MEDIA RELEASE

20 November 2009

Ocean Spray and Heinz have announced that, from 1 March 2010, Heinz will manufacture and distribute the Ocean Spray range of beverages and sauces in Australia.

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.

In the New Zealand market where the Ocean Spray range also enjoys strong sales, there will be no discernable difference to the trading process – James Crisp Limited will continue to manage the sales role on behalf of Ocean Spray but some of the range will now be sourced from Australia.

“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 and New Zealand 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.

ENDS

Gordon Campbell: On John Key’s Agenda For The Nation

There seemed to be three main components to John Key’s speech:

a) tax cuts largely paid for by a hike in GST
b) mining in national parks and on conservation land, while building more roads.
c) giving firms easier access to the r&d from Crown Research Institutes, so that business can continue to get the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the research that keeps them competitive.

After all, corporate welfare is always such a blessed thing – its only social welfare that corrodes enterprise and ambition. More>>