Goodman Fielder

Goodman Fielder is an Australian food manufacturing, marketing and distribution group whose principal activities span bakery, dairy, grocery, smallgoods, margarine, edible oils, dressings and food ingredients. Its operating footprint is concentrated in Australia and New Zealand, with additional manufacturing or commercial activity in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia, as well as exports to more than 30 countries. The business has historically operated more than 40 manufacturing sites and employed more than 5,000 people, while managing a portfolio of over 120 brands and sub-brands. The company was created in 1986 through the merger of Allied Mills and Goodman Group. Its corporate lineage reaches back to A.S. Paterson & Co., a Dunedin importing business established in 1886 by Scottish-born businessman Alexander Stronach Paterson. That company was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange in 1949 and gradually developed a stronger grocery and baking orientation. It adopted the Goodman Group name in 1979. The 1986 merger created a broader food platform that subsequently expanded through a series of acquisitions. Goodman Fielder’s category structure has generally been organized around baking, dairy, grocery or home ingredients, and commercial fats and oils. Its brands have included Meadow Fresh, Puhoi Valley, Tararua, Yoplait in New Zealand, Vogel’s, Quality Bakers, Molenberg, Freya’s, Helga’s, Ernest Adams, Edmonds, ETA, Praise, White Wings, Pampas, MeadowLea, Crisco, Olivani and Gold’n Canola. The portfolio covers everyday bread and baked goods, cakes and desserts, dairy products, spreads, cooking oils, dressings, flour and other pantry products. The company also supplies food-service and commercial customers in addition to retail consumers. Burns Philp acquired Goodman Fielder in 2003. The business returned to the public market in late 2005, with Burns Philp retaining a minority holding that was later sold. The relisting also brought a number of New Zealand Dairy Foods brands into the Goodman Fielder portfolio, including Meadowfresh, Tararua, Kiwi, Huttons, Top Hat and Puhoi cheese; Anchor Cheese was held under licence. Some snack-food assets associated with the historical business, including Uncle Tobys and Bluebird, were excluded from the float and transferred to other owners. In March 2015, Goodman Fielder was acquired for approximately A$1.3 billion by a joint venture between Wilmar International and First Pacific. The transaction ended its listed-company era and placed the business within Wilmar’s wider food and agribusiness network. Wilmar acquired First Pacific’s remaining 50 percent interest in 2019, making Wilmar the company’s sole owner. Goodman Fielder remains principally an Australasian food company, with a brand strategy built around high-frequency household staples, regional brand recognition, manufacturing scale and distribution reach.

Goodman Fielder’s history combines the development of New Zealand grocery businesses with the consolidation of Australian and Australasian food manufacturing. Its oldest corporate predecessor was A.S. Paterson & Co., founded in Dunedin in 1886 by Alexander Stronach Paterson as a general importing firm. The company was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange in 1949 and increasingly concentrated on grocery-related activities. In 1979 it adopted the Goodman Group name, reflecting a major stage in its corporate evolution. Goodman Fielder itself was established in 1986 when Allied Mills merged with Goodman Group. The new company assembled capabilities in milling, baking, grocery products and food distribution, then expanded by acquiring additional businesses. Over time its portfolio developed across bread, bakery, dairy, spreads, oils, dressings, smallgoods and food ingredients. The group’s regional scale allowed it to operate both mass-market retail brands and manufacturing businesses serving commercial customers. The company changed ownership several times. Burns Philp acquired it in 2003. Goodman Fielder was later separated from Burns Philp’s ownership structure and relisted in late 2005, with Burns Philp initially retaining a 20 percent stake. That stake was sold in 2007. The 2005 float also incorporated a number of New Zealand Dairy Foods brands, including Meadowfresh, Tararua, Kiwi, Huttons, Top Hat and Puhoi cheese, while Anchor Cheese was included under licence. The transaction did not include every business historically associated with the Goodman Fielder name: Uncle Tobys was sold to Nestlé and Bluebird to PepsiCo. During the 2010s, Goodman Fielder continued to operate as a major producer of everyday food products in Australia and New Zealand. Its brand portfolio included well-known regional names such as Meadow Fresh, Vogel’s, Quality Bakers, Helga’s, Ernest Adams, Edmonds, ETA, Praise, White Wings, Pampas, MeadowLea, Tararua and Puhoi Valley. The company organized its activities into broad divisions covering baking, dairy, home ingredients and commercial fats and oils, while exporting products to overseas markets. In March 2015, a joint venture between Wilmar International and First Pacific acquired Goodman Fielder for approximately A$1.3 billion. The acquisition ended the company’s public listing and was accompanied by a change in senior leadership; chief executive Chris Delaney left after the takeover, while Scott Weitemeyer had been chief executive before the transaction. In 2019, Wilmar bought First Pacific’s half share, making it Goodman Fielder’s sole owner. The business continues as an active Wilmar food company, with operations concentrated in Australasia and the Pacific and a portfolio centered on staple grocery and food-service categories.

• 2022

  Ernest Adams brand discontinued

  [1]Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org

  The Ernest Adams baked-goods brand is discontinued.

• 2019

  Wilmar assumes full ownership

  [1]Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org

  Wilmar International purchases First Pacific’s 50 percent interest in Goodman Fielder.

• 2015

  Acquisition by Wilmar and First Pacific

  [1]Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org

  The two-company joint venture acquires Goodman Fielder for approximately A$1.3 billion.

• 2005

  Relisting and New Zealand Dairy Foods integration

  [1]Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org

  Goodman Fielder returns to the share market and adds several New Zealand Dairy Foods brands as part of the float.

• 2003

  Burns Philp takeover

  [1]Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org

  Burns Philp acquires Goodman Fielder.

• 1986

  Goodman Fielder is formed

  [1]Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org

  Allied Mills and Goodman Group merge to create Goodman Fielder.

• 1979

  Goodman Group name adopted

  [1]Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org

  The predecessor company changes its name to Goodman Group.

• 1949

  Predecessor lists in New Zealand

  [1]Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org

  A.S. Paterson & Co. is listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange as its business develops toward grocery activities.

• 1886

  A.S. Paterson & Co. is founded

  [1]Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org

  Alexander Stronach Paterson establishes a general importing firm in Dunedin, creating the corporate lineage later associated with Goodman Group and Goodman Fielder.

A large-scale Australasian food producer focused on trusted everyday grocery staples, regional household brands, broad manufacturing capability and retail, food-service and commercial distribution.

• Dairy

  Meadow Fresh

  A major New Zealand dairy brand associated with milk and other chilled dairy products. It became part of Goodman Fielder through the New Zealand Dairy Foods assets included in the company’s 2005 relisting.

• Bread

  Vogel's

  A New Zealand bread brand based on a recipe associated with Alfred Vogel. It is positioned around distinctive, often denser continental-style bread products and is one of Goodman Fielder’s prominent bakery brands.

• Bread and bakery

  Quality Bakers

  A New Zealand bakery business and brand producing bread products through bakeries across Australia and New Zealand. It represents Goodman Fielder’s manufacturing and distribution presence in everyday bakery.

• Bread

  Helga's Continental Bakehouse

  A bakery brand focused on continental-style bread and related baked products. It forms part of Goodman Fielder’s Australian bread portfolio alongside other retail bakery labels.

• Cakes and baked goods

  Ernest Adams

  A historic New Zealand bakery brand whose range included cakes, desserts, loaves, biscuits, meringues, sponges, puddings and tarts. The Ernest Adams baked-goods brand was discontinued in 2022.

• Margarine and spreads

  MeadowLea

  A spread and margarine brand in Goodman Fielder’s grocery portfolio, serving household cooking, baking and table-use occasions.

• Dressings and sauces

  Praise

  A grocery brand associated with salad dressings, sauces and related pantry products. It illustrates Goodman Fielder’s presence beyond bakery and dairy.

• Home baking

  White Wings

  A home-baking brand offering pantry ingredients and baking products for household use. It sits within Goodman Fielder’s home-ingredients and grocery activities.

• Dairy

  Puhoi Valley

  A New Zealand dairy brand associated with premium-positioned chilled products and cheese. The brand entered Goodman Fielder’s portfolio through the New Zealand Dairy Foods transaction connected with the 2005 float.

• 2019

  Consolidate ownership under Wilmar InternationalM&A

  Background

  Goodman Fielder was jointly owned by Wilmar International and First Pacific after the 2015 takeover.

  Action taken

  Wilmar International acquired First Pacific’s 50 percent interest.

  Aftermath

  Goodman Fielder became wholly owned by Wilmar International.

  Source

• 2015

  Accept Wilmar and First Pacific takeoverM&A

  Background

  Goodman Fielder was operating as a listed Australasian food manufacturer with substantial bakery, dairy and grocery activities.

  Action taken

  A joint venture between Wilmar International and First Pacific acquired the company for approximately A$1.3 billion.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition removed Goodman Fielder from the public market and brought a change in senior leadership.

  Acquisition value. Approximately A$1.3 billion (2015)

  Source

• 2005

  Relist Goodman Fielder and add New Zealand Dairy Foods brandsStrategy

  Background

  Following Burns Philp’s ownership, the business was prepared for a return to the public market.

  Action taken

  Goodman Fielder was relisted and several New Zealand Dairy Foods brands were included in the float.

  Aftermath

  Burns Philp retained a 20 percent holding initially, while certain snack businesses were excluded and sold to other major food companies.

  Source

• 1986

  Merge Allied Mills with Goodman GroupM&A

  Background

  The two food businesses combined to create a larger Australasian manufacturer with capabilities spanning milling, baking, grocery and distribution.

  Action taken

  The merger established Goodman Fielder as a standalone corporate food group.

  Aftermath

  The enlarged company subsequently expanded through further acquisitions and developed a broad portfolio of household food brands.

  Source

1. 1Goodman Fielderen.wikipedia.org