A Queensland avocado supplier has brought in a range of solutions from Orora as part of its shift to sustainability.
Simpson Farms, near Bundaberg, has been in business since 1969 and is one of the country’s largest avocado companies. According to John Walsh, finance and marketing manager, packaging solutions from Orora have helped it grow its business over the years.
“Packaging for the Simpson Farms business is a means of getting the product to the consumer, so it must be reliable, must be good quality, and must most of all protect our product.
“Obviously there’s a wide range of uses for avocados in different sizes, and if, with Orora, we’re able to look at smaller take-home packs, we’re able to capture another segment of the market,” he said.
Orora has been a key part in the push by Simpson Farms to become more sustainable, says Walsh, with a number of packaging solutions that have cut down on the grower’s environmental footprint.
“We’ve been working on this with Orora for the last three or four years. Sustainability solutions we’ve been looking at from Orora include the AccuLabel paper labeller and the no-crush boxes.
“In the past we’ve used plastic inserts, but as Simpson Farms has become more sustainable, and responding to demands from our customers, Orora has provided us with paper inserts which we’re now running commercially this season. Retailers are excited now that we’re using these on a commercial basis,” he said.
Walsh says Orora’s solutions are not only eco-friendly, but affordable and easy to manage as well.
“Orora has listened to our needs, and has been instrumental in helping us plan our season and what we need to get our product to the end consumer,” he said.
According to Kel Treseder, regional territory manager for Orora, the partnership with Simpson Farms has been important for both companies.
“Simpson Farms and Orora have a great partnership, and have done for many years. We’ve seen through the growth phase of Simpson Farms that Orora has been part of that.
“In the later years we’ve seen that Simpson Farms has had to move to more sustainable packaging, so Orora, being a customer-led business, has listened to these needs to get Simpson Farms to the forefront of the market, and ultimately, push what the customers require of business today,” he said.
