Strong sales of John West tuna products in supermarkets around Australia translates into a bright future for Port Lincoln Tuna Processors and the hundreds of workers employed there.
And anyone walking into the new state-of-the-art section of the cannery will quickly sniff out that the city's biggest private employer is now turning out more than just tuna.
Executive general manager of retail for Simplot Chris Dunn said his company was delighted with the sales of John West products in supermarkets. “Strong sales for John West products reflect the stronghold the brand continues to have in the category and their on-going appeal with Australian consumers,†Mr. Dunn said. “Simplot recognize the potential value of emphasizing local production and John West tuna products already highlight their Port Lincoln origins on their labels.â€
Recent research had found that people continue to favorably connect to the John West advertising tagline “It's the fish that John West reject†and Simplot will continue to integrate this into their new advertising campaigns for the brand. Mr. Dunn said Simplot had recently appointed Port Lincoln Tuna Processors to produce Leggo's innovative new range of shelf-stable pasta meals at the Port Lincoln facility. And it is this product that judges from 27 other counties selected as the best new product in the Ready to Eat Category of a highly contested food competition in Paris.
The SIAL d'Or awards, now in their 20th year, recognize the most innovative and commercially successful products across 11 different categories launched around the world in the last 18 months.