At the 2009 Investor and Analyst Meeting at the end of May, William Johnson, CEO of HJ Heinz, said that the recent acquisition of Golden Circle in Australia in December 2008 was an important growth step into Asia-Pacific.
“Heinz Australia has been probably our top-performing company over the last five years, and Golden Circle gives us the opportunity for a further step change in that business,” said Johnson. “With this acquisition, the combined sales of our Australian and New Zealand business units will approach $1bn – making Heinz one of the best-positioned and largest companies in that region.”
Johnson said that the addition of Golden Circle and Original Juice Co is a great fit with their increasing global focus on health and wellness.
“Golden Circle is an Australian icon with very high awareness and strong brand equity,” said Johnson. “The company manufactures a range of excellent fruit-based products and beverages.”
Heinz plans to drive incremental growth through more aggressive marketing and innovation, and is confident about the long-term growth potential.
Heinz’s Asia-Pacific division also includes Japan and high-growth emerging markets such as China, India and Indonesia. During fiscal 2009, sales in emerging markets grew by 15.7% propelled by double-digit organic sales growth in these regions.
Source: Australian Food News
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