Arnott’s to expand Shepperton plant, exports

Arnott’s Group today announced it will invest $8 million to expand the Campbell’s soup factory at Lemnos, Shepparton in Victoria as part of plans to increase domestic food production across the group.

The investment will increase output by 30 per cent in the next 12 months and exports will rise by 400 per cent.

The production of an extra 16.5 million kilogrammes of Campbell’s soups and stocks will draw more than $10 million worth of farm produce from local farms.

Arnott’s Group CEO George Zoghbi said: “We are proud that this iconic plant in regional Victoria will drive more Australian exports to Asia.

“We plan to be a regional powerhouse for food brands based in Australia, and today Shepparton brings us closer to that goal.”

The Shepparton plant, which has been operating for 60 years, will take over export markets to Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Korea and Taiwan which are supplied from Arnott’s plants in Malaysia and the US, and allow expanded exports to Hong Kong and Japan.

New equipment will allow the production of larger can sizes in demand in Asia, including 1.4 kilogramme cans.

Visy will continue to supply cans to the Shepparton plant from its Shepparton and Coburg, Melbourne facilities.

In 2019 the US Campbell’s soup company sold its international operations including Arnott’s to US private equity firm, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts for a reported $3.1 billion.

Picture: Shepparton Heritage Centre Collection/Campbell’s soup Lemnos

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