20 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Waitaki: BX Foods T T Richard Loader Farmer connection key for processor BX Foods has extensively modernised its plant. “We’ve refitted this factory to be able to handle a significant amount of boneless cuts and detailed cutting,” says company director Richard Thorp. Russet Engineering Sales Ltd are pleased to be suppliers for BX Foods Oamaru Meats Importers & Wholesale Suppliers of: • Geared Motors & Power Transmission Products • Conveyor Belting & Equipment • Industrial Hoses & Fittings • Industrial Products • Conveyor Vulcanising Services Source Supply Service 100% NZ owned O800 RUSSET 07 377 6380 | www.bfa.co.nz smart people smart business smart outcomes We are proud to work alongside Richard, Heather and the team at Oamaru Meats as one of their key Business Advisory partners for close on a decade. FOR ALL GENERAL, BULK AND BULK LIQUID TRANSPORTATION The Cartage Experts in the South • Ph 0800 800 594 • marshalltransport.co.nz Need to transport animal products with a registered transport service under the RCS scheme? Contact us today to see what our experienced team can do for you. Proud Supplier to BX Foods Oamaru Meats An intimate relationship with its farmer/ suppliers is one of the key ingredients that provides Oamaru meat processor BX Foods with an edge that is not easily replicated, says the company’s Director Richard Thorp. “We have 350 farmer/suppliers and out of that there is a very strong loyal base that we know well. We know them by name, we know their families, their properties and how things operate. Perhaps because we’re a comparatively smaller operator we have the ability to form quite a unique relationship with our farmer/suppliers. The connection that we have developed and maintain with our farmer-suppliers has a unique significance.” Richard says part of that close relationship is forged through regular contact with the farmers throughout the course of a year, be that on farm visits, attending farmer discussion groups, or local events like the iconic A&P shows where farmers gather for a chat, while enjoying a touch of rural hospitality. BX Foods has been operating since 2015, when the existing processing business of Lean Meats Oamaru was purchased. Starting with a team of 120 employees, BX Foods has progressively increased its processing volumes over the last eight years, growing its team to 250 employees, with aspirations to continue the growth trajectory. Procuring live animals, then processing beef and lamb down to retail ready products, BX Foods exports them to considerable markets across the globe, including into UK and Europe, North America and China. “We procure stock as far as Southland, through into Central Otago and into Canterbury. The Oamaru site is geographically perfectly located. In the early part of the season, around October/November, we draw livestock out of Canterbury. As we move into December/January period we source livestock locally and Central Otago. As the season moves on, we continue to source from those areas, but South Otago becomes very important where there are good volumes of lamb.” The company also processes some goat meat, and is the only processor of bobby calves in the Waitaki area. In the last 12 months BX Foods has invested in extensive modernisation and refurbishment of its plant, bringing it up to date to process meat to a very high standard. “That’s about breaking the carcass down to the customers’ requirements,” explains Richard. “We’ve refitted this factory to be able to handle a significant amount of boneless cuts and detailed cutting. We’ve tried to set our factory up to ensure we can extract every bit of revenue from the recovery of the offal and pelts, to the cuts we take off the carcase We work to order. If we buy the livestock, we have a sale for it. We don’t speculate, build inventory and then find a sale for it. We have a very strong sales team that is focused on getting to the market and making sales prior to that animal being processed. That requires our farmers to give us robust forecasting, during the course of the year, at different parts of the year. That lens enables us to move forward with confidence.” Richard acknowledges that there can be challenges attracting Kiwis to work in the plant, but says there are great opportunities for people prepared to start from the factory floor and work their way through to higher skilled and paying processing roles. “From there people can move into our technical team doing quality assessments and auditing systems to ensure we are meeting overseas requirements. “A business this size has a number of middle management jobs, including supervision and production management roles. So, there’s a lot on offer for someone who wants to work
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