British crisp producer Tyrrells has unveiled plans to expand its brand into the Australian and Asia-Pacific markets, less than a year after the company invested in snack foods maker Yarra Valley.
The company will use a new site in Melbourne, set to create around 120 manufacturing jobs, as a platform from which to grow the brand. The region is Australia’s largest exporter of food and fibre products, with exports totalling almost AUD 12 billion ($8.8 billion) in 2014-15.
The move follows Tyrrells’ acquisition of Yarra Valley Snack Foods, which makes a range of natural, organic and gluten-free snack foods, back in August – its first outside of the UK. It was followed by a swoop for German organic crisp producer Aroma Snack Foods earlier this year.
Tyrrells will enter Australia alongside Yarra Valley, which will continue to produce its own popular lines of snacks.
Tyrrells CEO David Milner explained the rationale behind building its Australian operation from Melbourne’s outer east: “Quality is at the very heart of everything we do and we found that there was nowhere else able to match, in terms of what was available to us, the Yarra Valley region in Victoria.
“Victoria is a very straightforward place to do business and that helped inform the decision making process for us, having our headquarters on the other side of the globe.”
Victoria’s minister for industry and employment, Wade Noonan, welcomed Tyrrells’ decision to invest in the state’s food processing sector, claiming that the move provided “a solid endorsement” of Victoria’s credentials as a clean, green and safe manufacturer and exporter of food and beverage products.
The Victorian government worked closely with Tyrrells to facilitate its investment in Yarra Valley Snack Foods.
Noonan said: “The… government is working with companies like Tyrrells to bring in investment that create jobs across Melbourne and regional Victoria.”
“This investment will create 120 manufacturing jobs in Melbourne’s outer east and also support Victorian farmers, with the company sourcing high-quality raw ingredients from the local region.”
And Daniel Mulino, member for Eastern Victoria, added: “This is fantastic news that will bring economic opportunities and more jobs to the Yarra Valley.”
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