Thomas Foods International hit by labour shortages at its new Murray Bridge meat processing facility

Thomas Foods International is pleading for workers at its new Murray Bridge facility, where dozens of jobs are going begging as a regional labour shortage bites.

Darren Thomas oversees his expanding global operation from an office in Adelaide, but it’s regional South Australia that remains the beating heart of his business.

Thomas Foods International has meat processing facilities in Murray Bridge and Lobethal, a large beef feedlot in Tintinara which has recently undergone a multimillion-dollar expansion, and Mt Schank Station also in the South East.

When fire destroyed TFI’s Murray Bridge plant in January of 2018, Mr Thomas made a commitment to rebuild, embarking on the biggest single investment in its history.

Thomas Foods International managing director Darren Thomas at his property in the Adelaide Hills. Picture: Brad Fleet

Now, five years on, a new state-of-the-art meat processing facility is up and operating.

Mr Thomas said the challenge was now filling all the jobs on offer – a common issue across the state’s regions – and that labour shortages presented a significant risk to growth in country SA.

TFI has had to innovate to attract and retain staff and Mr Thomas has called on the state to do likewise to boost the regional population and workforce.

“This is an amazing facility, more advanced than anything I have seen across the world,” Mr Thomas said.

“The build was completed in May and we have been processing animals on site since then, steadily increasing our numbers towards our eventual target of 600 head of cattle per day.

“We are also in the midst of a major recruitment campaign for Murray Bridge with plans to employ up to 350 staff as part of stage one of this development.

“We have the jobs available – the key is finding the people. We need more people, it’s as simple as that.

“The work, training and break areas are second to none. We’ve also got a large industrial kitchen with a full-time head chef providing meals for our employees.”

Darren Thomas onsite at the company’s new Murray Bridge meat processing facility. Picture: Tom Roschi Photography

Mr Thomas said his family company had invested millions of dollars into regional South Australia and that he was very keen to see the regions prosper.

However he admitted that doing business away from the city was not without challenges.

“In my view, the future of regional SA all comes down to people,” he said.

“Population therefore represents both a challenge and opportunity. Our regions supply some of the world’s best produce, generating export dollars and jobs for the state economy, but the current labour shortage places this at risk.

“As a state we need to continually look at how best to attract and retain people in the regions – not just the individual workers companies like ours so desperately need, but the families that also have a key role to play in building great communities.

The fire-ravaged Thomas Foods abattoir at Murray Bridge in 2018. Picture: AAP/Roy Vandervegt

And the massive new facility near Murray Bridge this year. Picture: Supplied

“The pandemic did open more eyes to the lifestyle benefits on offer in the regions. We now need to capitalise on that and make it even more compelling for families to move to the regions and stay for the long term.”

Mr Thomas, who will appear on a panel at The Advertiser’s Bush Summit in Port Lincoln on Tuesday, said that it was critical that the state’s leaders never lost sight of the importance of the regions to SA’s future.

“Our state’s ability to sustain vibrant, populated regions will encourage businesses to continue to invest and create jobs for future generations,” he said.

Eric Baker started working with TFI in 1999 and is now in his 24th year with the company.

Most of that time he has been at Murray Bridge but the 2018 fire saw Mr Baker transferred to TFI’s Lobethal plant, along with other affected workers.

Long-term Thomas Foods worker Eric Baker at the Murray Bridge site. Picture: Tom Roschi Photography

Mr Baker was not on shift when the fire took hold, but he has vivid memories of the day.

“I could see the plant from my home and it was absolutely devastating,” he said.

“I was in shock. I didn’t know what was going to happen in the future and my anxiety levels went through the roof. They always said they were going to rebuild and I’m very happy they have.”

Mr Baker is now back at Murray Bridge, working on the new beef processing line with many of his former colleagues.

He says the size of the new plant and the technology involved is “mind-blowing”.

“After five years it’s great to be back,” he said.