Golden Circle (company)

Golden Circle

Company type	Unlisted public company
Industry	Food and beverage
Founded	1946
Headquarters	Northgate, Queensland, Australia
Area served	Multinational
Products	Over 500
Number of employees	1800+
Parent	Kraft Heinz
Subsidiaries	Original Juice Co.
Website	www.goldencircle.com.au

Golden Circle is a subsidiary of US-based Kraft Heinz, based in Brisbane, Queensland. Its main operations are food processing.

Beginnings

Process workers at work at the Golden Circle cannery, 1947

Golden Circle began operations in 1947 after construction of the main canning factory at Northgate was completed. The new facility was opened by the then Premier of Queensland, the Hon Edward Hanlon. The company was originally called 'Queensland Tropical Fruit Products', with 'Golden Circle' used as their brand name. Golden Circle was initially part of the Committee of Direction of Fruit Marketing in Queensland (COD). In 1964, under the leadership of Bernard Flewell-Smith and Percival Savage, the cannery was established as a separate business. It was split off from the COD by an amendment to the Fruit Marketing Organisation Acts.

Initially, the company processed and canned pineapples and produced fruit jams. Over the years, production has expanded to include other canned fruit and vegetables, fruit cordials, juices, carbonated beverages and baby food.

As of 2009, Golden Circle (GC) ceased to be an Australian Owned Company. The board and shareholders of GC agreed and sold all of their shares for 313% more than they were trading at prior to the offer from US Corporation, Heinz.

Golden Circle was one of few remaining Australian Food Companies being sold by Australian farmers to International Companies.

Operations

Australian farmers supply more than 180,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables annually to the company for processing. The fruit crops, of which pineapple is the largest, come from the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Maryborough, Woodbury, and northern Queensland. Vegetables are largely sourced from the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane. Crops that are not grown in Queensland are supplied by the southern states.

Golden Circle operates the world's largest steam peeler and new beetroot processing lines, a A$20m food hall enabling a move into the development of new products such as baby food and a Tetra Pak plant that produces more than 42 million litres of fruit juices and drinks annually. Golden Circle also operates a robotic blow-moulding facility capable of producing 50 million plastic cordial and other beverage bottles every year.

Golden Circle employs a large number of people, which varies seasonally between 700 and 1,700.

In addition to its main processing operation in Brisbane, Golden Circle also owns the Original Juice Co. plant at Mill Park, on Melbourne's northern outskirts, and a fresh fruit packing operation in Griffith, New South Wales.

Products

Golden Circle manufactures more than 800 products including shelf stable fruit and vegetables (in cans and glass jars), fruit juices, cordials, soft drinks, jams, conserves and baby food. Pineapple products now account for only 24% of the company's total product range.

Presence

Golden Circle factory at Northgate, Queensland, 2008

The main production facility is at Northgate, a northern suburb of Brisbane.

Sales offices are located in every Australian state as well as New Zealand. Australia is the principal market for Golden Circle products, but they are also exported to New Zealand and other Pacific countries.

Takeover bids

On 26 September 2007, Coca-Cola Amatil announced it was making a conditional takeover bid for 100% of the companies shares.

On 6 October 2008, Heinz launched a Golden Circle takeover bid. Phillip Cave advised that the take over bid of $1.65 per share ($288 million in total) was "attractive" for all shareholders, particularly given the current difficult economic conditions.

The Heinz takeover bid was finalised successfully on 19 December 2008.

Production changes & job loss

In May 2011 Golden Circle announced it would move beetroot production offshore to New Zealand affecting 160 Golden Circle jobs at the Northgate Plant. HEINZ Australia said it would instead invest more than $20 million at Northgate to upgrade its beverage manufacturing facilities.

External links

• Golden Circle Website