Nigel Garrard, Managing Director

From historical beginnings early last century as the Shepparton Processing Company and Ardmona Foods, to the modern, high-tech, high quality business that is SPC Ardmona today, Australia's premier fruit and vegetable processing company, with a current turnover of approximately $500 million dollars, has always proudly delivered consistently great products sourced from Victoria's rich Goulburn Valley. After being acquired in 2005 by Australia's largest beverage company, Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA), SPC Ardmona was further strengthened, with over $65 million of additional capital investment on state-of-the-art warehousing, new production capacity and optical sorting technology to improve the Company's Goulburn Valley manufacturing operations.

SPC Ardmona has been able to stay ahead of the increasingly competitive market in Australia by leading with strong brands and premium quality peaches, pears, tomatoes,baked beans, jams and spreads, in addition to continuously innovating, with clever, convenient packaging options. We invented the world's first plastic resealable fridge pack and the Goulburn Valley^® snack packs, two great innovations we have taken overseas. We have also recently expanded our operations and markets into the United States and Europe, to further strengthen the business and ensure our ongoing competitiveness.All of this local and international success could not be achieved without the ongoing commitment of our employees and the determination of our many grower suppliers in the Goulburn Valley, who continue to battle through some of the toughest climate conditions in the history of the business. To that end, SPC Ardmona continues to maintain a strong commitment to its grower’s, providing interest-free loans, water entitlements and subsides to stay viable during the drought. We are proud of our long history of looking after our communities - our Share-A-Can days have delivered more than $10 million worth of our food to the needy through Foodbank Victoria over the past decade.

SPC Ardmona is a company that is proud of and loyal to its Australian heritage as an agricultural co-operative. It is also ensuring a successful future as a flexible and innovative food company doing business in the global economy. Our international business continues to expand, with joint ventures established in Thailand, Spain, South Africa and China, with SPC growing to the number three value brand in the United Kingdom. With the global launch in 2007 of SPC Nature's Finest^® in resealable plastic fridge packs, we exported great Australian innovation to the world.

One thing that will remain constant in these changing times, is our aim to deliver premium, healthy Australian-grown produce in innovative and convenient packaging for our consumers to continue to enjoy.

To view copies of Coca-Cola Amatil Annual Reports please click here