acceptable for their workshop.
“Ultimately, the machines were delivered, installed and commissioned. Arla carried out a final inspection and the workshop was approved ready for use.”
The new dairy – on a 115-acre site adjacent to the A41 on the outskirts of Aylesbury – has a capacity to process one billion litres of fresh milk annually, sourced from 900 British dairy farm suppliers, the majority of whom are owners of Arla.
Lee Timberlake, engineering technician at Arla, said: “They offered the best suite of machines to suit our purpose. Installation went very smoothly – it was a job well done.”
