The partnership will see GEA extend one of BMI’s three cheese lines including revision of an existing salt system, cooker and stretcher; two GEA CMT DMC modules; and a GEA de Klokslag brining system.
GEA was awarded the contract because it is already working with BMI on another project for Cheddar cheese.
Carsten Müller-Stein, project manager, GEA, said it will collaborate with its partners following the acquisition of de Klokslag and CMT in 2014 and 2015.
“We have the opportunity of working with our other cheese specialists in GEA on a combined project because we know each other and the relevant technologies and understand how they can be engineered to provide a seamless system,” he said.
BMI brings together independent dairies and milk-supplying cooperatives to produce fresh dairy products including over 60m tonnes of cheese a year.
The GEA plant will expand BMI’s production capability of pizza cheese by around 2.5 tonnes/hour for the supply of pizza cheese in 15kg Euroblocks to the global industry.
“The customer has one point of contact for everything,” added Müller-Stein.