Ocean Spray and Heinz has announced that from 1 March 2010 Heinz will manufacture and distribute the Ocean Spray range of beverages and sauces in Australia.
The partnership will raise Heinz Australia’s share of the grocery ambient fruit juice/juice drink category in Australia to around 28% and offers Ocean Spray, which currently has 85% of the cranberry beverage market, new opportunities for product innovation and expanded distribution. Heinz is now a one billion dollar food and beverage company with 1600 employees, following the acquisition of Golden Circle in December 2008.
The agreement covers Ocean Spray’s existing cranberry and other fruit juice drinks, cranberry sauces, Craisins® sweetened dried cranberries and could extend to include new product formats in the future.
“Ocean Spray enjoys an excellent reputation in the United States where the growers’ cooperative has an 80 year heritage and is the number one brand in ambient juices and juice drinks. We are extremely pleased that we will soon be working with a company of a similar calibre in Australia. We believe that Ocean Spray will add another dimension to the Heinz business and provide a strong opportunity for growth,” said Anne-Maree Ogilvie, Ocean Spray Regional Manager, Australia and New Zealand.
COO of Ocean Spray International, Stewart Gallagher, said, “Australia is one of a handful of core growth markets for Ocean Spray International. We have had solid performance every year since our launch in 1995 and see this new alliance with Heinz as an opportunity to transform our business model and marketplace performance for years to come.”
Heinz Australia’s Sales Director, Michael Jones said the strength and heritage of the Ocean Spray brand sits well within the company’s stable of quality juice and sauce products, including Golden Circle and Original Juice Company fruit juices, Heinz sauces and ketchup, and Cottee’s and Roses jams.
“The manufacturing capability of Heinz Australia – particularly following its acquisition of Golden Circle last year, which included juice making facilities in Queensland and Victoria – also provides Ocean Spray with excellent product innovation opportunities and capacity for growth in the Australian market,” said Mr Jones.