Australia’s largest olive-oil producing company has survived more than its fair share of challenges to become an award winner on the world stage.
Story By Genevieve Barlow
Boundary Bend Limited (BBL) has become an industry leader and a world-beater for quality of olive oil. The company has outsmarted the old world producers of Europe to boost production volumes, quality and efficiency on every front from growing to harvesting and processing. They’re modern-day pioneers of an industry that 30 years ago largely did not exist in Australia.
The company survived a crash in world olive-oil prices, a flood that shattered production, the financial collapse of a major client and subsequent court battle for costs, and a credit tight spot that threatened to dilute investors’ holdings substantially.
Today BBL has 6180 hectares of olive groves across north and north-western Victoria. This includes 2880ha at Boundary Bend, 800ha at Wemen and 2500ha at Boort, plus 20 custom-made harvesters, two processing plants, a 10ha site at Lara near Geelong where the oil is tested in a world-class laboratory, bottled and despatched, two major oil labels (Cobram Estate and Red Island), 1500ha of undeveloped land in Argentina, a swag of world oil awards, a board that includes a former Harvard lecturer in business strategy and plans to plant more olive trees. After all, Australia produces less than half the 45 million litres of olive oil it consumes annually.
This story excerpt is from Issue #91
Outback Magazine: Oct/Nov 2013
