More than $4m asked for old Kraft factory selling for the second time

"Must be sold," said the agents for this sale they have listed a price range of between $4 million-$4.4 million.

The factory and its 169 hectare (418 acre) site at Simpson, 24km south-east of Cobden, was happily sold after an auction held by Charles Stewart and Co. in February for around $3 million.

That was a mortgagee sale as well.

Today Ray White has the listing which agents are selling through an expressions of interest process closing May 17.

It is the second big rural Victorian factory to be on the market with the sale of the former Heinz tomato processing factory at Girgarre in the Goulburn Valley.

Simpson locals have been hoping their disused dairy factory can still be repurposed to provide local jobs.

The factory on its big site was first commissioned by Kraft in 1966 and was opened by then Premier Henry Bolte.

Dairy companies Lion and National Foods have been among those who have used the factory which has had various tenants over a period of consolidation of dairy factories.

Dairy Farmers Milk Co-operative sold the Simpson site to National Foods in 2008.

As part of Lion's dairy and drinks division, the factory's closure was announced in 2011 but continued with a reduced workforce for some years.

Lion Dairy and Drinks had leased the Simpson factory for many years from Warrnambool Cheese and Butter.

The Bega Cheese Group bought Lion Dairy and Drinks from Japanese company Kirin in 2020.

At its peak, the Simpson factory employed about 120 workers.

The onsite auction on February 17 opened with a vendor bid of $2.8 million before receiving a bid of $3 million and the property was later passed in.

"After a few minutes of intense discussion with the bidder the property was declared sold," agents said at the time.

Now it is back on the market again, another mortgagee sale.

The factory includes more than 5000 square metres of warehouse space with offices, a board room, cafeteria, cool and store rooms.

It also has a maintenance/workshop shed with mezzanine and high roller doors to take in large plant and equipment complete with 3-phase power, mechanic pit and storage room.

The land is laid out to irrigation with six dams and mains water connected.

For more information contact the agents from Ray White - Sara Bizre on 0466 225493 and David Carroll on 0417 392191.".