WAMMCO

WA’s producer lamb Cooperative WAMMCO has appointed one of New Zealand’s most accomplished meat processing administrators to take over management of its business from retiring Chief Executive Officer Des Griffiths.

Coll MacRury, who has managed  plants for both major New Zealand processor AFFCO NZ Ltd and  Universal Beef Packers Ltd., has accepted the position offered to him by the WAMMCO Board.

WAMMCO Chairman Dawson Bradford said Mr MacRury was ‘tailor made’  to lead the WA producer cooperative, and would take up his new role in April 2009.

He said the WAMMCO Board was determined to wait to appoint the right person because the role was so critical to the cooperative and to the West Australian lamb industry.

“Coll has been at the cutting edge of the meat processing technology that is driving the meat industry and his record of achievements extends from massive productivity improvements, to successfully commissioning or recommissioning state-of-the-art plants for both AFFCO and Universal Beef Packers, to striking strategic marketing alliances with overseas customers.

Mr Bradford said these objectives were high on WAMMCO’s priority list as it worked to keep its Katanning processing facility and export lamb business tuned to a rapidly changing global market.

“WAMMCO relies on NZ-developed technology to ensure that are customers are supplied the best possible product, whilst producer shareholder members in WA continue to achieve maximum returns.”

He said Mr MacRury’s export marketing record had been complemented by a short term on secondment with Scotbeef in the UK in 1996 working on quality control and value adding with Marks & Spencers, J.Sainsbury and other major retailers.

“WAMMCO has developed under Des Griffiths, as one of Australia’s most innovative and progressive lamb processing organisations and we are confident Mr MacRury will work with the Board and members to progress that reputation.”