The Guyra community are at the very centre of an exciting time for the Australian glasshouse horticulture industry according to Oliver Flint, General Manager of the Costa tomato category.
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Mr Flint was the guest speaker at the New England Mutual Business Breakfast in Guyra this week. With construction currently underway on a new facility north of Guyra, he told the well-attended meeting that the Guyra glasshouse and its workforce are at the forefront of what is a growth industry.
Since the establishment of the first glasshouse in Guyra 10 years ago, glasshouse tomato production has grown from virtually nothing to be a $300 million dollar industry and is still growing.
By the end of this year, Costa will have invested up to $130 million dollars in glasshouse horticulture, and all of this investment has occurred in Guyra. The new facility will increase current production from 10 million to 13 million kilograms per annum. It will also see the workforce increase from 350 full time equivalents to around 530, with the majority of these workers expected to come from Guyra and the surrounding areas.
“The harvesting of glasshouse tomatoes will remain labour intensive which means there will always be a significant requirement for labour,” Mr Flint said.
“We recognise our importance to the community and its importance to us – job opportunities will be there for those who wish to take them.”
“Costa employees are central to ensuring that we are not only a successful business, but that we are also aware of the needs and aspirations of the communities in which we operate.”
Mr Flint acknowledged that there have been challenges with respect to the development of the new glasshouse, but at all times they have sought to follow and abide by due process and accept the umpire’s decision.
“We have not cut any corners and we have complied with stringent conditions to make the project a reality,” he said. “We stand by our project as one that is utilising world class design and technology to ensure minimal environmental impacts.”
Mr Flint also said that the potential sale of the Costa Group will have little impact on the operation in Guyra, with the current management team expected to continue under any change of ownership.
The Costa Group’s current owners, the Costa family and US-based private equity firm Paine & Partners, are weighing up whether to float the business or sell it to a trade buyer. The company is expected to be worth as much as $1 billion.
“Costa sees a bright future for the Australian horticultural industry,” Mr Flint concluded. “It is why we are investing $60 million in a new glasshouse here in Guyra and it is why we investing in growing other parts of our business across a number of different location and states.”