HistoryH.J Heinz Company is one of the worlds leading food companies, offering favourite brands for people of all ages. Founded in 1869 by Henry John Heinz and his partner L Clarence Noble, in Pittsburg USA, the company has grown from the days of H.J. selling prepared horseradish out of the family’s vegetable garden to a multi-billion dollar, international business, operating on all inhabited continents. Since the beginning, our core tenet of ‘quality’ has not changed, and we continue to dedicate ourselves to providing our consumers Good Food, Every Day TM.
‘Quality is to a product what character is to a man’ - Henry John Heinz
For more information on the global history of H.J. Heinz Company please go www.heinz.com
History@ Heinz Australia
The story of Heinz in Australia began in the 1880’s, when the first Heinz products were imported. It is thought that American miners working in the goldfields introduced the taste of Heinz products to Australia. A flourishing trade of Heinz products began, imported first from the USA, and then in 1923 from the UK by local wholesalers. An Australian tariff embargo from 1929 – 1935 restricted imports of Heinz branded products to horseradish only.
So in 1934, Heinz (UK) took steps to begin production in Australia, to make the already famous ‘57 Varieties’ available to the country. The Wertheim Piano factory in Bendigo Street, Richmond Victoria was leased with a 5 year purchase option.
On 27th March 1935, the HJ Heinz Co Pty Ltd incorporated in Victoria. On 1st August 1935 production started in a leased ex-piano factory in Bendigo Street, Richmond. Heinz London had paid for improvements to the site and the first product produced in Australia by Heinz was horseradish.
Thirty one men and twenty nine women worked in the factory bottling horseradish, while canning equipment was installed. A further 16 office and sales staff completed the company. Our first canned goods were produced on 1st October 1935, being of course baked beans in tomato sauce. This was quickly followed by canned spaghetti and a range of soups.
By 1942 WWII dominated Australian industry and tinplate shortages forced Heinz to stop supplying canned products to domestic consumers, and later all production was restricted. The company did, however, get tinplate to make products for the armed services such as tomato juice, Irish stew, beans, spaghetti, soups, potatoes, carrots and onions. In 1942 Heinz Australia supplied almost 12 million cans to the armed services.
With more American troops in Australia, the range of food widened to hash, meat and vegetable stew, chilli con carne, and bulk cans of ketchup. In 1942, Heinz was also asked to operate a factory in Devonport Tasmania, to provide food for the US Army. So on 15th Feb 1944, production began in Devonport Tasmania. It produced tomato juice, tomato pulp, canned pears and later canned potatoes, carrots, parsnips and apples for the US and Australian services.
Between 1943 and 1946 Heinz sold 86% of its production from the Richmond and Devonport factories to the Commonwealth Government for distribution to the services.
In 1950 Heinz expanded the capacity of the Richmond factory to meet the expected post-war growth in demand. It doubled its output to 2 million dozen cans, or 9000 tonnes annually, and by 1951, produced ‘57 Varieties’ branded products, including baby food, which had previously been imported from the UK.
In 1951, Heinz bought 70 acres in Dandenong Victoria (then a rural community), that had been targeted by the Victorian Government for manufacturing and commercial development. Heinz planned to build a modern food processing factory and the Victorian government agreed to lift agriculture, to support the new plants proposed capacity of 22,000 tonnes per year.
In September 1955, the newly built Dandenong factory began producing soup and tomato paste. The Devonport plant that was now only producing seasonal green peas was sold and the old Richmond plant was phased out and the building also sold, meaning all Australian production had transferred to the Dandenong plant by the end of the year.
In 1956, production increased to 12,600 tonnes. 28 baby food varieties and 51 other products were made. Can making also commenced at Dandenong in this year.
By 1963, the Dandenong factory employed 934 people, with 105 people in other parts of Australia supporting sales and administration. A total of 134 varieties were now being made.
By 1972 the factory’s capacity had increased to 64,000 per year. Can making facilities had been sold to Containers Limited, and Stanley Wines Company of Clare South Australia had been acquired as a business opportunity within the wine industry.
It was thought Heinz could bring marketing and selling experience and risk capital to this business.
In 1972, Heinz acquired Epicure Continental Food Company. This small pickle and condiments business enjoyed a good reputation and marketed a premium quality range.
In 1974, the company bought the assets of the Greenseas Division of Kraft Foods, at the time, their salmon and tuna brands were Australian market leaders. Seafood became a new major venture. The acquisitions bought Heinz Australia in contact with the affiliated American brand, Starkist, which provided access to expertise in tuna fishing, processing and marketing.
In 1977 Heinz acquired the Seahaven and Frelish brands. Also in this year, a major fish processing plant was established at Eden, New South Wales. Heinz had a 49% interest in the business and was the marketing agent for most products. In May 1979, Heinz bought the processing plant and set up the South Coast Fish Processing Company Ltd to process its fish products at Eden.
In 1978, the Weight Watchers brand was acquired globally, and by 1979 Weight Watchers products were launched onto the Australian market.
In 1979 Heinz Australia continued its acquisitions with Golden Days Natural Products Pty Ltd. and H.G. Brown & Son Pty Ltd, a wine and liquor distributor and importer.
In 1980 the PMU brand was acquired. 1984 saw the purchase of the Buronga winery from Hungerford Hill for the purpose of basing all the Stanley Leasingham cask wine operations there. An agreement with Watties Canneries was entered into giving them licence to manufacture Heinz products for the New Zealand market, and to exclusively import.
In 1985 Heinz Australia bought the Robs Restaurant chain.
1986 saw the company look to consolidate its businesses. Heinz exited from the petfood market in Australia and in 1987 the Stanley Wine Company was also sold, followed by Robs Restaurant chain in 1988.
Work on a $1.1 million dollar Research & Development facility was begun at Dandenong in 1989. The Girgarre Cheese factory in country Victoria, was purchase with the intention of converting it to a tomato processing plant. Nine months after approval the plant was ready for production. In its first season the Girgarre plant processed 25,000 tonnes of tomatoes, and in its second season produced almost 50,000 tonnes of tomato paste.
In 1991 Heinz established a Sales office in New Zealand, and spent $4 Million on refurbishment and upgrades at Greenseas.
In 1992, Heinz made its largest acquisition outside the United States with Watties’ New Zealand.
In 1996, Heinz Australia bought the Southern Country Foods business with operations in Wagga Wagga, and the Hugo Canning Company in Papua New Guinea. These businesses produced brands such as Tom Piper, Hamper and Ox & Palm canned meat products.
In 1998 the Australian Heinz business and the Heinz-Watties business in New Zealand (both affliliates of the HJ Heinz Company) merged to form Heinz Wattie’s Australasia, with a head office based in Melbourne Victoria.
In 1999, Heinz launched the Heinz Infant Feeding Advisory Service (HIFAS); a team of dieticians and nurses who work to promote good health for infants through maternal and child healthcare centres. The HIFAS team also produce booklets and brochures for parents, and answer questions on the specialist infant feeding website www.forbaby.com.au
Also in 1999, Heinz closed the Tuna processing plant at Eden and transferred the supply of Greenseas product to South Australia and Thailand.
In 2000, the Infant Food Centre of Excellence officially opened in Echuca, Victoria. This is a purpose built ‘clean room’ facility for the manufacture of baby food. Heinz Watties Australasia also moved its regional corporate office to Hawthorn Victoria.
In Feburary 2001, Heinz launched Food In A Minute, a popular cooking infomercial, where our chefs demonstrated simple recipe ideas, every night, using popular Heinz products. This was supported by the website www.foodinaminute.com.au . Greenseas launched Tuna in a pouch, and the www.forbaby.com.au website was officially launched.
In 2002 Heinz Watties sold the Golden Days Natural Food Products business to Farm Pride Foods Limited.
In 2003, The Heinz Watties Australasian business was restructured into three separate business units; HJ Heinz Australia, Tegel Foods New Zealand, and Heinz Watties’ New Zealand.
In 2004, Heinz acquired the licence to produce products for the popular Indian inspired Pataks brand.
Since 2004, Heinz Australia has pursued a strategy of organic growth, focusing on product innovation and marketing. This has produced strong results in categories including frozen, soups and infant feeding.
In 2006, Heinz Australia moved its head office to the Freshwater Place building at Southbank, Melbourne.
In 2007, Heinz acquired perpetual licenses to the Cottee's (jams, spreads, toppings, jellies and puddings) and Rose's (jams) brands. The same year Heinz also acquired the Monbulk, Choc Whizz and Ice Magic brands.
In December 2008, Heinz acquired Golden Circle, which included the Original Juice Company and Popper Juice brands, and manufacturing facilities at Northgate in Brisbane and Mill Park in Melbourne.
Heinz Australia commenced 2009 as a $1 billion food and beverage company with six manufacturing facilities, around 1600 staff and a reputation for quality brands and products that Australians know and love.
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