Macadamia Processing Company joins up with Consolidated Nuts

The Macadamia Processing Company (MPC) has joined forces with Consolidated Nuts (Aus) Pty Ltd (CNA), with MPC acquiring 50% of the company.

The other half of Consolidated Nuts (Australia) continues to be owned by the Australian-based company Capital Commercial, which is owned by the largest growers of macadamia nuts in Australia.

In addition, MPC and CNA have set up a new marketing company to market the output from the MPC and CNA plants, as well as from other macadamia sources in Australia and around the world. The company, called Macadamia Marketing International Pty Ltd, or MMI, will be headquartered at the MPC site at Alphadale near Lismore.

MMI aims to take a more coordinated approach to marketing with a longer-term view of the market. It plans to forge global alliances that will result in significant macadamia product lines and worldwide distribution channels.

Construction is also underway on a new, state-of-the-art processing factory and laboratory in Bundaberg. The new factory will enable CNA to service the growing Bundaberg macadamia industry - with production set to double from 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes per annum in five years. The new factory will replace the existing CNA factory, located just outside Bundaberg, at Winfield. It is anticipated this factory will operate at full capacity during the current 2011 season.