Meadow Mushrooms marks third stage of $120 million expansion project

A long journey between a devastating fire and the Christchurch earthquakes will conclude today (19th November) when we complete the third stage of a $120 million redevelopment and expansion project at its Hornby site.

The official opening of our new administration services building will allow more than 40 staff to transition out of the portacoms that have been their offices for more than three years after a fire at Meadow Mushrooms Prebbleton factory in 2012.

The privately owned family enterprise – one of the largest agri-businesses in New Zealand – employs 520 staff and is a cornerstone Canterbury employer.

New Zealand First leader, Rt Hon Winston Peters and Mayor of Christchurch, Lianne Dalziel, officially opened the new state-of-the-art administration building on Meadow Mushrooms property in Hornby.

“Following our investment in two significant production expansion projects, we have now focused on the construction of the new office administration and headquarters building,” said John Barnes, CEO of Meadow Mushrooms.

“Our administrative staff have been dispersed in various temporary facilities on the site for more than three years so we are thrilled to be able to provide them with purpose-built facilities in the new building.

“The completion of this building will provide our large number of administrative staff with state-of-the-art accommodation, with an anticipated increase in efficiency, through working side-by-side,” he said.

According to Barnes, the continuing success of Meadow Mushrooms underpins Canterbury’s reputation as a world-renowned food-growing region.

“Demand for mushrooms has grown consistently since the establishment of Meadow Mushrooms more than 40 years ago and Canterbury’s production capability, staff expertise and infrastructure to support agri-business have been instrumental in supporting that growth,” he said.

“Growth also reflects an increasing realisation by New Zealand consumers of the unique nutritional benefits of mushrooms,” he said.

Mushrooms are now exceeded only by potatoes and tomatoes in annual vegetable sales.