E-Malt.com News article: Australia: Joe White Maltings celebrates 40 years in Tamworth

Australia’s largest maltster – Joe White Maltings – today celebrates its 40th anniversary of producing malt at its Tamworth malt house, ABB reported May 14.

Joe While Maltings (now the malting division of major Australian agribusiness ABB Grain) first began producing malt in Tamworth in 1968 when annual production capacity was only 16,000 tonnes.

Since then the malt house has undergone several upgrades and expansions and now has a capacity nearly three times its original volume.

Joe White Maltings’ general manager, operations, Gary Hughes, said that while the Tamworth malt house was far from ABB’s biggest, it played a pivotal role in meeting customers’ needs in Australia and Asia.

“The recent installation of a 22-tonne bin and export customer loading equipment helps cater for preparation of consignments of Vienna and Munich malts, as well as pale ale malt shipments for south east Asia,” Mr Hughes said.

“Further refurbishments and process automation work underway at the plant is aimed at ensuring the Tamworth malt house maintains its efficiency and reliability for its next major anniversary.”

Domestically, the Tamworth malt house supplies malt to Tooheys brewery in Sydney and Castelmaine Perkins in Brisbane, besides a number of boutique brewers. The plant also supplies malt for Nestle’s factory at Smithtown which emerges in popular milk-based drinks like Milo.

Joe White’s plant manager for Tamworth & Brisbane, Miro Prazak, said the malt house benefited by having a close-knit team of employees with considerable experience – five of its current employees each had had more than 30 years service with the company.

“It’s quite appropriate that in the year we’ve celebrated the beginnings of Joe White Maltings 150 years ago in Ballarat, we also toast its long-standing presence here in Tamworth,” Mr Prazak said.

“Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without the long-standing support we’ve had from local growers, enabling us to continue to meet our customers’ demand for premium Australian malt.”


15 May, 2008