Close×

Food and beverage manufacturing is the leading industry in this year’s Australia's Top 100 Manufacturers, with 35 companies making the list. Fonterra Co-op Group made the top 10, ranked #2, JBS Australia was next at #13.

Advanced Manufacturing Expo's Top 100 Manufacturers in Australia is released every year with research compiled by research company IBISWorld, which works with stablemate publication Food & Drink Business for its annual Australia's Top 100 Food and Drink Companies report.  

Coca-Cola Amatil was the highest ranked beverage manufacturer at #16.

IBISWorld enterprise researcher Aaron Vaserman said: “Australia’s reputation for pristine environments and high-quality production in food and beverage products is expected to boost revenue for manufacturers within this industry segment.”

Saputo Dairy Australia appeared on the list for the first time, ranked #29. Lion fell by rank and revenue from #15 to #19. Carlton & United Breweries also dropped, from #23 to #28. A full list of the food and beverage manufacturers in the Top 100, see the table below. 

The Top 100 manufacturer’s combined revenue was $319 billion. The list includes 29 ASX-listed companies and 37 locally owned companies. Victoria confirmed its status as a manufacturing hub with seven of the top 10 based in the state.

This year’s Top 100 had strong revenue growth in comparison to previous years. Vaserman said the restructuring of business processes to include automation, an increased focus on boosting productivity and the 2017 federal government’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund were contributing factors.

“The fund provided grants to small manufacturers to invest in automation and the benefits were starting to be realised,” Vaserman added.

“At a macroeconomic level, the depreciation of the Australia dollar over the last year has increased demand in Australian exports, supporting revenue growth for manufacturers and increasing global competitiveness.”

Advanced manufacturing adoption is giving Australian manufacturers a competitive advantage over international competitors.

“Previously, Australian manufacturers have had difficulty competing with their Asian counterparts, predominantly due to their much lower cost of labour. Now, our manufacturers are adapting or have adapted by focusing on highly specialised areas.

“In short, Australian manufacturers are taking advantage of opportunities for growth by focusing on the premium areas of the market.” Vaserman said.

The continued investment in automation, high tech and productivity enhancing technology will continue to pay dividends for manufacturers as an important differentiator with competitors in the Asia-Pacific.

 Food and beverage companies that made the Australia's Top 100 Manufacturers list:

Ranking Company 
Fonterra Co-op Group
13 JBS Australia
16 Coca-Cola Amatil
19 Lion
23 Treasury Wine Estates
25 Teys Australia - A Cargill Joint Venture
27 Ingham's
28 Carlton & United Breweries
29 Saputo Dairy Australia
31 George Weston Foods
32 Nestle
33 Goodman Fielder
38 Lactalis Australia
40 Asahi Holdings
43 Mars Wrigley
44  Baiada Poultry
45 Wilmar Sugar
46 Unilever Australia
48 Manildra Group
49 PepsiCo Australia & New Zealand
50 Mondelez Australia
52 Simplot Australia
54 Bega Cheese
58 The a2 Milk Company
59 SunRice
63 Arnott's
69 Kilcoy Pastoral Company
71 NH Foods Australia (NHA)
81 McCain Foods
84 Allied Pinnacle
87 Heinz
95 Pernod Ricard Australia
96 Bindaree Beef Group
97 Norco Co-op
99  Fletcher International Exports

Source: IBISWorld 

Food & Drink Business

Entries are now open for the annual Melbourne Royal Australian Food Awards. Open to commercial food producers of all sizes, it is one of the largest programs of its kind. 

Victorian brewery, Bodriggy Brewing Co, is the first brewery in the state to achieve carbon-neutral certification and only the second in Australia to do so. The independent Abbotsford-based brewery achieved certification under the federal government’s Climate Active program.

According to Rabobank data, Australian consumers are facing higher chocolate prices heading into Easter, with retail chocolate prices up 8.8 per cent on the previous year as global cocoa prices soar.