SPC Global is relocating juice production from its Mill Park site in Melbourne, Australia, to Shepparton in Victoria and entering a new manufacturing partnership in Griffith, New South Wales.
In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, the company confirmed it had refined its manufacturing strategy, released in early 2025, targeting annual savings of US$5.16 million, based on A$8 million per year. The Mill Park factory is scheduled to close by the end of August.
Earlier plans outlined a A$23.5 million investment, approximately US$15.18 million, to move all juice production to Shepparton. This has been revised to A$3 million, around US$1.94 million, with only one juice product to be manufactured there. SPC has formed a production partnership with Fair Dinkum Foods for manufacturing its Original Juice Company products in Griffith, located in the northern Riverina citrus region.
At Shepparton, two new production lines will be installed to manufacture Juice Labs Wellness Shots. This will create 20 new roles at the site, compared to 50 positions initially projected under the previous plan.
SPC managing director Robert Iervasi said it was "exciting" to invest in the Shepparton facility. "It still remains as the fundamental DNA of our business," he said. "In bringing in two new production lines to manufacture Juice Lab shots, we'll be increasing capability and production capacity at Shepparton, as well as increasing jobs."
He noted that production of the juice shots is scheduled for winter, outside the peak summer fruit processing period. "Citrus production typically happens in the colder months of the year, whereas our Shepparton site is right now in its busiest production period," he said. "So the factory operates for an extended period of time in the financial year, which means we're able to sustain more people in employment for longer."
The agreement with Fair Dinkum Foods positions Original Juice Company production in proximity to citrus supply. "Having a factory or production site that's closely aligned to where we source our raw materials or ingredients is also a huge cost advantage for us," Mr Iervasi said.
The partnership is also expected to extend the shelf life of its fresh juice up to 12 months.
Fair Dinkum Foods owner Tony Taliano said he was "proud" to share a "long-term commitment to Australian manufacturing" with SPC. "By combining SPC Global's brand strength and market reach with our manufacturing capability and proximity to key growers, we're improving supply-chain efficiency, reducing transport and emissions, and supporting a more sustainable manufacturing model," he said.
Source: ABC News
