A Western Australia Government investment is helping a Western Australian family-owned and operated business take off, backing their expansion plans to put their ready-made meals on more in-flight menus.
Foodfolk Australia will use a $1 million Value Add Investment Grant to support the next stage of its ambitious $10 million expansion project, which will see the business relocate and upgrade its operations at Perth Airport.
The WA Government grant will support Foodfolk Australia to introduce new state-of-the-art technology, advanced equipment and automation to boost the capacity and efficiency of the business.
This will enable Foodfolk Australia to triple its meal production, increasing its share of the Australian aviation and non-aviation market, including mining, events, hospitals and aged care, while opening the door to new international air-carrier customers.
“It’s truly exciting to support Foodfolk Australia, which started as a small business, to reach new heights and put more of WA’s incredible produce on the menu – whether it is for high-flying dining or catering for customers in the health, mining and events industries,” said Food Minister Jackie Jarvis.
“The Value Add Investment Grants program is helping a diverse range of agrifood and beverage businesses across the State to take on large-scale expansion plans, providing a significant boost for local economies and supply chains.
“These grants are just one of the ways the Cook Government continues to back WA’s growing food industry.”
New processing and packaging equipment will support Foodfolk Australia’s ethos of ‘less waste, more taste’ by extending the shelf life of fresh packaged meals from five days to 20 days.
The expansion will create 100 new jobs over the next three years, with the potential for a further 100 jobs within the decade.
The Value Add Investment Grants program supports agriculture, food and beverage businesses to invest in the expansion or relocation of their value-adding and manufacturing operations in WA.