SMART STATE COMPANY SET TO GO GLOBAL WITH BANANAS: PREMIER
Published Thursday, 16 August, 2007 at 02:45 PM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
TOWNSVILLE: Premier Peter Beattie today opened one of the world’s “smartest” food processing plants which is taking the food market by storm.
The Bestlan Group is one of only four known companies producing structured fruits (or processed dried fruits) and its new $5 million state-of-the-art facility in north Queensland will give it a major competitive edge – capacity to process 80 tonne of dried fruit a week.
In Townsville to open the new facility and celebrate the company’s 21st birthday, Mr Beattie praised the family-run business and its staff for their vision and hard work.
“Cyclone Larry hit hard last year, hurting banana growers as well as food processors and suppliers, but that didn’t dampen Bestlan’s drive to become the best,” Mr Beattie said
“With banana crops wiped out and market prices skyrocketing, Bestlan was unable to fulfil many of its export commitments but it stuck in there and now it’s back on its feet and moving ahead in leaps and bounds,” he said.
“As well as diversifying its export lines, including processing other countries’ fruits such as cranberries from the USA, Bestlan is getting ready to launch its very own product line – the world’s first processed edible banana fibre for the food industry.
“This is Smart State business in action – taking adversity on the chin, designing state-of-art technology and facilities, developing creative solutions and realising your goals.”
Mr Beattie said Bestlan, which employs 40 staff, has contracts in Europe, Israel, New Zealand and Malaysia, and its supply list includes Nestlé, Kelloggs, Sanitarium, Heinz, Cadbury, Danone and PepsiCo.
“Next time someone in another part of the world bites into a muesli bar, sits down to bowl of cereal or enjoys a cake, chances are they’re eating a Bestlan product grown and manufactured right here in Queensland,” said the Premier.
“From its early days developing the banana cube that took on the banana chip and also won the Heart Foundation’s tick of approval, anything is possible when the Bestlan team puts its expertise to the task.
“Congratulations to this award-winning Smart State company on coming of age and developing the smart banana fibre product that promises to be a rich source of nutrition in developing countries and for the food industry.”
The Bestlan Group owners are Keith Moulds, Nadia Moulds and Walter Rigoni.
The company won the Queensland Agribusiness Exporter of the Year Award in 2002, 2003 and 2004 when it also won the Regional Exporter of the Year Award.
Today Bestlan manufactures and supplies a wide range of processed dried fruits, including tropical fruits (such as banana, mango and papaya), berries (strawberry, blueberry and raspberry), citrus (orange, lime, lemon and pink grapefruit), deciduous (apple, cherry, pear), and other orchard fruits (apricot, nectarine, peach).
Many of Bestlan’s new modern facilities have been custom-made and designed in house. The new Townsville facility features a purpose-built production line, a sophisticated optical sorter and a massive spiral-drying system which includes 900 metres of vertical conveyer belt.
The bright and airy complex also features the decorated blueberry, lime and mango rooms.
Media Contact: Premier’s Office – 3224 4500
The Bestlan Group is one of only four known companies producing structured fruits (or processed dried fruits) and its new $5 million state-of-the-art facility in north Queensland will give it a major competitive edge – capacity to process 80 tonne of dried fruit a week.
In Townsville to open the new facility and celebrate the company’s 21st birthday, Mr Beattie praised the family-run business and its staff for their vision and hard work.
“Cyclone Larry hit hard last year, hurting banana growers as well as food processors and suppliers, but that didn’t dampen Bestlan’s drive to become the best,” Mr Beattie said
“With banana crops wiped out and market prices skyrocketing, Bestlan was unable to fulfil many of its export commitments but it stuck in there and now it’s back on its feet and moving ahead in leaps and bounds,” he said.
“As well as diversifying its export lines, including processing other countries’ fruits such as cranberries from the USA, Bestlan is getting ready to launch its very own product line – the world’s first processed edible banana fibre for the food industry.
“This is Smart State business in action – taking adversity on the chin, designing state-of-art technology and facilities, developing creative solutions and realising your goals.”
Mr Beattie said Bestlan, which employs 40 staff, has contracts in Europe, Israel, New Zealand and Malaysia, and its supply list includes Nestlé, Kelloggs, Sanitarium, Heinz, Cadbury, Danone and PepsiCo.
“Next time someone in another part of the world bites into a muesli bar, sits down to bowl of cereal or enjoys a cake, chances are they’re eating a Bestlan product grown and manufactured right here in Queensland,” said the Premier.
“From its early days developing the banana cube that took on the banana chip and also won the Heart Foundation’s tick of approval, anything is possible when the Bestlan team puts its expertise to the task.
“Congratulations to this award-winning Smart State company on coming of age and developing the smart banana fibre product that promises to be a rich source of nutrition in developing countries and for the food industry.”
The Bestlan Group owners are Keith Moulds, Nadia Moulds and Walter Rigoni.
The company won the Queensland Agribusiness Exporter of the Year Award in 2002, 2003 and 2004 when it also won the Regional Exporter of the Year Award.
Today Bestlan manufactures and supplies a wide range of processed dried fruits, including tropical fruits (such as banana, mango and papaya), berries (strawberry, blueberry and raspberry), citrus (orange, lime, lemon and pink grapefruit), deciduous (apple, cherry, pear), and other orchard fruits (apricot, nectarine, peach).
Many of Bestlan’s new modern facilities have been custom-made and designed in house. The new Townsville facility features a purpose-built production line, a sophisticated optical sorter and a massive spiral-drying system which includes 900 metres of vertical conveyer belt.
The bright and airy complex also features the decorated blueberry, lime and mango rooms.
Media Contact: Premier’s Office – 3224 4500