Fresh State of Affairs Issue 21

ISSN: 1838-7829

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17 PAGE SPECIAL INSIDE

10Biviano & Sons

12Fresh Connections 2014: Produce Tour

7Traders meet ACCC at Fresh State Mid

Year Meeting

Fresh State CEO:John [email protected] / Advertising:Sally Piper [email protected]

Design:Flying Dog Designswww.fddesigns.com.auPhotography:Sally Piper [email protected]

Print:King Printwww.kingprint.com.auDistribution:Fresh State of Affairs is produced by Fresh State Ltd and is a free publication.

02 What’s on

03 President’s message

04 Relocation

07 FSL mid year meeting

16 Chiko roll

18 Epping tour

20 Fit out facts

22 Tenant fit out summary

25 Business planning

09 Data Fresh

21 Cool Dynamics

23 I Do Group

24 SBP Australia

26 Melbourne Insurance Brokers

28 Brady IPS

29 One Stop Shelving

30 Commercial & General Coolrooms

31 Sheren Electrics

32 Max Doors

33 ALADN System Solutions

35 Dexion Citiport

36 MAB

14 17-33

Published by:

www.freshstate.com.au tel: 03 9689 3233

10 12MMCS business: BIviano & Sons is a three gen-erational fresh produce business established in 1967.

Fresh Connections 2014: Produce Tour to Pukekohe New Zealand promises to be a highlight.

08

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issue 21 april 2014

what’s on:

Tony’s take on Autumn:Tony gives the Autumn Season his stamp of approval and it all looks ‘normal.’

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Relocation Special: The nitty gritty detail. Fit out info, business planning, tour of Epping.

Q&A – Phil from Sculli’s: Meet the man of mystery who runs Sculli & Co with his business partner, Dean.

Seasonality of Fresh Produce: There is no such thing as ‘in season’ anymore.

president’s message:

03

Welcome to Edition 21 of Fresh State of Affairs, and Epping is “Green for Go”!

On 14 March 2014 the Supreme Court’s stamped orders were received, bringing to a conclusion our Group Action and clearing the way to getting on with moving to Epping.

It is appropriate to acknowledge that it has not been easy for all parties but the most important aspect is that the model on the table for wholesalers is certain. It will allow businesses the opportunity to negotiate their holdings with confidence.

For the first time in a decade, it offers Melbourne wholesalers a store lease at Epping. Conversely, they can offer them for sale and the purchaser now knows the tenure. This is a change from “the decade of uncertainty”.

Fresh State’s view is that we have had the dust up; we struck a “deal”; and we get on with it! This does not mean we will agree to anything and everything the MMA and State wants. It means that we will be working with the MMA and the State to move to Epping

in the most efficient and practical manner for all members.

And when people ask “when are we moving” the collective answer is when the fit outs for both the stores and the warehouses is completed, the industry services are in place and that everyone can operate fully on opening day! If that means in 9 months or 15 months time then that is opening time.

Between now and then “Green for Go” means getting on with everything that has to be done to make it happen for you and your business!

In this edition of Fresh State of Affairs we are having a focus on relocation, particularly fit out options and

suppliers. I wish to thank the industry businesses who have supported this focus with their articles.

You will also notice that I have departed Barkers. I have some exciting

things developing that I will share with you in the near future and I thank everyone for their best wishes.

Fresh State Ltd makes this magazine available on the understanding the users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. Before relying on, or altering any business practices, users should carefully evaluate the ac-curacy, completeness and relevance of the information for their purpose and should obtain appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. This magazine contains views and recommendations that do not necessarily reflect the views of Fresh State Ltd.

Fresh State does not in any circumstances accept respon-sibility for the accuracy or suitability or otherwise of any in-

formation published in Fresh State of Affairs. Fresh State Ltd specifically disclaims all and any liability for loss or damage of any nature whatsoever and however arising, whether due to accuracy, error or omission or any other cause.

In addition, by using the information in this magazine, each user waives and releases Fresh State, its staff and agents from any and all claims relating to the use of this document. In no event shall Fresh State Ltd be liable for any consequential damages resulting from using the information in Fresh State of Affairs.

© Fresh State Ltd 2014

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior permission from Fresh State Ltd. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to:

The EditorFresh State of Affairs MagazineMarket Box 113, 542 Footscray RoadWest Melbourne VIC 3003

Disclaimer:

From the President

“Green for Go” means getting on with everything that has to be done to make it happen for you and your business!

what’s on:

Shane SchnitzlerPresident Fresh State Ltd.

04 OF AFFAIRS

Although difficult for all involved, the outcome for members and the MMA / State will mean that the model that has been arrived at is much more palatable and robust for all parties.

Court Case Concludes

COMPLETE

On 6 March 2014 before Justice Elliot

of the Supreme Court of Victoria, the

Group Action by 103 store holders

and Fresh State against the MMA

was settled. This brought to an

end the biggest battle of tenants

against the landlord

in the history of the

Melbourne Markets.

issue 21 april 2014

As mentioned in previous editions, the settlement was the result of negotiations between Fresh State and the MMA and State through October and November last year. Although difficult for all involved, the outcome for members and the MMA / State will mean that the model that has been arrived at is much more palatable and robust for all parties.

Some key points relating to the Group Action are:

• The settlement details required by the court from the plaintiffs remain confidential to the court. As part of the settlement each of the points in the settlement of claim need to be explained in that the negotiated outcome resulted in each of these being “fair and

reasonable” to the Group Members and that the negotiated settlement is far less expensive for all parties from a litigation perspective.

• The conditions of the settlement apply to the Plaintiffs, the MMA and all Group Members. It does not apply to the handful of store holders who opted out of the Group Proceeding, although the benefits have been passed onto them as well.

• The agreed side letters that protected those outside of the store holders or where areas of dispute rested now become active for addressing.

The signed Orders from Justice Elliot were released to the parties on 14 March 2014 and brings to conclusion the momentous action brought by Fresh State and members to protect their rights and business.

05relocation:

At a number of levels Fresh State has been engaging with the MMA and the State to progress the Epping relocation.These include:

• At a high level, discussions around opportunities for attracting new initiatives to the Epping facilities. These could include different things like attracting a wider range of food types and players so it moves towards a food hub rather than just a fruit and vegetable market; opportunities for utilising the precinct as the staging area for both the Federal and State Government’s initiatives as Australia’s food bowl to Asia through such things as value adding, AQIS clearance facilities, customs office; and as a transport hub.

• At a coal face level, holding weekly meetings with the MMA relocation team for the landlord’s alterations of the store. This marries into the store holders own fit out of their stores. The steering group has developed a “Dos and Don’ts” list to help storeholders through some of their store changes at Epping in a simpler way than the fitout guide sets out.

The green light for getting on

with Relocation

What are the next steps?

continued on page 6 >

06 OF AFFAIRS issue 21 april 2014

Store Holders

Store holder meetings commenced on 28 March and will continue into May for store holders to plan their fit out, go through the planning procedure, make application for their planning works, purchase and install equipment and ultimately receive their occupancy certificate and their authority to trade. This is no small task, as it is the process that gets the stores ready to com-mence trading at Epping.

Stand holders

The EOI for stands closed in late February. The initial indications were that a second round would be-come available but the MMA is recon-sidering the stand size. If the stand size is changed (unknown at the time of writing) then a new round of EOIs may need to be instigated. This could occur through April and a possible ballot for stand holders could occur in May.

Warehousing

Part A warehousing closed on 24 March. This is for shared warehousing between 100 – 900 m². The indications are that around 14,000 m² of Part A warehousing

will be needed and built by the MMA. The final binding commitment by those tenants was signed at the ballot registra-tion on 2 April prior to the ballot for position taking place on 11 April.

Part B warehousing is the stand alone warehousing of 1,000 m² or more in

close proximity to the store holders stores. Indications are that around 75,000 m² of this warehousing will be re-quired. However the current indications are non binding pending final draw-ings and pricing. This figure is likely to contract slightly in the coming month or so as store holders work through their business modeling.

A difficultly for many store holders has been working out their business model and how they wish to operate their businesses. This is in the light that their Footscray Road holdings have evolved

over many years and are constrained by being landlocked or that their customer base has changed and is continuing to change. This is a new opportunity for many people so separating what they want from affordability and business direction is the juggling act!

Support Services

These are the Cafés, short term hire businesses, un-loaders and the like that are necessary services to the store holders, and their customers. Forklift service companies, gas stations and the Credit Service are similarly

important support businesses that are critical to the function of the markets and the market community.

These business activities will now progress at the same time as the store alterations and fit outs take place, the construction and fit out of the ware-housing and other things yet unseen. After these will come the traffic plans including parking plan, finalisation of the new market hours and the OH & S plan, as well as the all important market rules.

This is a new opportunity for many people so separating what they want from affordability and business direction is the juggling act!

relo

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07

The Relocation ‘deal’ has now been brought to an end with all boxes ticked that needed to be ticked.

fsl:

“The Relocation ‘deal’ has now been brought to an end with all boxes ticked that needed to be ticked,” said Fresh State President Shane Schnitzler.

“With the exception of side letters that still need to be dealt with, we are mov-ing forward”.

Shane said that Fresh State had now ‘kissed and made up’ (with proponents to the Court action) and were ‘getting on with business’.

“The ‘deal’ that has been struck repre-sents better value to everyone in this room collectively and we now have an improved model,” continued Shane.

“It has been hard logistically to close a group action that has 103 members but it has now been finalised.”

The meeting concluded with a pre-sentation by Mark Maskiell, CEO of the Melbourne Market Authority, in rela-tion to the Landlord requirements and updates on the new market relocation.

Mid Year Meeting

MARCH

Michael reiterated that the ACCC was an enforcement agency and its job was to administer the law using the following tools:

1. Administrative resolution;2. Undertakings pursuant to Section 87B of the Act; and3. Court Action in the most serious of cases.

Other powers of the ACCC include:

• Issuing Notices – Substantiate, Public Warning and Infringement

• Non party redress

• Civil pecuniary penalties

• Audits on businesses (non financial)

Michael said that audits had been conducted on businesses since 2011. “Sometimes it is completely random and sometimes it is dependent on background information” he said. “We are not trying to drown you in paper, it’s more about getting the information we need”.

Out of the ten enforcement outcomes under the Hort Code to date, nine have had court enforceable undertakings with one case of litigation.

The Fresh State Mid Year Meeting was held on 25 March 2014. Members were given an overview of what has been happening at Fresh State over the last six months as well as a comprehensive sum-mary of the group action, its settlement and our upcoming relocation to Epping.

Presentation on the Epping Relocation by MMA: CEO Mark Maskiell, Relo-cation Project Director Susie Pascoe and COO David Whitchelo.

Guest Speaker Michael Schaper, Deputy Chair of the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) presented an overview of the Hort Code to members filling previously unanswered gaps for wholesalers regarding the requirements of the Code.

Fresh State President, Shane Schnitzler and Michael Schaper, ACCC Deputy Chair.

OF AFFAIRS issue 21 april 201408

‘Tony’s Take’ on the Autumn Season

“Bowen and Bundaberg regions growing mainly tomatoes, capsicums, eggplants, zucchini’s and sweet corn should all be on time and with normal production levels”.

Southern Queensland (Gympy district) have had water shortage issues which may have a slight impact on the season, predominately beans” continued Tony. “But this shouldn’t disrupt supply too much.” There has been a shortage of avocados up until Autumn but from here on, quantity will improve and therefore prices will adjust accordingly.

All local growing areas in Victoria are reporting normal growing conditions and there should be the usual level of supply of all vegetable lines.

In banana country the season should again be ‘normal’. “There will be periods of glut which is a usual occurance but we are also looking forward to an uninterrupted season - give or take a cyclone”. However Tony is quick to note that the cyclone season is all but over so we should be good to go which is good news for banana lovers.

Domenic Biviano from Biviano & Sons (refer to Special Feature on Page 10) says bananas are without doubt the most popular produce in his shop. “Banana’s are always number one” he says. “They are a convenient healthy snack with their own natural wrapper and customers know this and buy buy buy”.

All local growing areas in Victoria are reporting normal growing conditions and there should be the usual level of supply of all vegetable lines.

Fresh State’s intrepid fresh produce investigator Tony Nigro has given his stamp of approval on the Autumn and Winter season for 2014. Subject to regular weather conditions, Tony says we are looking ahead to an uninterrupted ‘normal’ season of good supply …

Tony gives the Autumn Season his stamp of approval and it all looks ‘normal’

tony

’s ta

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‘Tony’s Take’ on the Autumn Season

09

Since 2007, Data Fresh has the been a reliable source of accurate market prices for the industry and it’s figures are eagerly hunted down by the pow-ers that be in the industry.

“Usually Monday sets a trend for the week and supply and demand plays a big part in the prices for the rest of the week.” Says Tony Nigro who col-lates the data. For example, if toma-toes are $30 on a Monday, forthcom-ing supplies for the rest of the week will determine where the price goes from there.”

Data Fresh is a price reporting service that discloses the wholesale price of fresh produce being sold by Mel-bourne Market Wholesalers on a daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. In

fact the system is even more flexible than that. It is able to provide a report specific to your requirements depend-ing on regularity, seasons and can even drill down to the type of pro-duce you want information on.

Tony obtains the data directly from the wholesalers and knows more about what comes into and goes of the of the market than anyone. He is on the market floor at 6.30 am keep-ing tabs on prices and back in the Fresh State office by 9.30 am to enter data so that it can be accessed online by midday.

Data Fresh price reporting data is used by a range of businesses from growers, wholesalers and retailers through to government bodies and

industry associations. “The Mar-ket used to be a barometer for the economy but now a lot of produce is going through direct channels and therefore we don’t have the same level of knowledge of supply and de-mand that we used to have” explains Tony. Even so, these days it is the only data on pricing available from the Melbourne Wholesale Market and is in high demand.

Providing regular seasonal updates all year round …

Ingredients:

• 100g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

• 100g good-quality milk chocolate, chopped

• 100g good-quality white chocolate, chopped

• 500g strawberries, washed, dried

1. Place dark chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 second intervals stirring in between each interval with a metal spoon until chocolate is melted.

2. Repeat for white and milk chocolate (in separate bowls).

3. Dip half a strawberry in the melted chocolate and chill until ready to eat.

You can experiment with different fruits such as the popular banana, kiwi fruit and even oranges for a variety of flavours….

Easter TreatWith Easter just around the corner,

why not add some produce to your chocolate with this easy and yummy treat for the whole family

Chocolate dipped strawberries

To subscribe please contact the Fresh State office on 03 9689 3233 between 6am and 2pm Monday to Friday or send an email to [email protected]

10 OF AFFAIRSm

mcs

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s:issue 21 april 2014

Situated in a strip shopping centre in Fairfield in the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, the store caters for ‘yup-pies’ and young professionals who have an acquired taste according to shop owner and matriarch Domenic Biviano.

“Many of the migrants have now moved on and we definitely have a yuppie market” he says. “They demand quality and are extremely choosey so our products have to be top grade”.

Domenic and his wife Erica took over the business from Domenic’s father Jack soon after they were married and had four children while juggling the growing business. Jack had started the business in 1967 and Domenic would help after school. Little would Jack have known at the time that he had created the beginning of an empire that would keep generations of Bi-viano’s employed and passionate about fresh produce.

But Biviano & Sons is not all that meets the eye. Along with a large retail fruit and vegetable shop that has a flower display in the centre to rival the

Melbourne Flower Show, there is also a grocery section that stocks hard to find and unique products. “We like to be a bit different to normal fruit shops and supermarkets” continues Domenic. “Point of difference is important to us”.

Then there is the butcher shop that connects to the shop and employs six butchers. “This is a very effective and important part of the business” contin-ues Domenic. “All the meat and small goods are prepared on the premises. It is an ‘old time’ butcher shop”.

And then there is the providoring busi-ness. “We started providoring ten years

ago. The boys (Domenic’s sons) were keen and in the game and wanted to expand the business. There were a few inquiries so we started from there”. Domenic says they started acquiring customers a few at a time and today

run eleven vans on the road.

With the busi-nesses doing so well, they quickly outgrew the retail shop which was bursting at the seams, and in 2013 a ware-house was pur-chased down the road. “The ware-

house has had a big impact. We can carry more stock and the facilities are great so that we can get stock ready for the restaurants. It has now become the foundation of the business.”

Like many in the trade, Domenic is up every morning at 3.00 am to go to the Melbourne Wholesale Markets so that he can see the produce first hand. Erica

Walking into the retail store at Biviano & Sons is like walking into another world, or in the Biviano sense, an empire.

“We are very lucky to have our family working in the business … It’s been a long journey since 1967. We are a three generational business but we are now consciously pulling back to let the children take a more leading role.

11m

mcs business:

gets up too “I make him a warm drink and walk him to the door” she says.

Sons John (Warehouse Manager), Daniel (Market and Stock Manager) and son in law Jordan also go to the market with him. “We have two big trucks and need to buy a lot of stock for the business. We also like to see the produce before we buy it.” Now with the warehouse in full production, more stock can be stored, cleaned and prepared ready for sale.

Domenic’s daughter Anita is the Office Manager at the warehouse and also manages their online business. “We started our website four years ago and online sales were the next step and is an attractive addition to our customers. The retail shop is still very popular because people like to touch and feel produce” added Domenic. “But the online service is there for people that want to use it”.

Succession Planning has worked well for this growing enterprise. “We are very lucky to have our family working in the business” says Erica. “It’s been a long journey since 1967. We are a three generational business but we are now consciously pulling back to let the children take a more leading role”.

With the move to the Epping market less than a year away, the next challenge will be logistics. “We are geographically trapped here in Fairfield” says Domenic. “There will be a lot of traffic on our drive back from Epping but that is just the way it is”. With a history of adapting and keeping up with changes in the industry, Biviano & Sons will no doubt embrace this new chal-lenge and any opportunities that arise along the way.

Biviano & Sons have been in the Melbourne Markets Credit Service for the past 15 years and use the Melbourne Markets Credit Service because:

1. No need to carry money

2. Likes only getting one bill

3. Quick and easy to pay rather than writing hundreds of cheques

4. Great service and everyone gets paid.

(a) The warehouse team – Anita, Jordan, Domenic and John.

(b) The retail store team – Effie, Domenic, Shane, Erica and Joanne.

We like to be a bit different to normal fruit

shops and supermarkets … Point of difference is

important to us.

[a]

[b]


New Zealand’s most innovative fresh produce companies will be the star attractions of a tour this June, following the Fresh Connections conference and trade show in Auckland.

From state of the art growing and harvesting facilities and pre-mium new products, to cutting-edge technology, research, and equipment, Fresh Connections delegates will experience a diverse and fascinating look at all stages of fresh produce produc-tion when the post-conference tour heads to the Pukekohe region south of Auckland.

Australian Chamber President Shane Schnitzler is enthusiastic about the produce tour and thinks it is something Australian wholesalers are really going to find interesting.

“The tour will take delegates to the Pukekohe area which has some world class operations,” he said. “It is an opportunity to see first hand and in real time what the New Zealand growers are up to and the quality they are providing to market which , as wholesalers is important to our business and clients.”

Delegate tours have always been a highlight at the Fresh Connec-tions conferences. “ The retail tour will kick off the conference, and

Produce Tour to Pukekohe to be a highlight at Fresh Connections 2014

Fresh Connections delegates will experience a diverse and fascinating look at all stages of fresh produce production when the post-conference tour heads to the Pukekohe region south of Auckland.

13

the Pukekohe produce tour will finish the conference” continued Shane. “It is a good fit and leaves the weekend free for those wanting to stay in New Zea-land to explore and have a mini break”.

Venue # 1: Compac Sorting Equipment:

The produce tour will begin with a visit to Compac Sorting Equipment, a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of smart produce handling solutions and equipment to packing operations around the world. With a track re-cord in the development of leading edge technology and software, and a strong focus on continuous develop-ment and improve-ment, tour-goers will experience some of their most innova-tive technology first hand – including a sneak peak at some prototypes not yet to market!

Venue #2: Snap Fresh Foods:

The tour will then go on to Snap Fresh Foods, a leader in their sec-tor of the industry. With the latest technology, led by sustainable farming, Snap Fresh Foods are able to sustainably grow, process, and distribute safe and nutritious fresh food choices to meet high consumer expectations. As the first company to introduce bagged salads and baby peeled car-rots into the NZ marketplace, the visit to Snap Fresh Foods’ Rangiriri growing operations will enable delegates to experience the innovative practices involved in planting and harvesting

products such as micro greens, baby lettuce, and well-known brand Vital Vegetables; while gaining an under-standing of the complexities of grow-ing and harvesting these specialised products.

Venue #3: AS Wilcox & Sons

The next stop will be at AS Wilcox & Sons to experience both their grow-ing and pack house operations, while gaining insight into how innovation impacts each part of their business. With continuous research and devel-opment of new varieties of potatoes, carrots and onions, Wilcox’s innova-

tion not only satisfies taste buds but also provides the convenience many people seek in their busy lives. To en-sure the freshest, best tasting product is served, constant testing and tasting is conducted from the time a new seed is selected, quarantined and trialled. In addition, Wilcox persistently trials new

packaging, cool storage and harvesting methods as part of their quality control.

Venue #4: Plant & Food Research

Rounding out the tour will be a visit to the Plant & Food Research facility in Auckland. Providing scientific research and development that adds value to fruit, vegetable, crop and food prod-ucts, Plant & Food Research supports the sustainable production of high quality produce that earns a premium in international markets, as well as driving the design and development of new and novel functional foods that offer benefits to human health and

wellbeing.

Plant & Food Research’s Yvonne McDiarmid says it’s a fantastic oppor-tunity for delegates to explore the science and technology behind their products that ensures fresh produce deliv-ers the best consumer experience.

“Over the last 90 years, Plant & Food Research has built a wide range of experience in understanding fresh produce, from breed-ing new cultivars and developing sustainable production systems that optimise chemical usage through to iden-tifying the compounds in foods that support health and wellness. The fundamental science behind our research, including un-derstanding consumer preferences and how

produce behaves postharvest, helps us deliver, for our industries, premium produce that commands a premium price.”

Registrations for PMA Fresh Connections are now open. To register, please visit www.pmafreshconnections.com.au

fresh connections 2014:

Images:

Top Left: Exploring the science behind the product at Plant & Food Research.

Bottom left: Innovation at Snap Fresh Foods.

Right centre: irrigating onion crops at Pukekohe.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for delegates to explore the science and technology behind their products that ensures fresh produce delivers the best consumer experience.”

PMA Fresh Connections is giving members of the Australian and New Zealand fresh produce industry the chance to WIN your way to the 2014 conference and trade show in Auckland, 24-26 June. > To enter, visit www.pmafreshconnections.com.au/win


But these days things are different. The supply chain has evolved and taken ev-eryone with it from growers through to retailers. Growers up north are growing more to cater for us down south, logis-tics are smarter in keeping the produce fresher for longer, and consumers are spoilt for choice. Supermarkets control the point of sale pricing for consistency and everyone else falls into line.

From a wholesaler point of view, variety is greater than ever. “Absolutely” says Alan Dykes from Dykes Bros Pty Ltd, one of Melbourne’s oldest wholesaling companies. “Years ago the first rock-melons might be in by Christmas but by March they would be finished. Now they are available twelve months of

the year”. This is thanks to the climate of Australia, the choice of different growing regions and conditions and of course the ability to transport.

Alan says the produce is still just as fresh. “The major change in the last twenty years has been the pre cooling and refrig-erated transport – there is only one day’s difference for produce shipped from interstate compared to local produce”.

And the spread of the season also increases potential of businesses believes Alan. “Imported products such as cherries, changes a customer’s price perspective” he says. “As the price consumers pay for imports increases, so does the margin for other produce which is a good thing for us”.

Brett Collins at Perfection Fresh agrees that variety is abundant. “We are selling produce 52 weeks a year due to demand from customers”. However Brett says at certain times of the year the margin is actually reduced due to transport costs.

“If the produce is grown in Queensland, you are paying more due to the freight so in winter the prices are generally higher”.

Of course there are different models of wholesaling with some wholesalers working on gross margins and others not but at the end of the day most wholesalers agree that the produce is the same quality regardless of seasonality. “As long as good cold chain

There is no such thing as ‘in season’ anymoreBack when we were young we would eat according to the seasons – zucchini in Summer and broccoli in Winter. If you wanted cherries, you would wait in eager anticipation for Summer (normally Christmas) for the first bite of the juicy treat.

15seasonality of fresh produce:

practices are prevalent on farms then the product remains fresh” adds Brett.

And then there is the introduction and proliferation of glass houses for produce such as tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini’s – you name it. These hot spots protect produce from the forces of nature as well as providing a snug breeding ground for quick growing warm weather vegetables. They make the provision of these vege-tables even more readily available be-cause the weather conditions have been

mitigated.

“Hydroponic glass-house tomatoes

have totally

changed the tomato market” continues Alan. “Jointed varieties like truss cherry tomatoes, are selling a lot more than field varieties due to the flavour”. Even when field tomatoes are in limited supply you still have availability from other areas.

The new trend of constant supply of fresh produce in Australia and the phasing out of ‘in season’ produce means one thing – there is continuous supply.

“When there is continuity of supply the prices tend to remain more stable and the eventual winner will be the end user (consumer)” says Tony Nigro, Fresh State’s Price Reporting Manager. “From a wholesaling point of view it would probably be more advantageous if there were peaks and troughs for prices to respond accordingly.”

“The grower and the wholesaler are constrained at the point of sale by supply and demand whereas the retailer is not.” continues Tony. “The grower and wholesaler can only really offset additional costs by improving his/her efficiency, whereas the retailer has the additional benefit of passing on any higher prices to the consumer.”

“Large supermarkets chains, led by consumer demand and expectation, like to provide a consistent supply and keep

the prices relatively constant. They (supermarkets) have a large influence

on the price point and this filters through the industry.”

So it is a catch 22. The supply of a variety of fresh produce

twelve months a year regardless of seasonality provides a constant

supply in the market place. This moves more produce through the system which doesn’t necessarily equate to

more profitable businesses for growers, wholesalers and small retailers.

When thinking logically about the availability of produce, ‘in season’

promotion is probably more marketing hype than the reality on the ground. Perhaps the tagline

should read ‘locally grown’ instead.

But at the end of the day one thing is certain - the consumer is the ultimate winner, with availability of fresh produce all year round at competitive prices.

The major change in the last twenty years has been the pre cooling and refrigerated transport – there is only one day’s difference for produce shipped from interstate compared to local produce.

The consumer is the ultimate winner,

with availability of fresh produce all year round at

competitive prices.

16 issue 21 april 2014OF AFFAIRS

The Chiko Roll is iconic to Australians with its catch cry ‘Grab a Chiko’ and familiar logo found on many fish and chips shops and Milk Bars (what’s left of them) across our suburbs and towns. A Chiko Roll is perfect on a cold winters day at the football, added to your Friday night takeaway order or just to eat because you can.It is also loaded with a heap of pro-duce - celery, cabbage, barley, rice, carrot, onion and green beans plus chopped meat and spices, wrapped in a cylinder tube of egg and flour dough which is then deep-fried.

Invented by Frank McEncroe, a boil-ermaker from Bendigo, the Chiko Roll was introduced to the world at the 1951 Wagga Wagga Show. McEncroe came up with the concept after he saw a competitor selling Chinese

chop suey rolls outside the Richmond Cricket Ground.

In the 1960s, McEncroe moved to Melbourne with his family where he began to manufacture the rolls with the help of a sausage machine. As the product became more popular, McEn-

croe moved to a larger factory with more modern equipment in North Es-sendon and later merged with a local company called Floyd’s Iceworks to form Frozen Food Industries Pty Ltd.

By 1965, the Chiko Roll was well and truly integrated onto Australian take-away food menus. At the height of its popularity in the 1970s, 40 million

Chiko Rolls were being sold Australia-wide each year and more than one million were exported to Japan.

Increasing competition in the Austra-lian takeaway food market in recent decades has seen a decline in the pro-file of the Chiko Roll, but they are still

widely available at fish and chips shops and supermarkets across Australia.

A recent bail out by the NSW government has seen Chiko Roll owner JR Simplot rescued after

viability issues ran the risk of clos-ing down the Bathurst plant which employs 195 people. The move has been applauded by the peak agricul-tural body NSW Farmers, which says many local vegetable farmers sell their goods to JR Simplot.

Long live the Chiko Roll.

At the height of its popularity in the 1970s, 40 million Chiko Rolls were being sold Australia-wide each year and more than one million were exported to Japan.

OUR CHIKO ROLL LIVES ON

DID YOU KNOW?

The Chiko Roll was replicated in gold in 2001 to celebrate its 50th anniversary and presented to the Mayor of Wagga Wagga.

It is now on display at the Museum of the Riverina in Wagga Wagga.

chik

o ro

ll:

17

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18 Epping tour pictorial

20 Fit out facts

21 Cool Dynamics

22 Tenant fit out summary

23 I Do Group

24 SBP Australia

25 Business planning

26 Melbourne Insurance Brokers

28 Brady IPS

29 One Stop Shelving

30 Commercial & General Coolrooms

31 Sheren Electrics

32 Max Doors

33 ALADN System Solutions

What you need to know to prepare for the big MOVE

contents

special feature:18 issue 21 april 2014OF AFFAIRS

(1) Carmel Ruffo, Tripod Farmers: “This facility is amazing but not sure of practicality. Are the buyers going to walk the whole floor or just do a quick grab?”Jo Ruffo, Tripod Farmers: “We won’t know how it will go until it starts operating but at the end of the day we have to make it work”.

(2) Grant Thomas, Moraitis: “I live locally but this is the first time I have been here. I think this is the change that the market needs. We have got to get out of the 1970’s and into the 2020’s.”

(3) Cory, Colibah Herbs: “Not sure if there is enough room to fit us all in our store!”

Raj, Colibah Herbs: “Worried about what routes trucks are going to take to get to Epping from Mornington.”

(4) Cory, Just Onions: “Interested in warehousing side of things. All comes down to the cost but the good thing is we get to start a fresh I guess.”

(5) Wes, Gramco: “An interesting shape - there is a big distance between one end of the market and the other.”

(6) John, Elite Fruit: “Epping is further away so more inconvenient but we just have to work with it”.

So, what do YOU think of

1

5 6 7 8

19

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And you said:

the new Epping Market?

(7) Cormac Te Kloot, Costa Farms: “It’s massive! Will be interesting to see how all the traffic flows.”

(8) Phil Basile, Pat and Dean Sculli from Sculli & Co: “The warehouses seem to be closer to the stores which is a good thing but we are worried about where the retailers will be parked so we can service them.”

(9) Zvonko, Fresh Cut Processors: “Until you see the final fit out you just don’t know what to expect.”

9

2 3 4


The Top 12 fit out facts highlight areas that you should consider for your business fit out and the following pages will guide you through the process.

This Relocation Special Feature has been designed so that you have as much information to help you relocate your business to the new market at Epping. It is all about staying ahead of game and being prepared.The timeline above shows that warehousing and the tenant fit out process has commenced which is important news for wholesalers and means it is time to GO GO GO in preparation for your new set up – whether it be one or more stores and/or additional warehousing at Epping.

Epping site practical

completion

Appointment ofHansen Yuncken

Aug 13 Mar 14 Aug 14 Mar 15

Defect recti�cation

Operational transition

Allocation ballot Construction completion

Market Opening Date to occur within this period

Part A: Warehousing

Finalised demand Construction completion

Part B: Warehousing

Construction completion

Tenant brie�ngscommence

Design sign o� Fit-out commencement

Landlord works: tenancies

Tenant �tout

Top 12 Fit Out Facts:

What you need to think about for the move:

Stores

1) Refrigeration

2) Design (if required) – internal cool rooms,

downstairs office, dry area, lighting

3) Office – air conditioning, pasterboard, lighting,

cabling (if needed), fixtures and fittings

4) Pallet Racking

5) Software

6) Recruitment (people)

Warehouse

1) Design – cool rooms, loading/unloading,

work area, office, amenities, flooring

2) Paneling & external doors

3) Refrigeration – internal cool rooms,

capacity and type

4) Pallet racking

5) Software

6) Recruitment

Fit out facts:

The MMA are undertaking concurrent activities to transition to the current site in preparation for the commencement of operations.

21

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We are here for your RELOCATION

Cool Dynamics areVictorian agents for Snowkey Australia Ice flakers

F: 03 97082662E: [email protected]

OPERATING DIRECTORS:Phillip Dodds 0417 724 728Troy Adams 0418 598 52303 9775 1244

E: admin@cooldynamicselectrical.com.auwww.cooldynamicselectrical.com.au

ELECTRICAL MANAGING DIRECTOR: Michael Hibbert 0477 773 933

1800 772 753

OH&S Compliance Certificate AS4801

REC 23279


Wholesale Tenancies

Work to encompass:• Inclusion of Steel beams

at rear of tenancies (Inside back wall 1 metre)

• Ceilings at height of 8m

• Dropping of sprinklers into new ceilings

• Replacement of back doors with refrigerated horizontal sliding doors (equivalent to front doors)

• Potential may exist for one alternative door to be offered being a refrigerated vertical rise door

• Site establishment underway with works to commence 31 March 2014

• Work to be completed using 4 concurrent work sites around the trading floor

• Works planned for completion 31 July 2014

Opportunity may exist for early handover to some tenants to commence fit-out works

Developer Warehousing (Hansen Yuncken)

• There is approximately 95,000m2 interest to date

• Demand exists for all pads with the current expectation that the site will be full

• Draft mapping of demand to location has commenced

• Each business will complete a Heads of Agreement with Hansen Yuncken

• Timing will be finalised on completion of relevant financing with target completion of all Warehousing by early 2015.

What is left to be completed at Epping?

With final touches currently being made at the new market site. Here are some more facts and figures from the Melbourne Market Authority you need to know in order to be prepared for the move …

Identified warehouse pads for Part B warehousing as indicated in blue.

23

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At I do Group we know how important a� ordable and reliable refrigeration is

to your business.

We take the time to make sure the design, construction and maintenance of your system is suited to your speci� c needs, and that it will do the job that your business relies upon.

Just compare the di� erences:

• Australian agent for Ethy-Gen® Ripening Systems – the safe and price sensitive solution to ripening, that uses no � ammable gasses or ongoing bottle rental

• Refrigeration solutions with built in redundancy – to keep your cool rooms operational

• ‘Original’ ultra high humidity technology

• Tailored solutions to suit your budget – Tailored solutions to suit your budget – get the solution that’s right for you

• Service you can count on – guaranteed response service packages available.

Does your business depend on refrigeration and ripening systems?

P 03 9708 2540E [email protected]

P 03 9708 2540E [email protected]

I do GroupRefrigeration ElectricalAircon

Contact us today to discuss how we can help!

Refrigeration Post Harvest High Humidity Cooling Process Cooling Air Conditioning Electrical Control


http://www.sbpa.com.au/ | T: 07 3270 2200 | F: 07 3270 2299

As a major builder, supplier and sup-porter of the fresh fruit and vegetable cold storage industry SBP Australia are able to design and construct cold storage facilities to suit any cold stor-age requirement.

“We have been involved in the build of Costa Farms 2000m2 banana rip-ening facility at the Brisbane Markets as well as their ripening rooms here in De-rimut, Victoria” says Managing Director, Max Burns.

SBP’s “in-house” designed and manu-factured cold store facility doors are made to suit all client requirements including-Swing, Sliding, Vertical Slide, Pipe hinged, L-Shape, Bi-Part Slide or Swing, Vertical Sectional, Rapid Roll and all types of Automated

doors which has made the product popular with businesses together with their own designed and manufactured full surround and short post door bollards.

However Max says that the ‘jewel in the crown’ of a SBP Australia cold

store facility build is their racking sys-tem. “We have a non comparable life time guarantee” he says. “The racking is specifically designed for the fruit and vegetable industry. We construct our racking to last using certified heavy duty hot dipped galvanised

steel with a standard capacity of 1.2 tonne per pallet which can be in-creased depending on client needs.”

Max believes SBP can provide a great option to Melbourne Wholesalers as they plan their move to the Epping Market whether they are fitting out

their stores or their warehouses.

“Our racking systems answer the needs of most storage require-ments with our drive-in, selective, double deep, back to back,

fast cool plus banana ripening with fully adjustable racking feet to suit uneven or sloping concrete surfaces.”

SBP offer racking and coolroom solutions for Epping move

We have a non comparable life time guarantee … The racking is specifically designed for the fruit and vegetable industry.

SBP Australia’s 25 plus years in the insulated panel cold storage industry has given them the opportunity to expand and achieve the status of one of the preferred cold storage facility providers throughout Australia.

25

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Some of these parameters include:

• Do I stick to my store allocation

• Do I buy someone else’s allocation or sell mine

• How do I work my business

• What do I need if I work it under an open plan model and do I install (at my cost) internal cool room

• What would be my refrigeration requirements and costs under the different models

• What would be my staffing levels and flow of business under these models

• Do I get stand space or do I want it (if I am eligible)

• What warehousing will I need or not need.

The golden rule of planning is to be conservative, over estimate cost,

under estimate income and work the space as hard as you can!

If you require help in this area, book a meeting

at Fresh State and we will point you in the right direction to find out the answers.

One of the hardest parts for store holders and for that mat-ter all tenants at Footscray Road has been the uncertainty. This has constrained business planning development.

Business PlanningWhat is a business plan? A business plan is a written summary and evaluation of your business idea. It enables you to think through all the facets of a your business and to examine strategies relative to management, marketing, finance and people, and the consequences.

The business plan will identify areas of strength and weakness and show you the probability of success and your ability to make it work.

How do I write a business plan? Preparation of a business plan is the most important task to be undertaken by the business. The process of preparing a business plan provides an opportunity to test your commitment and motivation.

The component elements of your business plan will include details concerning the industry in which you operate and your product or service, together with marketing, production, personnel, financial and management strategies. It should also address the reason the business exists, its location, structure, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and a resume of the proprietor/s.

Planning doesn’t stop once you have established your business. A business plan is a living document which should be revisited on a regular basis and when major events occur, such as relocating a business, hiring employees or expanding the business

For templates on writing a business plan go to: www.business.gov.au

The golden rule of planning is to be conservative, over estimate cost, under estimate income and work the space as hard as you can!


For Epping, the three options you have are:

1. Take out Rental Bond Insurance cover for the required amount at a fraction of the actual value of the bond.

2. Provide the MMA with cash/cheque resulting in your funds being tied up until the end of the lease,

3. Organise a bank bill for the amount; the downside is that you tie up your cash/assets which could be better utilised elsewhere.

The leases for stores at Epping require a total of six months rental bond or other option on opening day. This will mean that wholesalers would be paying less than 4% for the Rental Bond with the MMA compared to options 2 or 3. Warehouse leases at Epping will also require a similar six month Rental Bond, and compared to Footscray Road, no personnel guarantees will be required for Epping.

INSURANCE FOR EPPING

Protect Yourself and Preserve Your Cash!Many wholesalers are already aware of the huge benefits to their business of taking out Rental Bond Insurance that satisfy the lease requirements with the MMA.

27

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1. Liability Insurance, incorporating Public and Products Liability is another standard insurance cover required under your store and warehouse lease conditions and for all stand licence holders.

2. The Epping leases stipulate that you are required to be covered for your equipment, contents and stock against fire and perils including water damage etc. This cover can easily be incorporated with Liability and Rental Bond cover under a Business Insurance policy. Business insurance is sometimes overlooked but businesses can be substantially out of pocket if, for example, they have to dispose of produce due to smoke damage from a fire – the cost of insurance is small when compared to the downside!

3. A new requirement is to include protec-tion against “the financial consequence of interruption caused to the Tenant’s business;” this is known as Business In-terruption (BI) insurance and is a form of income protection for the business in the event an insurance claim occurs result-ing in loss of revenue for the business

The premiums for both Fire and BI are un-fortunately on the increase due to the high level of EPS material involved in most of your operations and a number of substan-tial claims paid by various insurers in recent years. But we have been able to obtain significant discounts to normal insurance rates charged by various insurers.

Some of the covers available under a Business Insurance policy which are relevant include protection against loss due to:

• Loss of cash – protects you in the event money is lost or stolen whilst on the premises, away from the premises, en route to the bank or your private residence

• Burglary – loss of stock or equipment

• Machinery Breakdown – cost of repairing cool room motors; this won’t be so relevant for you in the first twelve months of moving to the new market as your equipment provider will most likely provide a warranty

4. A comprehensive but yet under-valued cover is Manage-ment Liability Insurance. Management Liability Insurance aims to cover the economic loss exposures associated

with managing a business. Protection is provided for both the entity (company) and individuals, such as direc-tors, managers and employees who can all face claims against them arising from

• Employees eg. Wrongful dismissal

• Shareholders

• Competitors eg. Breach of copyright

• Creditors eg. Operating whilst technically insolvent

• Regulators eg. ACCC, ASIC or ATO

• Clients

• Liquidators and /or Administrators

Management Liability cover has evolved from Directors and Officers cover with additional protection provided against claims arising in the following areas:

• Employment Practices Liability eg. Wrongful Dismissal; bullying in the workplace;

• OH&S investigation costs

• Theft by employees – can be cash or stock

• Statutory Liability/Pecuniary Penalty – protection against fines

• Tax Investigation; and of course

• Directors and Officers – both the Company and Individual

We have had numerous clients experience claims in these areas over the last twelve months and in some cases having the cover has been the difference between cease trading and able to continue to trade.

For any assistance or further information please contact either Sandi or Mark via phone (9686 0688) or email ([email protected] or [email protected]).

By combining many of the wholesalers together under a program organised by Fresh State and the Melbourne Insurance Brokers, we have helped obtain substantial savings for most wholesalers for the last fifteen years.

Both the Rental Bond and Liability Insurance program runs from 30 June each year and we are available to assist business owners at the market to participate in the program and avail themselves of the savings that can be provided.

What other insurance will you need?


Brady IPS is a family owned and operated company based in Melbourne, specialising in the design and construction of temperature controlled environments used for cold storage rooms.

With an emphasis on energy efficient construction systems, we look at providing our clients with the choice of the latest technologies with insulated panel and door systems.

With the move to Epping less than one year away, it’s time to start thinking

COOLROOMS

• Complete Facility Fit Outs• ‘FM’ Approved Systems• Cool Rooms• Production Areas• Coving Systems• Custom Manufactured Insulated Doors• Controlled Atmosphere / ULO Rooms• Preventative Maintenance Solutions• Ongoing Maintenance

[email protected]

Call: 1300 884 090

Combined with our high quality workmanship, Brady IPS creates an unrivalled package for cold storage environments. From individual Coolrooms, CA and ULO rooms, processing and packaging areas through to cold storage distribution warehouses, our specialist expertise covers it all.

Cameron Nichol, a Director at Flavorite says they chose Brady IPS due to their quality reputation. “Not only is their (Brady IPS’s) workmanship top notch but they also have innovate design features that have not been seen in Australia before,” he said.

To assist you with all your warehousing and store needs at Epping, please contact Paul direct on mobile 0407 502 228 for free no obligation quotation.

Brady IPS Clients include:

• Flavorite Marketing• Moraitis• Holman Fresh• Gazzola Farms• Favero Gardens

• Schreurs & Sons• Supherb Herbs• Tesselaars Flowers• May Flowers and

more …


[email protected]

Call: 1300 884 090


[email protected]

Call: 1300 884 090

Call: 1300 884 [email protected]

29

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Your Racking Supplier!

Paul is your contact for all your racking needs. He has worked with Footscray Market designing and supplying storage solutions for over 15 years. He really understands the key drivers of the fresh produce industry.

One Stop has you covered for you’re Warehouse and Cool Room rack needs as well as maintenance and inspections.

With the upcoming move to Epping, we have you covered for all your shelving and racking needs.

Drive In rack dramatically increases your storage capacity. Our Drive In solution fully eliminates picking aisles and is the perfect solution for full capacity storage. Our system provides safe block stacking efficency for delicate goods that cannot be loaded on top of each other. It is extreemly robust and durable.

Our Selective Rack installations are extremely efficient for utilising space and are fully customisable for your storage solution. Due to it’s modular form, our selective rack can be easily adjusted to your needs and can accommodate goods of all weights and sizes.

Paul Blizzard: 0417 693 076

p. 03 9587 1830 | f. 03 9587 3672 www.commgen.com.au | [email protected]

Commercial & General Coolrooms

p. 03 9587 1830 | f. 03 9587 3672 2/2 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, 3195 | PO Box 281, Braeside, 3195

www.commgen.com.au | [email protected]

Commercial Builder Unlimited CB-U3556

Master Builders GOLD Members

Refrigerated Warehousing / Transport Association

WORLD RENOWNED INFLATABLE DOCK SEALS

We are a family owned company; over our 31 years of operation much has changed while much has stayed the same. We are passionate about ensuring that our clients are serviced to their exacting requirements and are always looked after. We work with you from primary planning, all the way through to project completion with an all-encompassing approach that draws upon our extensive experience within the industry.

Key to this is our directors – with over 120 years combined experience in the construction of cold storage facilities over a number of industries, including consistently working in the Melbourne Markets since 1968, our clients always rest assured that not only are they dealing with the principal and director, but that our philosophy is to ensure we are absolutely in tune with our customers needs.

No job has ever been too big or too small for us - We have constructed total turnkey operations throughout Australia. We know what it takes to construct a highly efficient, practical and cost-effective facility, and draw upon our multitude of previous projects to help design customised solutions.

“I have dealt with Commercial & General Coolrooms over the past 6 years, and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone… Commercial & General consistently meet incredibly tight deadlines with high-quality workmanship and attention to detail”

- Dale Jarvie (Metromotion)

“We have found them (Commercial & General Coolrooms) to be very professional in their attitude and work ethic and we will continue to seek their services in any new ventures we undertake.”

-Nick Kapiris (Kapiris Bros. (Vic.))


















































































































Tel: (03) 9457 [email protected] | www.sheren.com.au

24 HOUR SERVICE 7 DAYS A WEEK

“We aim to provide our clients with a service that exceeds all customer expectations in price and quality; and to ensure all our business

relationships are nurtured based on honesty, loyalty and integrity.”- Glenn Williams Managing Director

SPECIALISING IN:

NATA CERTIFIED coolroom calibration & reporting

Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration

PLC Repairs & Installations

Test and Tag of all Appliances

Lighting Upgrades / Repairs

Switchboard Installations / Repairs

All Electrical Maintenance & Service

Thermographic Surveys & Reporting

Switchboard Maintenance & Reporting

Power, Computer & communications installations & service

Moving? Get the best!

Servicing the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit & Vegetable Market for over 30 YEARS!!

SHEREN ELECTRICS PTY LTD

p. 03 9587 1830 | f. 03 9587 3672 www.commgen.com.au | [email protected]





























31

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SHUTTERMAX™ features: Single product solution in place of a traditional “dual”

Steel Shutter / High Speed Door combination and as a result offers massive savings on initial investment, service and maintenance and power consumption

Manufactured using 23mm fire resistance PIR filled profiles which provides insulation properties equal to 50mm EPS panel

Designed with a springless drum

Motorised by a heavy duty, High Cycle GFA Safedrive® Drive System

A range of standard safety features (EU norms compli-ant) coupled with a wide range of available activation methods makes SHUTTERMAX™ the safest High Speed Shutter on the Australian market while providing trouble-free and long lasting operation.

La Manna, Brisbane was Max Door Solutions first customer back in January, 2011. “Since then we have supplied High Speed Doors and Services to their operations both in Sydney and Melbourne,” says Colin Fechner, Sales Manager at Max Door Solutions.

La Manna required a door solution for their temperature controlled storerooms at their Footscray Distribution Centre. “The require-ment was for High Speed Doors that were durable, simple to operate and cost very little to maintain,” continued Colin. “So we met with

La Manna and went through the options which resulted in the installation of RAPIDMAX Plus Doors. Nearly two years on and over 35,000

cycles later the results speak for themselves.”

Robert Bolge, Vic State Manager at La Manna was

more than happy with the finished product.

”We purchased two High Speed Doors from Max Door Solutions in 2012. The professional approach in both the installation and the yearly service has been of an excellent standard.”

New to the Australian market SHUTTERMAX™ is a High Speed Insulated Shutter that offers smooth and whisper quiet, high speed operation while providing security and insulation.

A perfect solution for industrial and commercial applications where security coupled with high speed operation and temperature control is required.

T: 1300 79 33 78 E: [email protected] W: www.maxdoors.com.au

The requirement was for High Speed Doors that were durable, simple to operate and cost very little to maintain.

Our first customer

It’s an Insulated Door … It’s a Security Door …It’s a Rapid Roll Door … NO IT’S A SHUTTERMAX™ DOOR!

33

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“The iFresh system is brilliant! We love it! It has streamlined our business and reduced our administration time significantly, allowing us to spend more time on value added tasks.”

John Said, Managing Director

“The iFresh system has been a great improvement to our business. Its great that we can access iFresh from any computer and its very easy to use. Our customers and suppliers are also impressed with the information we can provide.”

Joseph Fragapane, Sales Manager

A move to a new market means a new store, new warehouse and the opportunity to implement new systems.

The iFresh system has been given the tick of approval from many businesses within the industry making positive and innovative changes in the way in which they do business.

In 2010, John Said from Fresh Select and Joseph Fragapane from Fragapane Farms started working with ALADN System Solutions with the goal of developing new software for the management of sales in the fresh produce industry. The solution was a web based application called iFresh.

More recently, iFresh has been updated to include a tablet friendly, Point of Sale module designed for use in the Markets.

“iFresh has allowed us to enter sales from the market floor via an iPad. Delivery requests are passed automatically to our forklift drivers and invoices are emailed and sent via SMS directly to our customers. It’s fantastic and requires practically no infrastructure on the sales floor.” says Lloyd Williams, Director Of Mr Mushroom in the Perth Markets. “I am yet to see another system to be comparable to iFresh.”

iFresh benefits to your business

Stock Control of both fresh produce and non produce items (i.e. Cartons, Bags etc)

Delivery Advices & Invoices sent via Email & SMS to your customers

Supplier Payments generated automatically and sent electronically

Optional and configurable Quality Inspection Module

Purchase Order Module for Daily/Weekly planning

Ability to access system from any internet enabled device (i.e. PC, Phone and/or Tablet computer)

Powerful reporting for business analysis

Point of Sale module compatible with iPads & Tablets

MAKING MARKET TRANSACTIONS EASY

For more information about iFresh, contact Adam Newman from ALADN System SolutionsAdam Newman – iFresh Consultant

P 03 9379 1340 M 0419 999 748 E [email protected] W www.ifreshdemo.com.au

John Said from Fresh Select & Joseph Fragapane from Fragapane Farms

34 issue 21 april 2014OF AFFAIRSQ

& A

:

Q&A: Phil BasileSculli & Co. stocks citrus, avocados, kiwifruit, coconuts, mangoes, papaya, grapes and tropical fruits.

Works:

Waking up at an ungodly hour and trying to sell our lines of citrus, avocados, kiwifruit, coconuts, mangoes, papaya, grapes and tropical fruits.

Suburb where I live:

Yarrambat – it’s in Melbourne’s North East.

Most of my day is spent:

Waking up, working, enjoying family and friends and of course sleeping when I can.

The football team I barrack for is:

Carlton and the Melbourne Heart.

My favourite Melbourne Market moment was:

When I bought into Sculli & Co and became an owner – that’s when I lost my hair!

The quality I respect most in an employee is:

Honesty, respect and turning up on time.

As I have grown older I have learnt:

To be patient, deal with pressure and to visit Ashley & Martin!

If I described my business to a stranger I would say:

We get up in the middle of the night and sell the best available fruit and veg and hopefully get paid.

The qualities I most enjoy about Melbourne Market are:

The market is like being in another world and I have made great friends here but why can’t we start at 6.00 am like normal people?

The pets I have are:

An English Staffy - Porsha and two Maltese Terriers - Max and Teisha (a pair of slippers!)

In my spare time I enjoy:

Spending time with my family and friends, fishing and restoring old cars.

My first job was:

An electrician.

My fondest memory is:

Seeing the birth of my two beautiful children and watching Carlton win many Grand Finals.

The aspect of my job I Iike the most is:

Making a sale and getting paid.

The thing I dislike the most is:

Bad creditors with the same excuses day after day.

I am passionate about:

My family, my work and my hair.

My business associates would say that I:

Am honest, approachable, reliable, friendly and of course short with no hair!

When I was a child I wanted to be:

A police officer but as you all know I am too short!

The place in the world I would most like to go is:

Ireland and Scotland.

The thing a lot of people don’t know about me is:

I am a qualified electrician

My favourite fruit or vegetable is:

Sweet corn and raspberries.

Phil is a man of mystery and he likes it that way. Starting his working career as an electrician, Phil quickly ‘saw the light’ and moved into the fresh produce industry as a manager of a fruit and vegetable department in the supermarket chains gaining valuable experience in his seven years in the store.

After marrying his wife Michelle, he was asked to come to the Melbourne Wholesale Markets to help out and grow the family business and twenty four years later he is still here and as passionate as ever. Working 60 hours a week is nothing for Phil and Dean Sculli (Phil’s business partner and brother in law) and they are always looking to include new lines and find gaps in the market to enable them to grow the business even further.

Phil is a rather old fashioned private guy in today’s fast paced lifestyle. He doesn’t believe in Facebook or Twitter and says what you see is what you get. He loves to go fishing in his boat and spend quality time with his family.

However behind closed doors Phil is really a petrol head indulging his love of restoring old American cars. Thunderbird’s, Camaro’s – any large classical American machine and Phil is there. Once restored, he keeps them under lock and key and can be seen driving them around his home town of Yarrambat and beyond - but don’t expect to see any of his pristine machines at the market. “I register the cars and enjoy driving them around but when I come to work I just drive my ute,” he says. Very typical for a “man of mystery.”

Of course, Phil has a large garage and belongs to the Ford Club but is quick to add that he is not Fordcentric. “We like all types of cars, not just Fords.”

Back at the market, Phil and Dean are preparing for their move to Epping and the challenges this will bring. “It is closer for me to travel to the new market which is a good thing. We will be focusing on adapting to the new environment and continuing to grow our business.”

FRESH THINKING FOR FRESH SOLUTIONS.You can’t afford to waste a square millimetre of precious space, so you need Dexion racking and shelving.

Dexion knows how to maximise your storage with cost-effective solutions that are available with a comprehensive range of service and safety accessories.

Call your local Dexion Supply Centre for further details or you can visit us at dexionsupplycentre.com.au

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03 8795 5800

Drive-in racking. Get more from every cubic metre.

Satellite racking. High density pallet storage.

Selective racking. High capacity with easy access.

Business Park

Tony Blazevic Mob: 0419 000 661

Raphael Poggi Mob: 0406 623 259

www.realcommercial.com.au/500494523 www.mab.com.au/alliance

The information in this brochure has been prepared by MAB Corporation solely for promotional purposes. The information contained herein has been prepared in good faith with due care. Any projections however, represent estimates only and may be based on assumptions which, while reasonable, may not be correct. We do not warrant the accuracy of information contained in this brochure and do not accept any liability for any error or discrepancy or negligence or otherwise in the information. This brochure is representative only. All enclosures in this brochure are owned by MAB Corporation and its consultants. This document remains the property of MAB Corporation and should not be copied or distributed without prior approval. © Copyright MAB Corporation 2014.

FoR moRe inFoRmaTion call:

NOW SELLING trade stores and office warehouses close to the MarketOnly 800 metres away, Alliance Business Park offers warehouses superior in specification and way ahead in terms of business opportunity.

• Own it and lease it back to your business

• Flexible building sizes catering for all business needs, areas from 60m2 up to 1500m2 plus.

• Cheaper than Market onsite warehousing

• Self managed super fund opportunity

• Allocated car parking on title

• Fully constructed concrete warehouses

• Off the plan stamp duty savings

• Ready to move in by March 2015

OR• Purchase fully serviced freehold land from $355,000 +GST

Why lease when you can oWn just down the road?

invest in your own future, and enjoy all the benefits of buying vs leasing at alliance Business Park. Warehouses from $168,000 +GST

MARKET

Business Park 800m

Trade SToreS

office WarehouSeS

MarkeT enTrance GaTeWay Boulevard

MAB0103 Alliance fresh State Ad March 14_PFO2.indd 1 26/03/14 10:25 AM

Documents

Fresh State of Affairs Issue 21