The Shepparton Preserving Company (SPC) has celebrated 100 years of processing under its SPC and Ardmona labels.
The celebration also coincided with the recent completion of a A$100m investment program, of which A$78m was invested by parent company, Coca-Cola Amatil, and A$22m by the Victorian Government.
The company’s facilities process in excess of 100,000 tonnes of apples, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes each season for 29 different product lines. They employ around 5,000 fulltime employees in the Golburn Valley region and up to 1,000 during seasonal periods.
SPC started in 1918 and ran alongside the Ardmona Fruit Products Co-operative in the Goulburn Valley until 2002 when the two companies merged. The consolidation meant the Goulburn Valley processors could contend with international competitors and cheaper imported products.
In 2005 Coca-Cola Amatil acquired SPC, which remains the largest producer of packaged fruit and vegetables in Australia.
“We are proud to be standing here today, celebrating what is a significant milestone for an Australian business and having overcome many challenges over the past 100 years,” said managing director, Reg Weine at the 100th birthday celebrations.
Earlier this year, SPC exported its first product lines to China in partnership with China State Farm Agribusiness Shanghai.
