Gem Scott

G M Scott to feature in global webcast

As stated by Managing Director Barry Noble, GM Scott has a strong bond with Cootamundra and an obligation to continue to improve all facets of operations to the benefit of the company, its employees and the community in general. As the largest employer in Cootamundra with in excess of 200 employees paid each week the impact of GM Scott is immense to the Cootamundra Shire.

The strong relationship between GM Scott and its largest client Woolworths continues with the expiry of the present 5 year contract In October and a new contract being finalized to extend for a further 5 years.

The operations at GM Scott Pty Ltd are taking on a new and improved outlook with a range of improvements and enhancements to the plant and equipment. Good management practices applied by the Senior Executive team lead by CEO Len Jones , Chief Operations Manager John O’Loughlin & Finance Manager Steve Johnson and all line managers has allowed planning for the future to be positive. This is in contrast to others in the industry that have experienced ups and downs and an unknown future at times.

A new blood cooker is up and running in the Bi-Products facility, after many months of refurbishment. This necessitated a complete re build of the cooker that now enables this product to be produced without the effects of an odor. In conjunction with this a new cooker was ordered from Thailand in May that will be on site and commissioned by the end of September. This will enable operations to be completed in a much more efficient manner. At present large days may take up to 12-14 hours to process the Bi-Products, this will be done in 8 hours due to the new machine. The inversion effect of the cold weather has trapped some odor within the atmospheric layer, with the blood cooker on line and use of the Bio Filter, odor will be drastically reduced.

A new Freezer complex is now being commissioned that will allow the freezing on site of cartons and lamb carcasses. This will provide the opportunity to explore the export of product direct from the GM Scott plant. Already interest has been shown to ship to the South Pacific and the Middle East regions of the world.

Continuing the upgrade of facilities is the commencement of a new chiller complex towards the rear of the existing facility that will increase capacity by an additional 3000 lambs. In tandem with the chillers is the changeover to an ammonia cooling system that will reduce the energy costs and provide a more efficient cooling system.

When the new chillers are complete, the works will also have a new roof covering all the new areas that will enable the capture of rain runoff, into tanks that will then be piped back through the boiler system for use in the plant. This is estimated to save in excess of 863,000 litres of water per annum, on a below average rain year. It is hoped that eventually all roofs will have their runoff captured.

Mr. Noble says that the company is conscious of its obligations to care for the environment and this step is a positive one and demonstrates a tangible example of how to conserve resources.

The final piece is the investigation of a new state of the art slaughter floor. Designers have been on site and concept drawings are being prepared for presentation towards the end of the month. A new floor would provide many improvements in layout and technologies to stream line operations and reduce the physical demand upon employees.

Mr. Noble is very positive for the future operations of GM Scott under the guidance of the full management team by committing in excess of $9.m to improve the plant as outlined.

Bright Future

The future is bright for Cootamundra's largest employer G M Scott, with a multi-million dollar upgrade to the plant and equipment currently underway and a new five year contract signed with the meatworks' largest client, Woolworths.
Since G M Scott was established in Cootamundra in 1980 by current managing director Barry Noble, it has gone from strength to strength, largely on the back of a lucrative contract with Woolworths.
The recent resigning with Woolowths was a coup for the Cootamundra facility, domonstrating the confidence the supermarket giant has in G M Scott.
The majority of Woolowrths lambs go through G M Scott and most of these are purchased from within a 120 kilometre radius of Cootamundra, supporting farmers from within the wider district.
If anyone purchases a boneless leg of lamb or a French rach of lamb from a Woolworths supermarket anywhere in NSW the cut will have been processed at the Cootamundra Meatworks.
The new Wooloworths contract will see G M Scott take on 30 per cent more lambs than they currently process for the supermarket.
In terms of infrastructure improvements at the site, a new freezer complex came online yesterday allowing the freezing of cartons onsite.
Currently meat is taken in refridgerated trucks to an offsite freezer.
The new chiller complex, to be completed in December 2010, will allow an increased capacity of 3000 lambs which will result in another 10 jobs in the chillers and boning room.
In tandem with the chillers is the change to an ammonia cooling system that will reduce energy costs and provide a more efficent cooling system.
When the new chillers are complete a system will be put in place to reuse rainwater from the roof of the new facility within the plant.
This system is expected to save more than 850,000 litres of water each year, based on recent rainfall figures.
Mr Noble said he hopes that eventually all G M Scott roofs will have their runoff captured.
He said this step is as much an environmental consideration as a financial one.
"This company is conscious of its obligations to care for the environment and this step is a positive one and demonstrates a tanigble example of how to conserve resources," Mr Noble said.
With the new freezer G M Scott will be able to export products directly from its site.
Mr Noble assured G M Scott staff and the community that the move to robotics, where applicable, will not affect employment within the meatworks as if a machine is brought in to do the work once done by a person, a new position will exist elsewhere within the plant for that person.
A new multi-million dollar bi-products facility, scheduled for completion in September, will completely eliminate odour coming from the abbattoir.
The facility is current complete with the exception of a new rendering cooker which is being delivered from Thailand.
The new cooker willr educe the time taken to process bi-products from around 14 hours to eight.
The facility will also allow G M Scott to further tap into the lucrative bi-products market, adding to the future security of the business.
Also in the pipeline is a brand new, state of the art slaughter floor.
Designers have been on site and concept drawings are being prepared for presentation towards the end of the month.
A new floor will rpovide many improvement in layout and technologies to streamline operations and reduce the pyhsical demand upon employees.
Mr Noble is very positive about the future of G M Scott.
"Good management practices applied by the senior executive team led by Chief Executive Officer Len Jones, Chief Operations Manager John O'Loughlin and Finance Manager Steve Johnson and all line managers have allowed planning for the future to be positive," he said.
"This is in contrast to other businesses in the industry that have experienced ups and downs and an unknown future at times."

Photography By Louise Leahy Photographics site by factOryone