Fonterra
| Company type | Co-operative (NZX: FCGHA) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing Retail (Department & Discount) |
| Founded | Auckland, New Zealand, 2001 |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
Key people | Henry van der Heyden, Chairman Andrew Ferrier, CEO Guy Cowan, CFO |
| Products | Fonterra Ingredients Fonterra Brands Fonterra Enterprises Fonterra Milk Supply |
| Revenue | $13.9 billion NZD |
Number of employees | 18,000+ |
| Website | www.fonterra.com |
Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd (NZX: FCGHA), generally known simply as Fonterra, is New Zealand's largest company by turnover. As a cooperative company, Fonterra is owned by approximately twelve thousand farmers throughout the country. It is the fifth-largest dairy company in the world, and the most influential by far when it comes to determining international dairy trade, handling over a third of all international dairy trade[1].
History
Fonterra was established in October 2001 through a merger of the two largest New Zealand dairy cooperatives and the New Zealand Dairy Board. The purpose of the merger was to create a single company to manage the supply chain for a significant proportion of the New Zealand dairy industry.
The company has an annual turnover of around US$8 billion. Its core business consists of exporting dairy products under the NZMP brand (95% of its New Zealand production is exported). It also operates a fast-moving consumer goods business for dairy products, Fonterra Brands. Fonterra has a number of subsidiaries and joint-venture companies operating in markets around the world.
In November 2007 the company's board today recommended to farmers that it assets, liabilities and operations be split from the co-operative and listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange after a lengthy capital review. Under the plan, which had been rumoured for months, the co-operative would retain two-thirds of the company, 15 per cent would be given to farmers (which they could sell or retain), and a further 20 per cent traded freely. Immediately Doug Woolerton, an MP for the New Zealand First Party branded the plan "a disaster for farmers and for our economy as a whole", although other commentators said it would breath life into the sector and the New Zealand economy as a whole. The announcement started a two-year review, and if the board's plans are adopted, Fonterra is expected to be New Zealand's largest listed company.
Brands
Key Brands as defined by Fonterra
Fonterra Brands/Products available in New Zealand and/or Australia
- Anchor Milk
- Anlene
- Mainland (cheese)
- Tip Top (icecream)
- Country Goodness
- Yoghurt-2-Go, De Winkel, Fresh and Fruity, Metchnikoff, and Slimmers Choice (yoghurt)
- Anchor Calciyum
- Primo (Flavoured Milk)
- Kapiti, Ferndale and Galaxy (cheese brands)
- Brownes Calcium Plus (Western Australia)
- Billabong (Western Australia) [2][3])
Business Units and Subsidiaries
- Fonterra Brands
Consumer goods business
- Fonterra Ingredients
- Fonterra Global Trade
Dairy ingredients supplier to the globally traded market
- Fonterra Foodservices
Hospitality supplies
- Fonterra Group Manufacturing
Fonterra's food processing and manufacturing operations
- Fonterra Milk Supply
Collect and Distribute milk from farms
- Shared Services
Finance, Communications, Human Resources, Strategy and Information Services.
- RD1
Fonterra wholly owns the rural retail supplier RD1, which was formed at the end of 2001 through the merger of RD1.com and the Town & Country Agri-centres, Fonterra's two rural supply companies. With revenue exceeding $440 million, RD1 is New Zealand's largest retailer of agricultural supplies to dairy farmers. It operates a network of 51 stores throughout New Zealand.