Examination of Witnesses (Questions 336
- 339)
WEDNESDAY 25 OCTOBER 2000
MR RON
GREEN, MR
GRAHAM KEATING
AND MR
KARL TUCKER
Chairman
336. Gentlemen, welcome to the Committee. You
know what the inquiry is about so I will not give an exposition
of that. Could you introduce yourselves and perhaps without hesitation,
deviation or repetition give a one minute portrait of the companies
you represent so we have a little bit on the record.
(Mr Green) Good morning. My name is Ron
Green and I am the MD of Congelow Produce. We deal in fresh produce
to the supermarkets. Our company started as growers in 1972 and
we were the first suppliers to the supermarkets in 1981. We are
exclusively organic on fresh produce. That is enough.
(Mr Keating) Good morning. My name is Graham Keating.
I am the Managing Director of the Yeo Valley Organic Company.
My colleague, Karl Tucker, is our Business Development Director.
We are an independently owned producer of organic only products
from our dedicated site in Somerset, chiefly dairy products and
yoghurts. We made our first organic yoghurt in 1993. Perhaps what
makes us slightly unusual is our size. We supply to all the major
multiple retailers and our organic yoghurt now accounts for nearly
six per cent of total yoghurt sales. Our brand is now worth about
£40 million per year retail which makes it by far, probably,
the biggest organic brand in the UK. We think our secret is a
combination of product quality but a very clear pricing policy
which makes our products good value for money for the consumer.
We have a very close relationship with the supply chain in particular.
We work very hard with the Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative,
of whom you will no doubt have heard and will hear more, OMSCo.
We have developed a long-term contract with them which guarantees
not only a guaranteed price to the farmers but a guaranteed volume
over a rolling three year contract which is an important step
for us and the UK supplier.
(Mr Tucker) I am Karl Tucker, Business Development
Director.
337. You agree with what your colleague has
said?
(Mr Tucker) Yes.
Mr Jack
338. Chairman, can I just ask if Mr Green can
put some monetary value on his business for us so we can get some
relative value of size?
(Mr Green) It is between nine and ten million pounds.
339. Turnover?
(Mr Green) Yes.
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