NATIONAL grain marketer Emerald Group has announced a big expansion of its grain accumulation network.
Emerald today said it was acquiring a long-established grain company in Queensland as well as opening four extra offices across three states.
The expansion of the existing network has been driven by Emerald’s model of providing local representation to grain producers across Australia, chairman Alan Winney said.
Toowoomba-based Philp Brodie Grains will become part of the Emerald Group at the start of next month, following the acquisition of 100 per cent of the Philp Brodie business, Mr Winney said.
The acquisition added an established Queensland business to the businesses already operating within the Emerald group of companies and provided an excellent platform for Emerald’s further expansion, he said.
"The Philp Brodie name will continue, Peter Brodie will remain as managing director and the company will actively represent Emerald in Southern and Central Queensland," Mr Winney said.
Emerald also announced today the decision to expand its Victorian activities, where it operates through the SQP joint venture business in conjunction with the SQP Co-operative.
SQP will add a new office in Swan Hill servicing the Mallee region in Victoria, adding to the existing SQP offices in Ballarat and Horsham.
Two new offices will be added in WA located at new Merredin office and Albany to service the Eastern Wheat belt and the Great Southern regions respectively and will supplement existing Emerald offices in Geraldton, Perth and Esperance.
A new office will be established in Adelaide to work with growers in eastern South Australia to operate independently of the existing joint venture that Emerald shares with grower group Free Eyre on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia.
The Southern Ag Grain JV operating out of Wagga, in conjunction with grower company Southern Ag Venture, will also expand its operations by adding two new grain merchants.
"This acquisition of Philp Brodie in Queensland and the expansion in other states announced today will move the Emerald footprint to 13 grain focused offices around the grain belt," Mr Winney said.
"These offices are all manned by specialist staff and this expansion is part of Emerald’s ongoing commitments to be located on the ground in regional Australia."
Mr Winney said his company's commitment to rural Australia and its grain producers was recognised last week with the announcement that Emerald was awarded the 2010 BRW Leading Private Business Award for regional Australia.
The award recognised Emerald’s innovation in new products, commitment to the delivery of quality grain marketing products, and its history of working closely with grower groups based regionally throughout Australia.
