wheras in the same quarter of the previous year, the company posted only two major orders worth a total of EUR 46 million, the second quarter of 2017 saw GEA almost triple its volume of incoming orders to around EUR 136 million. As such, growth in major orders was above-average.

For example, GEA supplied a complete milk powder processing facility to Open Country Dairy in New Zealand, with the total value of this project running to more than EUR 10 million. This is the sixth dairy processing facility GEA has shipped to Open Country Dairy at four different locations since 2007. Each of these facilities is capable of processing eight tonnes of milk powder an hour. In the case of the recent order, however, the customer specified a MAP system (Modified Atmosphere Packing) for the first time in order to minimise the residual oxygen content (RO) in the 25-kg bags produced. This ensures that the product retains its high quality during transport to the key markets of China and the Middle East. Open Country Dairy is the second biggest exporter of premium whole-milk powders in the world. The new facility will be commissioned in September 2018.

“We focus on delivering cutting-edge technology to deal with challenging production methods, while always providing maximum customer satisfaction – this is the basis for long-standing partnerships of the kind we enjoy with key customers such as Open Country Dairy,” said Jürg Oleas, CEO of GEA.