Agriculture, food and beverage feature in top 500 private companies

Strong growth for agriculture industries and associated food processing industries — particularly meat processing — have underpinned some of the major company movements in 2015.

Revealing its annual Top 500 Private Companies List, IBISWorld attributed much of the growth in the food sector to free trade agreements and increasing global demand for Australian produce.

Sanger Australia rose from 80 to 63, due to an increase in demand for Australian beef in North America and Japan, while large sales growth in milk processing and ice-cream businesses saw Norco Co-op leap from 104 to 83.

Green’s Foods entered the list for the first time, at position 285. The company’s total revenue increased by 72.6% following the acquisition of Goodman’s biscuit business in December 2013, which saw Green’s emerge as the largest Australian-owned biscuit company.

Five of the top 20 positions were occupied by companies from the food and beverage and agricultural industries: grain cooperative Co-operative Bulk Handling in 2nd, Devondale Murray Goulburn in 5th, beef processor Teys Australia in 6th, Queensland Sugar at number 13 and PFD Food Services in 16th.

IBISWorld Founder and Director Phil Ruthven said, “In 2015, Australia’s largest private enterprises generated revenue of $296 billion and over 442,000 jobs.”