Dairy giant Norco will spend more than $59 million (US$38.4 million) rebuilding its flood-damaged ice-cream factory in the New South Wales Northern Rivers, three weeks after standing down workers.
The factory, which sits on the banks of the Wilsons River in South Lismore, was forced to close after the catastrophic February floods, leaving more than 200 workers uncertain of their future.
Chief executive Michael Hampson says 105 staff had been stood down from the farmer-owned co-operative because there was no work for them during the rebuild.
“Lismore is the home of Norco, we’re founded in the Lismore region, and we’ll be able to get this manufacturing facility back up and running and invite our people back to work here to make Australia’s best ice cream,” he told ABC TV on Wednesday….