We’re excited to announce that HPA has purchased the former Tobacco Cooperative of Victoria property in Myrtleford, Victoria, which we plan to transform into a fully operational, state-of-the-art pellet plant, packaging line and cold storage by 2024.
The AUD$20million project will effectively double our current processing capacity – a necessary requirement following our AUD$50million investment in acreage expansion over the past 8 years. This additional capacity will allow us to process our increasing volume of hops in a timely fashion, ensuring we produce consistently high-quality hop pellets so our brewing customers can make consistently high-quality beers.
The new facility will support the centralisation of pelleting and packaging hops from HPA’s Victorian and Tasmanian growing regions, which will total 900 hectares or an estimated 2,400 metric tonnes by 2024. It will handle every hop bale pressed from crop 2024 onwards, producing in excess of 50 tonnes of pellets per day.
On top of centralised pelleting and packaging in a temperature-controlled environment, the site will become the administrative headquarters for our Victorian operation, including laboratory facilities and significant cold storage for bales and finished goods. It will also be utilised as a training hub to develop the skills of HPA’s existing and future workforce.
Bushy Park Estates in Tasmania’s south remains integral to HPA’s operation, and their head office will remain in Hobart.
