Wescobee eyes sweet spot with export drive -
Wescobee Honey, a fixture of the WA landscape for more than 80 years, has flagged a busy year of market expansion and possible acquisitions.
The WA Industry and Export Awards nominee is poised to launch a new organic honey range as soon as supermarkets finalise listings. Chief executive Eduard Planken said Wescobee, which exports about 27 percent of its product, expected Europe and South-East Asia to be the biggest international markets for the organic range.
Speaking from France, where he had handed over his presidency of the International Honey Export Association after 10 years in the job, Mr Planken said the company was set to expand beyond its 20 export markets.
After cracking the Philippines market two months ago with its honey and value-added health products like Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey, Wescobee is finalising its entry into South Africa and hopes to be in Vietnam within the year.
And after posting a full-year profit 10 percent lower than the previous year because of the weaker Australian dollar but “nine times higher than all our major competitors in Australia”, Wescobee is poised to take over other honey companies. “Our board is looking at honey businesses to grow with or take over in the next 12 months” Mr Planken, who has been Chief for 17 years, said.
Over the past two years cheap competition from China and India has forced the company out of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Its key markets are Singapore, Malaysia and the Middle East, with Mauritius, Kenya and Bangladesh also big buyers of Wescobee Honey.
Please direct queries to Phill Smith AusWaThai
Thailand says "chorp kong wan maak maak jing jing"
The WA Industry and Export Awards nominee is poised to launch a new organic honey range as soon as supermarkets finalise listings. Chief executive Eduard Planken said Wescobee, which exports about 27 percent of its product, expected Europe and South-East Asia to be the biggest international markets for the organic range.Speaking from France, where he had handed over his presidency of the International Honey Export Association after 10 years in the job, Mr Planken said the company was set to expand beyond its 20 export markets.
After cracking the Philippines market two months ago with its honey and value-added health products like Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey, Wescobee is finalising its entry into South Africa and hopes to be in Vietnam within the year.
And after posting a full-year profit 10 percent lower than the previous year because of the weaker Australian dollar but “nine times higher than all our major competitors in Australia”, Wescobee is poised to take over other honey companies. “Our board is looking at honey businesses to grow with or take over in the next 12 months” Mr Planken, who has been Chief for 17 years, said. A global honey shortage and mass disappearances of bee colonies because of extreme weather had pushed wholesale prices up at Wescobee about 50 percent over the past two years, he said.
The company, which is owned by 157 shareholders who are mainly honey producers or former producers, has been forced to eat in to its high-grade honey reserves since June to compensate for the sluggish local supply. Production in the year to June was 400 tonnes below the 1600 tonnes annual average.
Image by autan via Flickr
Mr Planken said innovation at Wescobee, which packs and markets about 80 percent of the State’s commercial honey, was confined mainly to packaging. “Because honey is a base product it limits innovation to packaging, and we’ve got a range of products we’re testing at the minute and one value-added product,” he said.
Over the past two years cheap competition from China and India has forced the company out of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Its key markets are Singapore, Malaysia and the Middle East, with Mauritius, Kenya and Bangladesh also big buyers of Wescobee Honey.
The award sponsors include The West Australian.
AUSWATHAI are now Directing knowledge of this Award winning Product and Manufacturer to Thailand
We are seeking expressions of interest for the Thailand Market, options exist for:
WA Exporters agency
or
Thailand Importers and/or Distributors
Please direct queries to Phill Smith AusWaThai
WA Exporters for Thailand market can be assisted by Austhai http://www.austhai.biz/
Austrade (Aust Govt Export support) are the best in the world for Export Initiatives.. try it ..
No comments:
Post a Comment