Marquis Lights Up The Macadamia Industry with State-of-the-Art Facility
The benefit of hosting a grand opening two years after Marquis Macadamias Africa officially opened their doors to farmers, is that they have had the opportunity to walk the talk.
With the opening delayed as a result of the Covid-19 safety protocols, the factory had to start operations without a festive opening, in 2020. But last Friday night’s event more than made up as the red carpet was rolled out for farmers and industry stakeholders.
Marquis Macadamias Africa is 100% owned by South African growers. The facility in Alkmaar, which is the largest of its kind to date, has a processing capacity of 15,000 tonnes and is growing to 30,000 tonnes. With a floor area of 18,000 square metres, it has a total bin capacity of 87 tonnes to receive crop. It also has capacity for 1,400 tonnes of drying, 3,600 tonnes of storage, and has the capacity to crack 8-10 tonnes per hour. A Napasol 5-log pasteurisation system has been installed to ensure ultimate food safety.
Adding glitz and glamour to the event, well known personality Minki van der Westhuizen played master of ceremonies for the evening and noted the remarkable achievement that was the state-of-the-art Marquis Macadamias Africa facility. “Marquis Macadamias has taken the industry into a new era. Through cutting edge technology that creates greater efficiencies and consistency in quality, the sustainability of the industry has received a boost.”
She was joined on stage by Phillip Retief, CEO of Van Loveren Family Vineyards, who shared their family’s success story, brought about by clever marketing, solid branding and innovation. “As many business owners know, creating a brand that brings stability to a multi-generational business is easier said than done. Van Loveren is tantamount to what can be done when marketing strategies are well thought through. The Van Loveren brand has stood the test of time, going from strength to strength when many other wineries are struggling to compete in a sea of product,” said van der Westhuizen.
Bringing the message home to macadamia producers, Ivan Guiricich, Marquis Macadamias director, noted that as the macadamia industry’s volumes are increasing we are changing from a niche industry to a more commercial industry. “Marketing now takes centre stage, where it no longer is a reactive function but rather a proactive function.”
Part of Retief’s message also underlined the importance of understanding the customer and growing and changing with the customer. “We as Marquis have a strong focus on designing and creating new innovative and exciting products that satisfy our ever demanding customers. We have a team of marketing experts around the globe focused on spotting and capitalising on trends so that we can change and plan for them,” said Guiricich.
Marquis has just completed their second season, with the third seasons nuts already starting to flow through the factory. “The facility has moved from strength to strength through both seasons as all the different disciplines have been perfecting their skill sets and all the procedures, machines and belts are now settling in. We remain committed to growing and championing the industry at processing and marketing level to bring sustainability to the industry for generations to come,” Guiricich concluded.
