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The Utz Factory Tour: Hanover’s Self-Guided Factory Tour

Driving up to the Utz Factory Tour in Hanover, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Having already visited the Martin’s Potato Chip Factory Tour and the Snyder’s of Hanover Factory Tour , I wasn’t sure if I would be toured out.

Unlike many of the factory tours in the area, the Utz Factory Tour is self-guided. The advantage of this is that you don’t have to show up at a certain time for a tour, but I was skeptical about whether or not the tour would provide the same wealth of information I’d gotten on my previous tours.

However, I wanted to check it out because Utz Snack Foods is the largest privately-owned snack food company in America. Amazingly, Utz produces one million pounds of potato chips and 900,000 pounds of pretzels each week, the majority from their factory in Hanover, near the Maryland border.

The entrance to the tour is behind a marked door on the side of the Utz’s factory. Immediately upon entering the facility, a recorded voice comes over the speakers, welcoming you to the factory and giving you the history of the company as you ascend the stairs to the second floor touring area.

The first stop of the tour is a large open room that features written information about the history of  Utz, as well as many pictures and memorabilia from their 90+ years of production.

However, the reason people come to the factory is for the viewing gallery, which is the next stop on the factory tour.

Like I said before, the Utz Factory Tour is self-guided. So, to help you understand the process, each section of windows has an audio recording that can be played by pressing a button.

Just like the Snyder’s of Hanover Factory Tour , you’re in a second floor gallery, looking through panes of glass at the factory floor below. However, in my opinion, what made this tour better than the guided one at Snyder’s was that I had no problems hearing the recorded audio, and I had an unobstructed view through the windows.

The 11 different sections of the tour explained the entire process, from the potatoes arriving at the factory to the packaged chips getting shipped out. At either end of the tour they provided closed-circuit TVs to show you areas that you couldn’t visit. It was a nice idea, but the feed didn’t appear to have been updated since the 1980s.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of the factory tour at Utz. While it may not be as exciting as the factory floor tour at Martin’s Potato Chips , being able to tour at your own speed certainly makes it easier to hear and understand the process that goes into making a potato chip.

And, while the audio recording at times seemed like more of a public relations tool than an informative one (i.e. Frying potatoes doesn’t lock in the nutrition. Sorry Utz), it still gives a good overview of the process that goes into making one of America’s most popular snack foods.

If you’re in the York/Hanover/ Gettysburg area , I would highly recommend a visit to the Utz Factory Tour. It’s an interesting look into the production of potato chips.

Visiting the Utz Factory Tour

The Utz Factory Tour is located in Hanover, which is about half-way between York and Gettysburg, near the Maryland border.

The self-guided Hanover factory tour is open Monday to Thursday: 10:00am-3:30pm. While no reservations are required, Utz does recommend calling ahead to ensure that the production facility will be open, as it does close from time to time. The phone number is 1-800-367-7629.

Friday tours may also be available with at least 10 days notice by calling the same number.

If you find yourself craving potato chips after the tour is over, and the small sample bag doesn’t fill your need, visit the nearby Utz Factory Outlet, an Utz Factory store which sells just about every variety they produce, including some that are hard to find in the region.

While in the area, also consider visiting some of the other great snack food factory tours in York County .

Some photos in article used courtesy of Utz Snacks.

Utz Factory Tour

See map below for other area attractions.

Great places to stay in York County

• Home2 Suites - The city's highest-rated hotel on TripAdvisor .
• Grace Manor B&B - A popular B&B near the center of town
• Candlewood Suites - A great value with excellent reviews
• Heritage Hills Resort - A relaxing property with great ammenities
• Find more great places to stay on Airbnb!

Click the map to see more nearby things to do

More nearby places to explore

Visiting the Fantastic Fire Museum of York County in York, PA

Exploring the Whimsical Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum near Gettysburg

Exploring Hammonds Rocks in Michaux State Forest in Cumberland County, PA

Visiting the Pennsylvania Fire Museum: From Franklin to Fire Trucks

Find more things to do in pennsylvania dutch country.

Jim Cheney is the creator of UncoveringPA.com. Based in Carlisle near Harrisburg, Jim frequently travels around Pennsylvania and has visited, written about, and photographed all 67 counties in the state. He has also traveled to more than 30 different countries around the world.

2 thoughts on “The Utz Factory Tour: Hanover’s Self-Guided Factory Tour”

Five hundred tons (one million pounds) of potato chips every seven days???

Fact checkers please confirm.

I can’t personally confirm, but that’s what they claim.

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Utz Quality Foods Factory Tour

The dog days of summer have arrived…swim team is over, friends are on vacation and the start of a new school year is looming in the not so distant future.  We decided to break out of our normal summer routine for a day and head up to York County, Pennsylvania to learn how potato chips are made.

Truck lovers will be thrilled with this outing from the get go as there are many tractor trailers loading up with Utz supplies that you can see right from the factory tour parking lot.  Once you enter the facility an audio track will give you a brief overview of the Utz Company as you walk up the stairs to the viewing area. 

Upstairs is an optional 15 minute film about the company’s history and a lobby area with a display of Utz potato chip varieties that you can spend time viewing before you get to the tour.

From the moment you pull up at Utz you can smell the aroma of potato chips cooking.  The large viewing gallery to see the production was well lit, spacious and had large windows with step stools for kids to get great views.  At every step along the production line there was a button to press to listen to an audio description about what was happening.  The equipment is huge and very close to the viewing windows. 

It was fascinating to watch how quickly the potato chips went from whole potatoes to fried chips and the sheer volume of snacks being made was incredible!  You could clearly see the steps of the potatoes being sliced, fried, salted, sorted, seasoned and packaged.  The final windows on the tour are the storage room where you see a football field sized room stacked with potato chips of all varieties waiting to be shipped.  Some days you can also view the tortilla chip production line but this was not available on the day of our visit.

Once you have finished the self-guided tour you return back the way that you came to get your free sample chips in the lobby.  For more samples and “take home” supplies you can head 0.5 miles away to the Utz outlet store where you can purchase bags big and small of your favorite varieties.  You can sample chip flavors before buying here by asking at the register.

It is easy to extend your trip to Hanover with other factory visits.  Revonah Pretzel bakery and Snyders of Hanover pretzels are both located in town.  Nearby in Abbottsville you can visit Martin’s Potato Chip Factory and further North near York itself you can see the famed Harley-Davidson motorcycles in production.   For other family fun you can pick up sandwiches across the street from the Utz factory outlet at Schults Del and head to nearby Cordurus State Park.

A trip to the Utz Quality Foods facility is a fun, educational and delicious way to spend a day!

OK Editorial Team

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UTZ Factory Tour – Hanover, PA

At the UTZ factory tour in Hanover, Pennsylvania, you’ll see how they make their potato chips. UTZ also has an outlet store that you can visit to purchase souvenirs and a wide-variety of snack foods that the company produces.

This is a self-guided and free tour. Reservations are not required, though there are specific weekday-only hours. UTZ also highly recommends calling ahead to make sure the tour is available. Find their hours on their website here and their phone number to call to confirm their hours .

UTZ Factory Tour Parking

To take the tour, you’ll want to go to the UTZ factory, which is located at 900 High Street. The factory is large, so you’ll need to find the factory tour entrance and designated parking spaces. Once at the factory on High Street, tour signs pointed us around the corner to tour parking spaces on Kindig Lane. Look for the signs pictured below for parking.

Trucks will be pulling in and out of the factory, so be sure to use caution as you walk to the tour entrance. Once you reach the tour entrance, there will be a set of stairs to reach the tour. There is not an elevator available.

Once at the top of the stairs, there will be a lobby where the tour begins. A person will be at the desk to greet you, but there is not a fee to take the tour.

The factory tour does not allow photos or videos of the tour. You’ll walk down a long hallway that overlooks the factory floor. The tour will progress from seeing potatoes go into the machines, then they are sliced, salted, seasoned, and packaged.

Since it is a self-guided tour, I let the kids set the pace of the tour. When they show interest in a certain step of the progress, we stayed at that window. There are buttons on the wall that start a narration to explain what is happening on the factory floor. The machines that pack the bags and fold boxes were particularly interesting to the kids.

At the end of the tour, you’ll receive a snack bag of UTZ chips to enjoy. If you’d like to purchase more snacks, check out the factory outlet store. The UTZ factory outlet store is located at 861 Carlisle Street in Hanover. You’ll need to drive to the store, but it’s only a few minutes away from the tour location.

Tips for Visiting the UTZ Factory Tour

• Be sure to call ahead to confirm their hours of operation. Hours of the tour are limited and on weekdays.
• Watch for signs for the UTZ Factory Tour when you arrive. It’s a large factory, so it can be a bit confusing to find the tour location.
• There are coupons for the UTZ factory store that you can find at the factory tour desk.
• The tour is not stroller-friendly, as there are steps to each the windows that overlook the factory.

Post Author: karenbeth24

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8 Fantastic Factory Tours In Pennsylvania

Beth Price-Williams

A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.

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Indulge your curiosity and do something out-of-the-ordinary this year. Join one of these eight fantastic factory tours in Pennsylvania that will give you a glimpse into how some of the state’s favorite snacks, baseball bats, and even currency are made. Here are eight factory tours in Pennsylvania you’ll definitely want to experience.

Note: Remember to check with the website for each destination to ensure the destination is open, to confirm hours, and to reserve a spot on a tour, if required.

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Get a firsthand look at how some of PA’s most popular products are made when you join these factory tours in Pennsylvania. What other factory tours would you recommend for fellow Pennsylvanians or those visiting PA? Let us know in the comments!

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If you’re looking for some of the best tours in Pennsylvania, head out on one of its food trails. Food trails are great, because they’re self-guided. You probably already know PA’s the Snack Food Capital of the World, right? Well, it’s fitting, then, that we have a snack food trail that leads to such destinations as Hershey’s Chocolate World, Utz, and Herr’s. Most of us love a good hoagie, too, and that means a trip along the hoagie trail. The hoagie trail in Pennsylvania takes us to such favorite spots as Antonio’s Deli in Philly, Sonny’s Italian Deli in Limerick, and Primo Hoagies in Lancaster.

Next time your sweet tooth goes crazy, head out on the donut trail in Pennsylvania . Start your delightfully delicious journey at Federal Donuts in Philly. The trail then winds to such popular spots as The Frying Dutchman Donut Shop in Kutztown, Duck Donuts in King of Prussia, and Beiler’s Donuts in Philly. If it’s tacos you’re craving, follow the ultimate Pennsylvania taco trail . Tantalize your taste buds with the tacos at General Zapata in Bethlehem, Taco King in Harrisburg, and Fiesta Habanero in Quakertown.

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Visit Utz Potato Chip Factory

Utz Potato Chip Factory is the perfect place to begin exploring Hanover . This manufacturing facility is recommended by fellow travelers, but it isn't the only thing to do here. Set aside time for other sights like R/C Hanover Movies 16, Golden Lane Art and Antique Gallery and Eichelberger Performing Arts Center to make the most of what's on offer in the area.

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Take the family on an outing to Magic Elm Skateland during your trip to Hanover. Discover the top-notch restaurants in this walkable area, or seek out the local tours.

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You can enjoy a show at Eichelberger Performing Arts Center during your stay in Hanover. Discover the top-notch restaurants and acclaimed theater scene in this quaint area.

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You can find out about the history of Hanover with a stop at Warehime-Myers Mansion. Discover the top-notch restaurants and entertainment choices in this family-friendly area.

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The Great Utz Chip Trip (Factory Tour)

Why yes, this is another item that’s been on the to do list for years and is only now finally accomplished. The Utz Chip T r i p Tour is literally in the same town (Hanover, PA) where Doug’s family lives, and somehow I never found time in nearly 20 years of visits to get there. Doug, of course, has been to the attraction, but he also toured the actual factory back in the 1970s when the state actually allowed groups of people inside working food production facilities.

The Utz Chip Trip is a self-guided tour with free admission. First, visitors see some informational and historical displays, and then walk down a corridor with windows that overlook the potato chip factory floor. Utz was founded in Hanover in 1921, at which time they churned out 50 pounds of chips an hour.  The production rooms today can process 13,000 pounds of chips an hour! Since potatoes are mostly water, 75% of the original potato weight is lost in the production process; 13,000 of chips started as 52,000 pounds of potatoes! Per hour! It only takes about 30 minutes to get from raw potato to a bagged chip.

Over the years Utz has acquired a number of other snack brands, and in 2020 they went public (ticker UTZ, of course). According to Wikipedia, they make one million pounds of chips and 900,000 pounds of pretzels every week; they also make lots of other snack items, like cheese doodles and tortilla chips.  I was surprised to learn that only 30% of their chips are flavored (or “seasoned”, as they called it) –– I would have expected it to be much higher.

Utz controls their entire distribution chain, and most of their chips arrive in stores within 24 hours of coming off the line. I had not really considered chips in a bag as being “fresh”, but then I looked at the ingredients and it’s truly just chips, oil, and salt, with no preservatives.

After the tour we took our 15% off coupon and drove a few blocks to the outlet store, where we purchased a ridiculous amount of snacks for $8.50. We’ll be having them for lunch and dinner, since there’s not really room in the van. (If you’re ever in the area and don’t have the same storage constraints as we do, you can get a ridiculously large barrel of Utz Cheese Balls for $3 at the Utz outlet.)

One final tidbit: Hanover is also home of Snyder’s of Hanover pretzels, and these two snack powerhouse are what give the town its nickname “Snacktown USA!”

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2 thoughts on “ the great utz chip trip (factory tour) ”.

Love your posts ❤️ keep enjoying your travels

Thanks so much Lynne! Not sure when we’re getting to TX, but I’m looking forward to seeing you then!!

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Factory Tours

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25 Best Factory Tours in America for Families Who Love to Go Behind the Scenes

Find out what it takes to construct a jellybean, giant plane and everything in between.

After a prolonged period of being stuck at home, some families are looking to travel again. And while the COVID-19 pandemic means that precautions still have to be taken, and not every destination is up and running at 100% capacity, there's still plenty of unique experiences out there that are once again open to the public.

The following factory tours and appropriate for kids, are well-reviewed by families and are currently open to visitors (or will be opening soon). But you might want to book ahead — some require timed tickets or reservations before you visit. But when you're done, you'll all know a little bit more about how the world around you is made.

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory (Louisville, Kentucky)

Swing by to see how baseball bats are made — this company has been churning them out since 1884. Your family can walk through the factory production line and watch the wood chips fly! Everyone can try out bats from iconic players, like Babe Ruth and Derek Jeter. With plenty of photo ops (including your crew inside a giant baseball mitt) and a free mini bat souvenir for every guest, this tour will be a home run. Open daily; $ 18 for adults, $11 for ages 6 – 12, free for ages 5 and under

Jelly Belly Visitor Center & Factory (Fairfield, California)

From your perch above the production line, you’ll witness all the steps — slurry, steam bath, glossy application — it takes to create the gourmet jellybeans that have been a thing since the late 1800s. Video screens provide close-ups and fun facts (like it takes 1 – 2 weeks to make a jellybean). Feeling hungry? Stop at the café for a jellybean-shaped pizza. Open daily (but factory workers are typically there only on weekdays), $5 for adults, $2 for ages 2 and up, free for younger kids

The Kazoo Factory Tour Experience (Beaufort, South Carolina)

After learning the ins and outs of kazoo-making during a factory walk-through, everyone gets to create their own instrument to take home. A built-in souvenir is music to our ears! Open Monday to Friday, $9 for adults, $7 for ages 4 – 11, free for younger kids

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PEZ Visitor Center (Orange, Connecticut)

The colorful facility dispenses equal parts nostalgia (it maintains well-organized vintage PEZ displays) and tech wizardry (you can see how the famous candy is packed). Be sure to snap your kid’s pic in front of the world’s largest PEZ dispenser, which looks like a person wearing a PEZ-themed baseball cap. Open daily; $5 for adults, $4 for ages 3 – 12, free for younger kids

Polaris Experience Center (Roseau, Minnesota)

School-age kids who love to build things will have their mind blown going behind-the-scenes at this maker of snowmobiles and ATVs. On the guided tour, they’ll see laser cutters, high-speed saws and other cool equipment making parts for the vehicles. They can also watch motors being installed and ATVs being tested. Whoa! Open Monday to Friday; children under age 6 prohibited; free

Hammond’s Candy Factory Tour (Denver, Colorado)

This centuries-old confectioner invites you to see how it makes its lollipops, candy canes and other treats. Looking through large viewing windows, your crew will be gobsmacked at how the colorful candies are shaped and packaged. Open Monday –Saturday; free

Kohler Design Center Factory Tour (Kohler, Wisconsin)

Got a teen whose interested in manufacturing? They’ll be fascinated by this detailed two-hour, 3 ½-mile foray behind the scenes of how the brand’s famous plumbing products are created. Open Monday – Friday, children under 14 not permitted, free

Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop (Jacksonville, Florida)

Willy Wonka vibes are strong at this mansion that takes guests from room to room of candy-making demos. You’ll get to design your own chocolate bar, choosing from more than 16 toppings. Check availability online; $6.45 per person

Henry Ford Rouge Factory Tour (Dearborn, Michigan)

One truck per minute rolls off the assembly line at this famous automotive factory — and your crew gets a birds-eye view of the goings-on from a 1/3-mile observation deck. There’s also a gallery of cool cars, like a 1965 Ford Mustang, to check out. Check dates online; $22 for adults, $16.50 for ages 5 – 11, free for younger kids

Turkey Hill Experience (Columbia, Pennsylvania)

While the dairy producer’s actual factory is closed to the public, this children’s museum-like attraction gives families the inside scoop on ice cream-making, plus unlimited free samples. Your kids can create their own virtual flavor, and then star in a commercial promoting it . Open daily; starts at $10.50 per person

World of Coca-Cola (Atlanta, Georgia)

Since you can’t tour an actual Coke bottling plant, this attraction is the next best thing. Its Bottle Works exhibit, showcasing real equipment, explains the packaging process. And you’ll get a chance to taste different kinds of sodas from around the world. Open daily; $19 for adults, $15 for ages 3 – 12, free for younger kids

Tillamook Creamery Tour (Tillamook, Oregon)

From a viewing gallery above the factory floor, you’ll see how milk becomes cheese. Then hit the dining hall for gooey faves, likes grilled cheese and mac ’n cheese. Your fam can even share a “flight” of ice cream. Open daily; tour is free, you can add tasting experiences for a charge

Warner Bros. Studio Tour (Los Angeles, California)

Your crew will be star-struck hanging out at a working movie studio. During the hour-long guided portion, you’ll see backlots, movie sets and maybe even spy someone famous. Then you’ll have two more hours to explore on your own — plenty of time to snap a pic of your family in front of the fountain from Friends . Open daily: $69 for adults, $59 for ages 5 – 10

The Great Utz Chip Trip Tour (Hanover, Pennsylvania)

Kids will discover how potatoes get turned into chips at this famous maker’s plant near the Pennsylvania-Maryland border. They can watch factory workers from an observation gallery; closed-circuit TV monitors provide close-ups. Everyone receives a free sample of chips at the end. Open Monday – Thursday, free

Ben & Jerry’s Factory Experience (Waterbury, Vermont)

With a tentative re-opening planned for the end of June 2022, this beloved attraction wets appetites with a short movie about how Ben & Jerry got their start. From there, it’s off to the mezzanine where you’ll watch how the ice cream is made. Samples of ice cream (sometimes a flavor that’s exclusive to the factory) is the proverbial cherry on top. On your way out, visit the “ice cream graveyard” of flavors that are no longer made. Check back for ticket info

The Crayola Experience (Easton, Pennsylvania)

There are many activities to take part in at The Crayola experience, including a live show where a "crayonologist" demonstrates how crayons are made. The 65,000-square-foot attraction also includes a toddler and a big-kid playground, interactive games and a studio for art projects, among manny other stations — they recommend blocking out three or four hours for a visit. Open daily. Admission is $25 if you buy tickets in advance; a timed ticket is required for all visitors ages 3 and up. There are also Crayola Experience locations in Chandler, Arizona; Mall of America, Minnesota; Orlando, Florida and Plano, Texas, but offerings may vary

Taza Chocolate Factory Tour (Somerville, Massachusetts)

Specializing in stone-ground chocolate, this candy maker explains the production process and hosts a sampling. On weekends, there’s a scavenger hunt-themed tour for kids under age 10 . Open Wednesday – Sunday; $8-$12 per person

The White House (Washington, DC)

Though not a factory in the traditional sense, White House tours are back, and you can meander around the famous Blue Room, Red Room, State dining room and — best of all — the Rose Garden. But you can’t wait until the last minute to book. Twenty-one to 90 days before you’d like to visit, you need to request one of the free tours by contacting your congress member’s office. Tours are only available on Fridays and Saturdays

Blue Bell Creamery Factory Tour (Brenham, Texas)

Look high above the factory floor to see ice cream being packaged in different types of containers. An employee is on-hand to answer all the kids’ questions about the process, so encourage them to ask away. Open Monday – Friday; free

American Whistle Company (Columbus, Ohio)

A kitschy stop on a Midwest road trip, this factory doles out loads of engaging info about a topic you probably never considered — how whistles are made. Everyone receives a whistle to take home. Open Monday Friday; $6 per person

Karen Cicero is a seasoned journalist who specializes in food, travel, home and new product coverage; she has visited almost every state — look out, Alaska, she's coming for you next! A mom who goes overboard for all the holidays, she lives in the Christmas city itself: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

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Freight giant DP World recovers from cyber attack, but warns investigation and remediation is 'ongoing'

Shipping giant DP World Australia says its systems are working at its ports again, following a brief cyber attack which crippled the company's operations.

The company moves about 40 per cent of the nation's freight , and it was feared that a prolonged cybersecurity breach would make life harder for importers, retailers and Christmas shoppers — particularly those seeking items in hot demand around the world, like electronics.

"They're massive," explained Stephen Lakey, an independent director of the Supply Chain Logistics Association of Australia.

"Delays on bringing goods in now are being pushed out. Right before Christmas, of course, so not the best time."

DP World Australia said its operations resumed at 9am AEDT on Monday, after it conducted successful tests of its systems overnight.

It expected to transport around 5,000 containers from its four Australian terminals Monday.

"The ongoing investigation and response to protect networks and systems may cause some necessary, temporary disruptions to their services in the coming days," a DP World Australia statement noted.

"This is a part of an investigation process and resuming normal logistical operations at this scale."

The company said it continues to work closely with authorities including the National Cyber Security Coordinator, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Australian Federal Police and Ministers for Cyber Security and Transport, Clare O’Neil and Catherine King.

However, the statement warned that "the resumption of port operations does not mean that this incident has concluded".

"DP World Australia’s investigation and ongoing remediation work are likely to continue for some time."

Stacking up

The company was forced to shut its operations on Sunday, and around 30,000 containers were stacked up in its Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth depots.

Air Marshall Darren Goldie is the national Cyber Security Coordinator and had been   helping with the response.

"That's one of the challenges they've had — the ability to continue to offload cargo," he told ABC Radio.

"But obviously in a closed container or cargo yard those facilities are filling up.

"I don't have any further estimation on the time it will take to restore, but the company does have confidence that is in the 'days' not 'weeks' category."

Mr Lakey, who works for Gamma Solutions, a company that helps with technology for logistics, said many items that would be wished for under Christmas trees are still entering Australian shores.

This means delays to the freight system could make it harder to get much-coveted gifts to shelves.

"I think it would, yes. Electronic goods, a lot of that is required around Christmas time, there's big demand in that area."

Ransom or other motives?

Alistair MacGibbon used to be Australia's top cyber cop. Now working as a cybersecurity expert, he is advising DP World over the attack.

He said the company has not received a ransom request. He is worried that even large companies are not better prepared for an attack.

"Sadly, I've been decades in this space and I say 'there but for the grace of God' go most organisations with connected technologies, (that is) the whole economy," he observed.

"The reality is … this highlights the vulnerabilities of systems. It means we all need to do more work to uplift the security, the resilience, particularly of critical infrastructure."

'Perfect storm' hits 'just in time' systems

Meanwhile, freight continues to pile up, raising concerns about the impact on supply chains.

Meg Elkins, an economist from RMIT University, said lots of factors are colliding at the worst possible time.

"We're seeing a kind of a tiny perfect storm, because we have Christmas coming up and a lot of retailers rely on shipping containers and the like to deliver their goods," Dr Elkins said.

"We also know that there's now often the way that management is run they rely on 'just in time management' which means they don't have huge warehouses of stock piled up."

Just in time management is the concept of having goods or ingredients arrive at the time they are needed for sale, or for use in a factory. It can save millions in the cost of storage and the movement of goods. 

But if there are delays like the DP World disruption, it can rapidly cause problems across the entire economy, as happened on a global scale during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Elkins said the cost of an attack like this can reach into the millions of dollars a day.

"The big problem is around the uncertainty. Because it hasn't been dealt with yet, this prolongs that level of the economy not knowing exactly how to respond," she said.

"So any delay is not good delay at the moment."

Back on track

The good news is that recent shocks to the supply chain system — from COVID, a ship caught in the Suez Canal and the Ukraine war — have helped companies and staff learn how to 'restart' faster.

“We are a lot better at doing that now," Mr Lakey said.

"COVID has taught us that you’ve got to be resilient, you’ve got to have a Plan B. I think we’re more prepared, better prepared."

So there is still a good chance you will get the present your heart desires on Christmas Day, despite the current dramas.

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