Flavorite: A multimillion dollar tomato-growing business

WHEN it comes to tomato growing, Flavorite is a glass act.

Red roar: Mark Millis’ sons, Ed (left) and Chris Millis, have helped transform Flavorite into a multimillion dollar vertically integrated business. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

2017 HORTICULTURE FARMER OF THE YEAR FINALIST

FLAVORITE

Millis and Nichol families

WARRAGUL, VIC

WHEN it comes to tomato growing, Flavorite is a glass act.

Through a tried-and-true approach to farming, focusing on sophistication and innovation, the family-run operation at Warragul in Victoria’s West Gippsland region has positioned itself at the forefront of the horticulture industry.

In the space of 25 years, two families — the Millises and Nichols — have transformed the hydroponic tomato venture into a multi-million-dollar vertically integrated business that not only grows its fruit but packs it, delivers it and markets it, too.

Flavorite, which has expanded beyond its core tomato origins into capsicums, cucumbers, palermos and eggplants, is now one of the largest family owned glasshouse fresh produce businesses in the nation.

It prides itself on using state-of-the-art technology to reduce costs and increase production.

The meteoric rise of the business, which was founded in 1993 when former banana marketer Mark Millis teamed with his former market partner Warren Nichol, who had spent a lifetime marketing fresh produce, speaks for itself.

When they started Mark and Warren had 3000 square metres of tomato plants under production, yielding about 120 tonnes of fruit, and employed a handful of staff. Now, about 250,000 square metres is devoted to production, yielding 13,000 tonnes of fruit, and staff numbers peak at 350 in busy periods.

Technology has been the key to the success of the business. In the early days, Flavorite was able to grow 40kg of fruit from one square metre. Now, thanks to growing methods and innovation throughout the glasshouses and packing facilities, they can produce double that.

And such is the consumer appetite for Flavorite product, it graces the shelves of Australia’s biggest retail chains.

Ninety per cent of the fruit is sold to supermarket giants Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA and Costco.

With its eyes on the future Flavorite started work last year on adding another 43,000 square metres of glasshouses, costing an estimated $8 million.

Proving the shine won’t come off this leading agribusiness anytime soon.