On Tuesday the site’s owner – the Arnott’s Group – announced an $8 million investment in the Shepparton site and plans to increase export volume out of the Lemnos North Rd factory by 400 per cent.
The massive jump in export volume is the result of the Shepparton site taking over manufacturing currently being done in Malaysia and the United States.
The creation of more work is a big change for the site, which has spent years being plagued by shutdown rumours.
Plant manager Peter Pearce said workers were welcoming the news.
“For years we’ve had declining volume, so this is a great story for us,” Mr Pearce said.
“It’s provided certainty and will potentially create more jobs.”
The $8 million will go towards upgrading site equipment, with roughly half expected to funnel back into local labourers and suppliers.
Arnott’s Group chief executive George Zoghbi said production was being increased in Shepparton because of the location’s strategic advantage.
“We have 120 suppliers in this area and a lot of the produce we buy comes from the region,” Mr Zoghbi said.
While touring the site on Tuesday, Mr Zoghbi said he was impressed by the Shepparton workers.
“I’ve met some people here who are approaching 40 years of service in this company and some who are second and third-generation company workers, so thank you very much,” he said.
The local team will take over preparation of soups and stocks for Japan, Hong Kong and new markets such as Taiwan, Korea and Thailand in the next 12 months.
One supplier set to benefit from the boost is Visy Industries, which provides cans to the Campbell’s site.
Visy Industries general manager Rohan Wiltshire said the company would be making its own investment in its Shepparton site to keep up with Campbell’s.
“Visy’s can-making factory was opened here in Shepparton in 1962 specifically to supply Campbell’s,” Mr Wiltshire said.
“Both our companies are thinking and acting for the long-term today.”
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Kim O’Keeffe thanked Arnott’s Group for the significant investment.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what the success of this evolves and who else comes to our region looking for opportunity,” Cr O’Keeffe said.
Mr Zoghbi said the decision to grow the Australian site was not influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a long-term decision. We would not make a decision like this based on a short-term rush in whole consumption,” he said.
The Campbell’s site sources ingredients from Tasty Chips in Footscray, which buys vegetables and fruit from all across Australia.
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