Food manufacturer tastes awards victory

Written on the 6 September 2016 by Gold Coast PR Company Consulting Hall

A Helensvale-headquartered food manufacturer has tasted victory in the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards.

Keith's Quality Foods, whose frozen food products are sold through thousands of food service operators and through retailers including Woolworths and Costco, was named the winner manufacturing category at the August awards.
Company director Wayne de Jonge said the company had its beginnings in Labrador in 1976 as a takeaway store.

"The original owner started crumbing his own sausages and the distributers who were supplying him with products, started buying from him,'' said Mr de Jonge.

"He then started concentrating on manufacturing and the business was relocated to a small factory at the rear of the Oxenford shops."

The de Jonge family, who moved to Australia from South Africa after running a transport business, bought the company in 2001.  Since then the family has invested heavily into the business and have built it up substantially. 

"We strategically reviewed the product offerings and substantially modified its range, which at that stage were solely sold to food service operators," he said

"We now have more than 15 products in our range with our best sellers being Dagwood Dogs and Churros."

Mr de Jonge said since 2001 the number of employees had grown from six to 23.

The company builta purpose designed factory in 2004 at 96 Millaroo Drive, Helensvale and fitted it out with a wide range of production equipment including a number of custom-built machines to improve both efficiency and quality.

He said the company broke into the retail sector initially through Costco in 2010.  It's Mini Dagwood Dogs were then adopted nationally through Woolworths supermarkets in 2013.

Mr de Jonge said their products were also sold in various IGA stores and other retailers.

In the other categories Gold Coast City Marina and Shipyard won the Family Business award, International Protein lifted the Retail, Wholesale and Distribution trophy, AC-TEC Services iced the competition in Trades, Professions and Services,  POGO Physio bounced off with the Health and Wellbeing honours, Opmantek secured Knowledge Management and IT, Fish The Deep Fishing Charters hooked the Tourism, Hospitality and Events gong, Family Fresh won the Mayor's Innovation category, and Red White Group cleaned up in the Environment and Sustainability sector.

Meanwhile Oskars on Burleigh employee Kacy Fortune was named the winner of Gold Coast Tourism's Be My Guest Service Award for her exception service to customers during August.
The awards' major sponsors include City of Gold Coast; Suncorp Bank; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; Regional Development Australia Gold Coast; Flight Centre Business Travel; Choice Homes; OntheNet; Griffith University; Gold Coast Airport; Gold Coast Tourism Corporation and Pindara Private Hospital.

The awards' media sponsors include the Gold Coast Bulletin, NBN Television, 92.5 Gold FM and 90.9 Sea FM.

The GCBEA's major supporters are KPMG, McCann, Document Solutions Australia, Bloomtools, Consulting Hall, Jupiters Gold Coast, Regina King Photography, Bruce Lynton Land Rover and Jaguar, Bond University, Gold Coast Suns and Dreamweavers.