General News
15 May, 2025
Thomas foods expansion boosts jobs and industry
THOMAS Foods International has officially opened a major expansion of its Stawell abattoir this week, bringing with it the promise of 100 new local jobs and a near doubling of its lamb processing capacity.
The milestone was marked by an official visit from Member for Western Victoria Jacinta
Ermacora on Wednesday alongside company executives, staff and local government
representatives.
The upgrade transforms the already high-performing Stawell facility into one of Australia’s
most advanced lamb processing sites, lifting annual production capacity from 1.5 million to
over 2.3 million lambs per year.
The additional output not only positions Thomas Foods to meet growing international
demand but also fortifies its role as a key supplier to Australian retailers like Woolworths and
ALDI.
“Thomas Foods’ Stawell abattoir plays an important role in Victoria’s vibrant food and fibre
sector, and it’s wonderful to see the completion of a project that brings more opportunities to
local workers and greater access to global markets,” said Ms Ermacora.
The works include the construction of a new chiller room with the capacity to hold an extra
2,000 lamb carcasses, an expanded boning room, new cold storage facilities, and truck
loading bays to streamline distribution.
More than just a physical upgrade, the development introduces innovative robotic technology and a cutting-edge in-line traceability system.
This system allows a lamb to be tracked from the farm to the supermarket.
“It's now capable of tracing a lamb from the farm it's produced and raised on, all the way
through to potentially a barcode in the supermarket. That is not only reassuring and
accountable, but it's reassuring to customers who are purchasing that lamb,” Ms Ermacora
said.
“In a world where there's lots of false information going around about food products and a lot of true information going about food products, this really locks in the truth of the beautiful
quality of meat that's being going through the system.” Ms Ermacora said.
Thomas Foods International Chief Operating Officer Tom Davies said the company was
proud of the milestone, describing it as a win not just for the business, but for the community.
“Thomas Foods welcomes the completion of this milestone project in what is a key region of
our operations. We extend our gratitude to the Victorian Government for their funding
support towards the development of cold storage facilities, which significantly enhances our
capacity on site and the creation of local job opportunities,” Mr Davies said.
He said the facility’s upgrade reflects the companys broader strategy of sustainable growth
and local investment.
“(It’s) a really exciting project, not just for us as a business, I think as a community, as a
whole.”
Roles created by the expansion range from managers and labourers to new roles for forklift
drivers, drovers and maintenance workers.
With bigger, better facilities and a strengthened local workforce, the expansion is set to take
Victorian products to a wider international market while reinforcing Stawell and the
Grampians region as a food processing powerhouse.
