Opening of new $1M cold storage and loading facility in Manjimup

13/3/98

A group of Manjimup fruit and vegetable growers who banded together in 1972 to improve their market prospects have celebrated a major milestone today with the opening of a new $1 million cold storage and loading facility.

Regional Development Minister Hendy Cowan, who was in Manjimup to officially open the complex with Warren-Blackwood MLA Paul Omodei, said the grower syndicate was one of the region's success stories. The new complex would enable continued expansion, leading to more jobs and other benefits across the South-West.

Mr Cowan said the Manjimup Syndicate Coolstores, with its complement of 55 growers/shareholders, presently employed eight full-time staff, 15 permanent casuals and up to 50 additional casual staff during its busy period.

Its continued growth should provide even more employment opportunities in the future.

"The syndicate's reputation for quality and innovation has seen exports soar, leading to an expected $10 million turnover this financial year - almost triple that from just three years ago," Mr Cowan said.

"And while the Asian currency situation is causing problems for many Western Australian businesses, the syndicate is confident it will not have a significant impact on exports due to the strength of its customer relationships and the ongoing demand for quality products."

The group's main products are cauliflowers, apples, potatoes, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, corn and onions, but it also has access to other products grown locally or in different regions of WA to help meet customer demand.

Mr Cowan said the syndicate's remarkable success reinforced the worth of the various assistance packages offered to regional businesses by the Department of Commerce and Trade.

The company received assistance last year for its general manager to visit several key export markets and also to help complete a quality assurance program to become ISO 9002 accredited.

The new facilities include state of the art climate-controlled coolstores, fully covered loading and unloading facilities, pressure cooling rooms to improve fruit quality, yard extensions to handle larger volumes, modern offices and a range of other improvements to assist volume throughput.

Media contact: Peter Jackson 9222 9595