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February 28, 2018 Brand Announcements, In the Media & Other

A hundred reasons to celebrate as SPC joins the centenary club

Shepparton icon SPC, one of Australia’s oldest and most loved fruit processors, and recently voted one of the top 20 brands Australian consumers can’t live without, has officially celebrated its 100th birthday.

Hosting a press conference at the company’s Shepparton manufacturing facility, SPC Managing Director Reg Weine thanked loyal employees, customers, suppliers and Government stakeholders who have stuck by them during the boom and bust periods of SPC’s colourful history.

“We are proud to be standing here today, celebrating what is a significant milestone for an Australian business and having overcome many challenges over the past 100 years,” Mr Weine said.

“As we’ve entered our 100th year, we continue to transform and modernise the SPC business, but some things haven’t changed a bit. We still take the best quality fruit grown in the Goulburn Valley at the peak of the season and preserve it the same way we have for a century.”

Joined by members of the community, industry and State Government, Mr Weine said, “I would personally like to thank everyone here today and all of our loyal consumers who continue to support Australian producers by buying home grown.”

Joined by the Member for Northern Victoria, Mr Mark Gepp, the press conference also recognised the $100M investment from parent company Coca-Cola Amatil ($78M) and the Victorian Government ($22M).

Having recently completed the $100M investment program, SPC announced it was investing additional capital in 2018 to further upgrade its Shepparton facility and in new processing capability.

Member for Northern Victoria, Mr Mark Gepp, said “we have always been proud supporters of SPC and the important role it plays in regional Victoria. In addition to preserving some of the best, clean, green and safe produce our State has to offer – SPC continues to develop award winning innovative products and successfully exports them to the world.”

Having started as a co-operative in 1918, The Shepparton Preserving Company (SPC) and the Ardmona Fruit Products Co-operative (incorporated in 1921) were established by two separate grower groups to process locally grown fruit from the Goulburn Valley region. In 2002 the two companies merged, pooling their resources and expertise to present a stronger, united Australian defence against the rise of subsidised international competitors and cheap imports. In 2005 SPC was acquired by Coca-Cola Amatil.

In 2018, SPC remains the largest producer of packaged fruit and vegetables in Australia.

“We’ve always believed that knowing where your food is grown is important to consumers and we have some of the best growing conditions in the world right here in the Goulburn Valley. With fifth generation growers, some of whose families have been with us for 100 years and all our horticultural knowledge and experience, we are more than an iconic regional food producer – we are a national treasure,” concludes SPC Managing Director, Reg Weine.

Did you know?

  • SPC contributes $165 million in economic output within the region and each time you spend $1.00 on SPC products you are generating an additional $1.73 for the Victorian economy*
  • SPC processes in excess of 100,000 tonnes of peaches, pears, plums, apples, apricots and tomatoes each season
  • SPC was the first fruit processor in the world to put preserved fruit in long life plastic jars and the first in the world to pack fruit in natural juice
  • SPC employs more than 500 full time employees from the Goulburn Valley region, and up to 1000 during the season. Australia’s Food, Beverage and Grocery Industry directly employs 320,000 people with more than 40% of those in regional communities
  • SPC has been exporting since the 1920’s and in 2016-17, Australia’s total export revenue from the Australian Food, Beverage & Grocery industry was $32 billion
  • SPC’s manufacturing facility in Shepparton uses approximately the same energy as 5400 households would use in a year
  • SPC has 136 growers and their average age is 56
  • SPC ProVital won the global WorldStar packaging award in 2017 for its easy open cup
  • SPC has 29 production lines and produces more than 100 million cans of fruit and vegetable products each year

*Source: REMPLAN Impact Survey

 

For media enquiries, please contact:

Felicity Jeffery / Chloe Hamilton

e. felicity.jeffery@redagency.com.au / chloe.hamilton@redagency.com.au

p. 0428 218 637 / 0434 267 108

 

About SPC

SPC is Australia’s largest and number one producer of premium packaged fruit. Our famous brands include SPC, Goulburn Valley, Ardmona, IXL, Perfect Fruit, SPC ProVital and Taylor’s. Australians have trusted and loved our market-leading brands for 100 years.

We have been committed to producing food grown and made in Australia for a century. We preserve delicious fruit and vegetables grown in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley region – the food bowl of Australia

We have had a strong relationship with Goulburn Valley growers and the wider local community since 1918. When you purchase our products, you help create a sustainable future for local farming families, businesses and their employees.