New Zealand’s Seeka Kiwifruit Industries has rebranded to reflect its diversified business and will be renamed ‘Seeka’ as of 28 October.
The New Zealand-listed company said the rebrand, which includes a new logo and a new tagline ‘Selecting Excellence’, reflects its evolution into a leading produce company.
“Kiwifruit remains our foundation, but the company has matured to the point where it is now time for us to reset the brand strategically for our next growth platform,” said Seeka chief executive Michael Franks.
Seeka is the largest kiwifruit grower in New Zealand and Australia, but has more recently diversified into a range of fresh and processed products, including avocados and kiwiberries, and also imports bananas and tropical fruit from the Philippines and South America.
“The old brand didn’t reflect Seeka’s performance, activity and energy, or where we aspire to be,” Franks said. “It was time for us to overhaul and future-proof the way we present Seeka for our growers, shareholders, customers and other stakeholders. Today we send more produce to key markets around the world than ever before.”
After acquiring leading Australian kiwifruit company Bunbartha Fruit Packers last year and established Seeka Australia, the company produces around 80 per cent of Australia’s kiwifruit, and is a major grower of Nashi pears and stonefruit.
In New Zealand, Seeka has acquired the Kiwi Crush and Kiwi Crushies nutraceutical product ranges, and is construction a purpose-built head office in Te Puke.
Seeka handled a record 32.3m trays of kiwifruit last season, up 17 per cent on the year period, and recorded strong results in the first six months of its Australian operations.
“We have delivered exceptional performance for our growers and stakeholders,” said chairman Fred Hutchings. “The rebrand will underpin Seeka’s strategy of growing our size and profitability. We will continue to vertically integrate, build on our core competencies and values, and look to make further value accretive investments.”
