72 | PRODUCTION Juice Products NZ Ltd T T Kim Newth Orders flow for healthy juice concentrates Juice Products New Zealand crafts high-quality juice concentrates for domestic and export markets as a leading provider of healthy, natural New Zealand goodness. “We know that the taste and flavour of our product is superior to that of our competitors, but we also want to try and be as cost-competitive as possible.” Working hand in hand with local growers in South Canterbury, Juice Products New Zealand crafts high-quality juice concentrates for domestic and export markets as a leading provider of healthy, natural New Zealand goodness. In January, JP-NZ’s Washdyke plant was busy processing blackcurrants as a contract manufacturer. Now, the production focus has shifted to processing locally grown carrots for premium orange, yellow and purple carrot juice concentrate, along with clarified carrot concentrate without any pigment. Some 60,000 tonnes of carrots are processed every year by JP-NZ, whose parent company is Japanese global trader Sumitomo Corporation. Japan consumes more carrot juice than anywhere else in the world, with around three-quarters of JP-NZ’s production geared to that market. “Japan is our biggest market, and one that we really value and look after,” says Michael Brown, JP-NZ sales and marketing manager. “Our other key target export markets are the United States, China and Thailand.” This year, Michael travelled to the US to meet potential new customers there as the company targets further growth into that market. “We already deal with the biggest carrot juice consumer over there, so this was about targeting customers in that next tier down. Since that trip we’ve already had enquiries from customers we haven’t dealt with before, so it’s looking positive.” Through Sumitomo Corporation, JP-NZ has relationships in Thailand with flavour house and packing/bottling companies there providing the capability to deliver a full retail product. Michael says JP-NZ has been actively working through compliance steps in Thailand to facilitate an end-to-end process for customers. “Mostly, we sell juice concentrate as an ingredient not a finished product. In Thailand, we can combine contract manufacturing with a recipe from the flavour house, with potential to open more doors in Southeast Asia. We’re hoping to send half a container to Thailand mid-year and are looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.” Last April, JP-NZ appointed Chris Renfree as CEO. Chris previously served as production manager, and then stepped up to chief operating officer before taking up the CEO position. Like Michael, his focus is on accelerating export opportunities as well as leading local business development. “Chris has been fantastic, and his appointment gives us continuity moving forward. Previously, the role was filled on a three-year secondment basis. “We both travelled to Thailand, Taiwan and Japan last November on a business trip and went to the United States 18 months ago as well.” Finding ways to add value is an ongoing priority for JP-NZ, which has recently increased the concentration of some products. Flow-on benefits include lower storage/shipping costs and direct savings for customers. “We know that the taste and flavour of our product is superior to that of our competitors, but we also want to try and be as cost-competitive as possible.” Innovative harvest machinery used by JPNZ’s suppliers ensures a quality crop goes to the Washdyke plant, where carrots go through a dicing process before screening by optical colour sorters, with any imperfections automatically rejected. The efficient plant, with steam now fuelled sustainably with wood chips, employs around 50 full-time staff and a seasonal team of around 50 spread over all shifts. “We’re in the throes of peak production now with everything tracking well.”
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