Fonterra Brands Christchurch: Door and Dock Solutions for a High-Performance Food Facility
At Ulti Group, we work closely with leading food manufacturers to deliver safe, efficient, and temperature-controlled access solutions. One of our current projects is the Fonterra Brands site in Christchurch, where a wide range of specialised doors and dock systems are being installed as part of a work-in-progress facility.
In the video above, Andrew from Ulti Group walks through the site, explaining what has been specified, where it’s being installed, and why each solution matters.
A Complete Access Solution Across the Site
This Fonterra Brands facility includes multiple operational zones – dock areas, chilled environments, freezer transitions, and ambient spaces. Each zone requires a door solution that supports food safety, operational flow, and site safety.
Across the site, we’ve specified and installed a combination of:
- Dock systems with telescopic dock levellers
- GWL truck restraints for safe vehicle restraint
- DuoTherm high-speed freezer doors
- Ulti Roll high-speed doors
- Insulated roller shutter doors with vision slats
These systems work together to ensure smooth movement of goods while maintaining temperature separation and protecting people on site.
Dock Systems Designed for Safety and Continuous Use
At the loading dock, the site features heavy-duty telescopic dock levellers rated for 8-tonne continuous operation. These allow the dock leveller lip to extend safely onto the back of the truck, supporting reliable loading and unloading.
To further enhance safety, GWL truck restraints are installed at the dock face. These restraints secure the vehicle in place once it has reversed into position, reducing the risk of premature drive-away and improving overall dock safety.
DuoTherm Freezer Doors for Chiller-to-Freezer Transitions
One of the key areas highlighted in the video is the transition from chiller to freezer. For this zone, we’ve specified Ulti DuoTherm high-speed fabric doors.
These doors are designed to:
- Minimise temperature loss
- Reduce condensation and ice build-up
- Provide fast, reliable access between temperature zones
For food manufacturing environments like this Fonterra site, maintaining cold chain integrity is critical – and the right door specification plays a major role.
Ulti Roll Doors for Fast, Controlled Access
Throughout the facility, Ulti Roll high-speed doors are being installed to connect chilled and ambient areas. These doors support:
- Rapid opening and closing
- Improved temperature control
- Efficient traffic flow for people and equipment
High-speed access helps reduce energy loss while keeping operations moving without unnecessary delays.
Insulated Roller Shutter Doors with Vision Panels
The site also includes insulated roller shutter doors for external openings. These doors provide a balance of:
- Security
- Thermal performance
- High-speed operation
Several doors include vision slats, improving visibility and safety around busy work areas. The aluminium slat design with an internal PVC layer creates a thermal break and helps reduce operational noise. These doors are capable of operating at speeds of up to 1.7 metres per second, making them well suited to high-traffic industrial environments.
Built for Food Manufacturing in Christchurch
This project reflects Ulti Group’s experience delivering industrial door and dock solutions for food production facilities across Christchurch and New Zealand. By understanding how each part of the site operates, we’re able to specify doors that support:
- Food safety and hygiene
- Worker and vehicle safety
- Energy efficiency
- Long-term operational reliability
As the site progresses toward completion, we look forward to returning and seeing the full system in action.
Learn More or Talk to Our Team
If you’re planning a cold storage, food manufacturing, or logistics facility and want to understand which door and dock solutions are right for your site, we’re here to help.