Over the last decade environmental issues have received more and more publicity, and many businesses have found that ‘going green’ is not only good for the environment, but good for the bottom line as well. One aspect of ‘going green’ that many businesses find confusing or challenging is how to make their industrial buildings more environmentally sound. The Food and Beverage industry in particular presents unique challenges in this area. One relatively user-friendly way of determining... ...Read more »

Now in its 9th year, the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame showcases the excellence that continually elevates Victoria to the next level of manufacturing. The awards include excellence in manufacturing, the industry nominated young manufacturer of the year, and lifetime achievement by individuals who have made outstanding contributions to sustained manufacturing excellence. Since the hall of fame’s inception in 2001, 96 companies, 19 honour roll recipients, two lifetime members and six outstanding... ...Read more »

Baxters Food Group, the UK soup maker, is planning to use Australia as a manufacturing base for its chutneys business to push the products into new markets in Asia. The company, which snapped up Australian vegetables-to-pesto firm Sole Mio last year, wants to use its production facility in the market to launch its “side-of-plate” products in the country - and further afield in the region. Baxters has launched a series of products, including chutneys and relishes, in the UK over the last... ...Read more »

National Foods has announced plans to phase out production at its Hexham manufacturing plant next year, but is set to open a new Distribution Centre in the region in November. The company advised that no firm date has been set for production to cease at the manufacturing site as different options are being pursued for different product lines. There are 78 people employed at the site. The new Distribution Centre, to employ 19 people, is scheduled to open in November 2009. It will be located in Hexham,... ...Read more »

Goodman Fielder, Australia’s largest publicly listed food manufacturer, has reported a 6.5 per cent surge in sales despite headwinds from “depressed consumer confidence” and increased private label pressure. The company saw profits rise to $177.7 million from $27.7m last year, largely due to asset sales and last year’s write-offs. “During the majority of the year operations continued to be impacted by an extended period of substantial and rapid increases in commodity... ...Read more »

A rise in the number of home cooked meals has helped cushion the impact of the downturn on supermarkets and manufacturers and is leading to a replenishment of staff at a number of prominent manufacturing sites in Victoria. Around 60 positions have been added at the Uncle Tobys factory near Wodonga, 50 at each of the Bega and Mrs Crocket’s factories and a number at Fonterra, the state secretary of the National Union of Workers, Anthony Thow, told The Age. Mr Thow believes the jobs rebound in... ...Read more »

Swedish-founded food processing and packaging company Tetra Pak forecasts the global consumption of milk and other liquid dairy products to increase by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.2% over the next three years. The report, released yesterday is contained in the Tetra Pak Dairy Index, a new biannual report on consumption trends in the dairy industry that is designed to help dairy producers identify opportunities for growth. According to the Tetra Pak Dairy Index, in 2008, global consumption... ...Read more »

Biscuit manufacturer Arnott’s has announced a $37 million capital investment in a new, state-of-the-art biscuit production line to help boost the Virginia bakery’s capacity by 10,000 tonnes per annum. Arnott’s anticipates the new line, which will be operational by mid-2010, will result in approximately 25-30 new roles in the first year of operation, increasing to a possible 50-60 over the course of the next couple of years. The manufacturer, a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company,... ...Read more »

Goodman Fielder, Australia’s largest publicly listed food group, believes that the struggles confronted by clothing manufacturer Pacific Brands provide a valuable insight into the need to rid the company of underperforming brands. “You can’t afford to have sub-scale brand equity out there,” Peter Margin, MD of Goodman Fielder said, according to The Age. “In two years, you should have 20-25 per cent of revenue from new products. You have to turn over the products pretty... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) today welcomed the federal government’s positive response to the Productivity Commission’s Annual Review of Regulatory Burdens on Business: Manufacturing and Distributive Trades. The AFGC has consistently argued that the productivity of the food and grocery manufacturing industry, Australia’s largest manufacturing industry, was being hampered by a cumbersome, ineffective and politically charged regulatory system. AFGC Chief Executive... ...Read more »