NZ company purchases Brisbane wholesaler

There are a number of developments underway at Just Avocados – all designed to enhance the benefits the fully integrated specialist avocado service company already brings to its growers.

Its parent brand has a new name – the Darling Group. And there’s a new sister company – J.H. Leavy & Co, which is one of the oldest established fruit and vegetable wholesaling businesses in Brisbane.

Darling Group chairman Andrew Darling says the purchase of J.H.Leavy is: “In line with the vision of the Darling Group to continue vertical integration across New Zealand avocados and kiwifruit to bring efficiencies to the supply chain”.

“We [the Darling Group] are striving for excellence in all areas; our quality, our capability, our relationships and in growers returns.”

International platform

In November 2015 Andrew took sole ownership of Just Avocados Ltd, Global Fresh NZ Ltd, Global Fresh Australia Ltd, the group also has a significant investment in domestic avocado marketer Zeafruit Ltd. It was in July this year that GFA acquired J.H. Leavy & Co.

Andrew says the purchase fits with the company’s long-held desire to broaden and expand its international business platform, and develop a more integrated supply chain covering production, packing, logistics, warehousing, sales and distribution.

“We see greater opportunities for suppliers and customers alike on both sides of the Tasman as we look to develop enduring relationships, building on the synergies created through a broader customer engagement, product range and stable of brands,” says Andrew, who has since the 1990s has played significant ownership and leadership roles in the avocado and kiwifruit industries.

New tag line

In September this year the various entities came under Darling Group Holdings Ltd with new the Darling Group branding rolled out with tagline ‘Family. Fresh. Fun’.

Those are not the only positive changes underway for Just Avocados. The post-harvest facilities at its Woodland Rd site are undergoing an upgrade, including a new packaging area, loading dock and new road to make truck access safer and more efficient.

The coolstore has also been upgraded with the installation of state-of-the-art pre-cooler, extractors, evaporators and condensers and electronic monitoring.

Jarrod Redwood, Just Avocados’ general manager operations and grower services says the facility now has improved its capability in pulling fruit temperatures down quickly and in the ability to control and maintain ideal holding temperatures, all contributing to long term fruit quality.

In the packhouse, the new Tama net wrapping machine has sped up the palletisation process.

Just Avocados also has a new ripening facility servicing the New Zealand market retail programmes. “This capability gives JAL greater control over the pre-ripening process and has gone extremely well with positive feedback from customers and retailers,” says Jarrod.


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