24 | Timaru: Juice Products NZ Kim Newth Carrots power successful exporter The product range includes orange, yellow and purple carrot juice concentrate, along with clarified carrot concentrate without any pigment. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Juice Products New Zealand (JP-NZ) is not well-known in the domestic market but is achieving incredible export success by harnessing the resources of New Zealand’s ‘food bowl’ in South Canterbury. Carrots supplied by the region’s growers make up the bulk of the nutritious natural product being processed into premium organic and conventional concentrated juice by JP-NZ at their state-of-the-art processing plant in Washdyke, Timaru. The product range includes orange, yellow and purple carrot juice concentrate, along with clarified carrot concentrate without any pigment. Ohakune is home to the famous ‘giant carrot’, but JP-NZ is also helping to put the humble root vegetable on the map – not just in this country, but around the world. “We process over 60,000 tonnes of carrots a year,” says Michael Brown, JP-NZ Sales & Marketing Manager. “Most of what we make is exported to Japan but we are also targeting export growth into Korea and China. “We fly under the radar a bit as we are primarily an export business – when I tell people what we do here, they are astounded because they have no idea how big a deal carrots are for the New Zealand economy!” At the 2021 South Canterbury Business Excellence Awards, JP-NZ was named Supreme Winner and won the global exporter award. Michael says receiving the supreme award was a tremendous honour for the JP-NZ team, which has since stepped up even further on its growth targets. “We currently produce around 9000 tonnes of finished product but our production goal over the next three years is to get over 10,000 tonnes. Covid put a halt on international travel and being able to get to trade shows and meet customers face to face. “I started here in January 2020, just before Covid hit. In November 2022 I was finally able to travel to Japan and meet our customers there. It is great being able to solidify existing trade relationships, as well as look for new business.” Founded in 1993, the juice processing powerhouse has been operating from its current Washdyke site for the past 15 years. In 2014, JP-NZ was acquired by Sumitomo Corporation, one of Japan’s major integrated trading and investment business enterprises. ‘Seeking to generate a sustainable future for all’ is the ethos driving ongoing improvement for JP-NZ. The plant’s steam boiler is being converted “... when I tell people what we do here, they are astounded because they have no idea how big a deal carrots are for the New Zealand economy!” from coal to wood chip this year, ushering in big reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Local growers and seed suppliers are a key part of the sustainability story too, with seed selection carefully managed to enhance yield per hectare. “We have long standing, stable relationships with our growers, with that certainty flowing into effective crop rotation systems that underpin our quality harvests. “We supply our growers with premium seed and guide them on how much to plant. Our growers harvest and wash the carrots then deliver them to us for processing. We operate 24/7 over the harvest season from mid-February to the end of September.” Almost 50 full-time staff are employed at the JP-NZ processing facility, with additional seasonal staff employed during the main harvest season. JP-NZ also uses local contractors for maintenance and other services, bringing an additional spin-off for the region’s economy. The company has a strong commitment to upskilling staff and encouraging career progression, with training and development programmes provided during the off-season. “As we have grown our international presence, so we have grown our company culture; today, JP-NZ is a leading workplace of choice.” JP-NZ is equipped to process both fruit and vegetable crops. In January, ahead of the 2023 carrot season, the plant was in full swing processing the summer blackcurrant harvest for juice concentrates that are used in a wide variety of NZ products. Industrial Controls are proud to support Juice Products NZ Ltd
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