Alliance Group has commissioned a new $16 million automated warehouse at its Lorneville plant near Invercargill.

The Alliance Group is a farmer-owned cooperative producing red meat products, predominately for export, from five South Island and two lower North Island plants.

The fully integrated storage and warehouse management system in Southland is for frozen products and uses automated shuttle vehicles rather than manual lifting for the storage and retrieval of product.

Product is automatically moved through the warehouse and palletised without being touched by human hands.

Alliance Group's General Manager Processing and Safety, Wayne Shaw, said the technology had improved the health and safety of employees, unlocked advantages of scale and lifted the efficiency and competitiveness of the plant, without any loss of jobs.

“Previously, more than 60 people were required to work in the warehousing operation during peak processing, manually handling boxes of fresh product, each weighing around 22kg."

"That lifting poses a risk of muscular skeletal injury to our people," he said.

“The system also includes a more effective stacking system for frozen boxes, minimising product damage and potential safety risks. It has enabled improved handling of cartons and product and reduced the use of forklifts.

“We have been continually investing in Lorneville over the past five years including the opening of a new venison plant and the installation of primal cutters for processing.”