Trade

Teys Australia crowned as Woolworths’ Supplier of the Year

Jon Condon, 15/12/2016
Woolowrths Steve Donohue, left, and Pat McEntee, second from right, with Teys personnel at last night's Woolies awards, from left, Rata Shuttleworth, Paul Irvine, Max Schob and Andrew McPherson

Woolowrths Steve Donohue, left, and Pat McEntee, second from right, with Teys personnel at last night’s Woolies awards, from left, Rata Shuttleworth, Paul Irvine, Max Schob and Andrew McPherson

 

RED meat and supply chain solutions provider Teys Australia has been crowned as Woolworths’ 2016 Overall Supplier of the Year.

While Woolworths issues an annual red meat category supplier award each year, this is the first time a meat protein producer has also won the overall award, measured against hundreds of fresh food and grocery suppliers to the nation’s largest retailer. Previous winners have included the likes of global giants like Coca Cola and Nestle.

In this livestock supplier of the year category this year, the North Australian Pastoral Co’s Wainui feedlot near Bowenville on Queensland’s Darling Downs was acknowledged as the winner.

The awards were presented at Woolworths’ glittering annual supplier awards in Sydney, attended by around 1000 suppliers and customers.

In receiving the top award, Teys Australia was acknowledged as being an integral supply partner to the nation’s largest supermarket retailer’s red meat offer for more than 20 years.

“We had many great contenders for the overall Supplier of the Year prize this year, but Teys Australia stood out for its proactive approach to new product development and diversification in the meat category,” Woolworths’ director of buying and merchandising, Steve Donohue, told the audience.

Amongst a wide range of services, Teys processes more than 200,000 head of Woolworths cattle a year in its beef processing facility neat Tamworth in country NSW, where more than 500 staff are employed.

Teys won two category awards for deli supplier and red meat supplier of the year. The company is also expanding its ranging to supply more products in categories such as deli, and is the largest supplier of supplementary boxed beef to Woolworths’ operations.

One of the standout developments in new red meat products stocked by Woolworths this year has been the ‘Grab and Go’ beef roasts and corned beef, developed and produced by Teys Food Service, now stocked in Woolies supermarkets across Australia, and cooked in the store deli-departments. Click here to view Beef Central’s earlier feature article on the launch.

Livestock supplier award

Picking-up the Pat Dempsey memorial award, in recognition of the much-loved industry stakeholder who forged a memorable career with Woolworths, JBS and AA Co before passing away three years ago, was this year’s livestock supplier of the year, NAPCo’s Wainui feedlot.

Wainui consigns around 235 cattle to Woolworths’ Ipswich processing facility each week, making it one of the larger northern supply chain contract-holders. NAPCo has supplied to a Woolies contract for the past 26 years.

 

NAPCo's Geoff Kingston accepts the 2016 livestock supplier of the year award from Woolworths' Steve Donohue and Brett Thompson

NAPCo’s Geoff Kingston accepts the 2016 livestock supplier of the year award from Woolworths’ Steve Donohue and Brett Thompson

Cattle are typically NAPCo’s flatback composite heifers, grainfed fed 60-70 days before consignment. The cattle come through the company’s vertically-integrated supply chain, typically being bred on Alexandria Downs and surrounding NAPCo properties in the Barkly Tableland, before backgrounding near Moura and entering the feedlot.

NAPCo was acknowledged for maintaining its continuity of supply consistently, despite the severe impact of drought on the company’s operations during the past two years. Much of that is testament to the hard work and commitment of Wainui manager Geoff Cornford and his livestock and mill teams, Woolworths national livestock manager Brett Thompson said.

“Twenty-six years ago or more, Pat Dempsey was instrumental in bringing Wainui into the Woolies supply chain,” Mr Thompson said.

NAPCo's Wainui feedlot again played a crucial role in production during another dry 2015 year

NAPCo’s Wainui feedlot played a crucial role in production during a very dry 2015 year

Last year’s livestock category winner was the Lane family from Inverell, and the year before that, Smithfield feedlot at Proston – signifying that suppliers large and small can be competitive in the assessment process, based on compliance against Woolworths specs and continuity of supply.

This year’s awards recognised suppliers to Woolworths in 22 categories. Other companies on the winner’s list this year included Coca-Cola Amatil, Unilever, Modelez and Allied Mills Australia, with Maltesers Ice Cream named New Product of the Year.

Natures Organics were highlighted for its work in sustainability, while in a new category introduced this year, Tasmanian based R&R Smith was awarded Organic Supplier of the Year.

“We’d like to thank our suppliers for their partnerships throughout the year and working with us to provide our customers with great quality products and great value. We look forward to working together to provide more innovation and new products in 2017,” Mr Donohue said.

 

 

 

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