YOUR INDUSTRY
Rockit chairman John Loughlin and Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazelhurst plant a ceremonial tree at the packhouse opening in Hastings
Future of Rockit unveiled New chief executive Mark O’Donnell is buoyant about the future of the tiny apple, Rockit, at the launch of its new packhouse and office facility in Hastings on June 1. By Rose Mannering This state-of-the-art facility in the Irongate industrial park is set over 21,000 m² and showcases the latest in digital innovation. Automated packing lines, coolstore technology and assisted processing mean that in full production, Rockit aims to pack 400,000 to 500,000 tubes of its fully mature snack apples each day, delivering 120 million apples to consumers around the globe this year alone. “Our business is moving at a huge pace; last year our volumes were up by 40%, this year nearly 60%. In five years’ time, we will be delivering 500 million apples.” Mark reiterated that the tiny fruit sold in pouches is not a commodity product. 36
The ORCHARDIST : JULY 2021
“Innovation is a part of our DNA, which is why we took a punt on the smallest apple. Our future is very exciting.” Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a major role in ensuring efficient sorting, packing and storage within the packhouse. Apples are washed and dried automatically before specialised sorters scan the fruit, determining size and colour and checking for defects. New robotic machinery designed by Hastings business Haden and Custance (HC Automated Solutions), automatically loads the apples into tubes before packaging into boxes. Plastic tubes will be manufactured on site, on the mezzanine floor of the packhouse, before being conveyed down to the packing line.
A decade for angel investor Investor Steve Saunders acknowledged the business has come a long way since he became involved a decade ago this December. Founder Phil Alison called on Enterprise Angels for funding, with his global plan to produce an apple pouch for the snacking market. He held rights to the Plant & Food Research bred apple Prem96A, now marketed as Rockit. Steve is a member of Tauranga Enterprise Angels, a group of businessmen who invest at an early stage in innovative ideas. “We met marketers from around the world and set out to rapidly grow the brand; a small apple in a tube in the snacking market was a novel idea. Trends
