Iconic Tasmanian cheesemaker King Island Dairy is buzzing with new life as it grows under Australian ownership for the first time in decades.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff visited the factory on Wednesday, just months after helping broker a solution when multinational giant Saputo announced it would shut the business down.
Rockliff praised the community effort that saved not just 40 jobs, but an entire island economy from collapse.
“The island is very closely associated with the brand, the King Island cheese brand,” he said. “They go hand in hand.”
“And when you lose that the brand, in many respects, [it] diminishes on the island overall.”
“So it was essential: saving the jobs, supporting the economy, continuing with the cheese production but also saving the iconic King Island brand as well.”
The dairy’s rescue came after King Island endured its worst drought in nearly a century, followed by Saputo’s closure announcement, which left the community “in the depths of despair”.
New owner Nick Dobromilsky, who runs Melbourne-based Olympus Cheese with business partner Graham Wilson, said the turnaround has been remarkable.
“12 months ago it was looking very dim, there wasn’t too many ideas,” he said.
“Now we have heaps of ideas by all the employees and it’s just trying to prioritise which ones to do first.”
Dobromilsky now splits his time between Melbourne and King Island, living on the island from Monday to Thursday while his young family stays in Melbourne.
And since the takeover, early signs suggest the return to Australian hands is striking a chord with customers.
Dobromilsky believes sales have already lifted, crediting the boost to stronger community engagement and interest in the brand’s revival.
The new owners are already planning softer cheese varieties and eyeing export markets, with international supporters reaching out since the ownership change.
“We’ll definitely grow into more the high-end retail and food service restaurants and export we believe is a big opportunity, it just takes a little bit more time to establish the international connections,” Dobromilsky said.
“We just have to make sure that we can produce enough to make sure we can get it into their hands.”
Rockliff said the dairy’s survival is part of a broader economic strategy for King Island, which produces a quarter of Tasmania’s beef and recently reopened its mine.
“It sends a very powerful message not only to Tasmania but right across Australia in that we have companies and investors in our own country that love their community and that can see opportunity in investing in the communities that they love,” he said.
“And what it says is that you know multinationals are not always the answer and there are always alternatives and when you combine ethics, investment and passion for local communities.”
