During the fiscal year 2016 IFCO, the world leader in reusable packaging solutions for fresh produce, achieved annual revenues of 992 million USD. This is a 16% growth compared to the previous year, these figures includes the RPC revenues generated by the IFCO’s sister company CHEP in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
This phenomenal growth was realised through four key activities:
• Increased use of IFCO reusable plastic containers (RPCs) by the current (retail) customers, these customers experience the greater efficiency and product quality benefits through increased supply chain standardisation;
• Major new contracts with retailers, particularly in Europe;
• Expansion into new markets via acquisitions of market leading RPC suppliers in Japan, Chile, and Colombia;
• Expansion of solutions for other fresh products, not only fruit and vegetables, with RPCs for meat and eggs and a range of new solutions for bread and seafood
“Fiscal year 2016 was an incredible year for our company,” states Wolfgang Orgeldinger, CEO of IFCO. “This high rate of growth demonstrates the success and benefits of IFCO RPCs for customers who use our products. We are very grateful for the support of all our customers, suppliers and employees worldwide.”
All regions contributed to the growth of the company. Europe is still IFCO’s largest market with revenues of 621 million USD an increase of 15% compared to the previous year. IFCO North America achieved revenues of 199 million USD and a 4% growth rate while the rest of the world (IFCO Latin America, IFCO Asia and the RPC activities of CHEP in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) achieved revenues of 172 million USD, a growth of 38% (11% before acquisitions in Chile, Japan and Colombia).
IFCO was founded in 1992, and became a part of the global supply chain solutions company Brambles in March 2011. Since then IFCO has clearly developed as the global market leader for RPC solutions for fresh products. IFCO has 30 subsidiaries around the world, which supply 675 retailers and over 12,500 producers in more than 50 countries. The company has a logistics network with more than 80 Service Centres and owns more than 270 million RPCs.
In addition to the phenomenal growth, IFCO also invested heavily in the development of innovations to enhance its service to customers.
In the past 12 months, IFCO:
• Launched SmartGuardian™, a control technology system especially developed for IFCO, which monitors, controls, and reports on control point parameters for RPC cleaning and sanitation. Sensors in the RPC cleaners continuously measure all critical parameters (such as water temperature, pump pressure and concentration of the cleaning agents and disinfectants), deviations trigger alarms or stop the machine. This way a perfect result is guaranteed at all times;
• Introduced a variety of innovative merchandising solutions that allow for the customisation of standard reusable plastic containers (RPCs);
• Developed a new wood grain RPC for the expanded partnership with Walmart US;
• Published a peer-reviewed study demonstrating that IFCO RPCs generate 31% less CO2 compared to single-use cardboard boxes.
“Our customers are focused on delivering the freshest food to consumers in the most efficient way possible, and we are committed to helping them achieve this,” states Mr. Orgeldinger, “Our business is growing because IFCO RPCs reduce costs, the environmental impact and improve product quality and efficiency throughout the supply chain.”
In fiscal year 2017, IFCO will continue its growth strategy in all markets and will introduce a new brand campaign to create a better awareness of the company’s image with its mission and rapidly growing, diverse business. The global campaign launches on 13 September and will focus on IFCO’s mission to help their customers to deliver fresh, high-quality food to consumers around the world.
For more information, please contact:
Hillary Femal VP
Global Marketing
T: +1 813 463 4124
Hillary.Femal@ifco.com