The 30th year of business for the highly successful Macadamia Processing Company (MPC) – the world’s largest processor and supplier of quality macadamia products, is being celebrated today, along with a book to mark the occasion. The celebration and published history will be launched by the Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan at the factory near Lismore.
MPC Chairman Chris Ford said: “Since its creation in 1983 MPC’s success has been underpinned by our grower shareholders who have proven, even during periods of great adversity, that they are innovators.”
“Uniquely MPC has managed to retain many of its permanent staff, providing great stability for the company. Through the efforts of our grower shareholders, the board, management and staff, MPC has forged a world leadership position in macadamia processing and marketing. And there is much more to come,” said Mr. Ford.
Officiating at the launch Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said the region had every right to be proud of MPC and the native Australian nut.
“We proudly claim the title of being the home of the Macadamia,” Mr Hogan said.
“In one of my first parliamentary speeches, I spoke about the importance of the industry to our region, not just in terms of our local economy and the number of people it employs, but also of the industry’s strong track record of innovation and adoption underpinned by arguably the best macadamia research and development program in the world.”
“MPC exemplifies that innovation and the prosperity it brings to Page.”
The First Thirty Years – a history of the Macadamia Processing Company, chronicles the company’s highs and lows, from its start as a small, fledgling factory in a rented shed in Goonellabah, Lismore, to becoming the world’s largest processor and supplier of quality macadamia products.”
MPC’s macadamia kernel is highly valued around the world, including in Asia, Europe and the USA. MPC supplies macadamia kernel for many products throughout the world, including roasted and salted macadamia snacks, biscuits, confectionary and ice cream.
The company has also gone on to jointly build the Consolidated Nuts of Australia (CNA) processing facility in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia’s second largest processor behind MPC. In conjunction with CNA, MPC established Macadamia Marketing International (MMI) which is the world’s largest marketer of macadamias with an annual with a turnover in excess of $100 million per year.
Over the years MPC has continually invested in new technology to lower processing costs, improve the quality of macadamia kernel and to maximise grower returns. It currently processes around 10,000 tonnes of macadamia nut-in-shell each year.
The First Thirty Years – a history of the Macadamia Processing Company was written by former Sydney journalist, author and publicist, Sara Crowe, now locally based.
Macadamias are a rainforest tree native to northern NSW and south-east Queensland evolving about 65 million years ago, but have only been commercially grown and processed since the 1970s.
