Van Dyck Fine Foods Taranaki doubles factory size for export growth
Thursday 9 June 2011, 8:19AM
By Van Dyke Fine Foods
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New Plymouth Food Manufacturer Van Dyke Fine Foods is doubling its factory and production plant to proactively target international clients for export growth. The $4,000,000 expansion is scheduled to be operational by the end of August.
Inge Vercammen and her bakery engineer husband Marcel Naen moved to New Plymouth from Belgium in 2000. Opened their factory the same year and started producing Crepes on bakery equipment designed by Marcel. The company has grown strongly over the last eleven years and is well known in NZ for producing high quality crepes, hotcakes, savoury pancakes and blinis under their foodservice and retail brands Van Dyck Fine Foods and Marcel’s.
The new factory expansion will be used exclusively to manufacture Hotcakes. Van Dyck has the technology to include fruit or other inclusions to their Hotcakes including Belgian Chocolate, Strawberry, Blueberry and other inclusions on request. Marcel has twice visited China and Europe to source bakery and freezer equipment manufacturers who could create machinery to his specific specifications.
The new baking and packing machinery is so automated, no hands touch the product from ingredients to packing; if a hotcake falls over or moves on the baking line in any direction it is mechanically placed back in the correct position. Hygiene and safety meet the highest international standards, no person can enter or exit the factory without passing through a secure room and wearing special clothing from head to foot.
Currently export is twenty eight percent of business, however this will change as export markets are Van Dyck’s major focus for the next two years. The company has recently secured a four-container contract to supply Hotcakes to Yum International Foods for their KFC brand. Based on sales Yum.com with distribute Hotcakes through KFC into Thailand, Indonesia and other Asian markets. Yum Foods is a giant global corporate with head offices in Dallas Texas; brands include Taco Bell and Pizza Hut and KFC. In addition Van Dyck is close to signing a deal with an Importer in Canada to supply gluten-free hotcakes.
For this year as part of their export strategy the company has booked stands at three international trade shows including Sydney, Hong Kong, Dubai & The Emirates, with the goal of exposing their product range to a very large group of international buyers.
Ms Vercammen is one of an emerging group of female company directors focusing on international marketing and export opportunities, others including Trelise Cooper, Wendy Pye and Karen Walker.
To up-skill Vercammen has enrolled with the ‘International School of Export’, to gain an internationally recognised qualification relating to export skills including language, culture, tax and contract law and international marketing.
‘It’s something that I have to do to stay relevant, and constant with local and international market trends. It’s about analysing and creating an overview of the market, each culture and knowing how to act on any opportunities which hard work may present.’ Says Vercammen.
‘The New Zealand foodservice market is our next priority, we continue to appoint and develop skilled Foodservice agents-representing our products in more and more regions; promoting our range directly to Cafe’s, Hotels, motels and more, strongly supported by Gilmour’s Bidvest and others. Since 2004 the Foodservice is a market has averaged twenty percent growth, we support and value this sector enormously’ says Vercammen.