The Fonterra Co-operative Group, the fifth-largest dairy processor and the largest dairy exporter in the world, has opened a new corporate headquarters outside Chicago, in the United States.
According to a company announcement, the new complex includes a product development centre.
The location puts the company in "one of the heartlands" of the US dairy industry and will allow the company - owned by 1300 New Zealand dairy farmers - to work more closely with its North American suppliers and customers.
"The US is a large and strategically important market and one where we're growing our business," Fonterra chair Henry van der Heyden said.
Fonterra says the new Chicago Development Centre will make it simpler and more effective to commercialise scientific innovations from Fonterra's research and development hubs in Palmerston North, New Zealand, and Melbourne, Australia.
The location of the centre will allow more innovations to be tailored specifically to the needs of Fonterra's customers operating within the US and Canadian markets.
"We also want to use the US as a supply base to allow us to work with our international customers to ensure quality exports are sourced from the US to meet growing international demand," Martin Bates, Fonterra USA's president and chief operating officer said.
"And the Chicago Development Centre means that our customers can provide us valuable feedback on our products as they're being developed, especially in the fast-growing health and nutrition sphere."
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