Tim Carey

Managing Director, Black Mount Springwater

What is your role at Black Mount?

I am the CEO of Black Mount Springwater. My father, Brian, started the company in 1988 and it has gone from strength to strength since then, but it has also stayed true to its core values.

Our first water source was developed at our farm at Black Hill, Millbrook, Victoria, from which we supply many customers across Melbourne. Today, we supply water to bottlers across the nation, with both tankers and water sources located in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.

What inspired you to get into the bottled water industry?

It is a wonderfully diverse industry which provides an essential, healthy product to consumers in Australia and across the country.

From the early days of jumping in a truck with Dad to deliver water to a customer late at night to flying up to Queensland to search for new water sources to develop, I’ve seen every stage of the water extraction process and the vital part it plays in our lives.

The bottled water industry has always been entrepreneurial, innovative and fast-paced. I love seeing companies and individuals grow and prosper.

How does your company help communities across Australia?

We have a fleet of over 35 dedicated spring water tankers which are largely based in regional areas throughout the country. We are often one of the major employers in small country towns and always look to buy goods and services locally wherever possible. Black Mount engages closely with local sporting clubs, schools, and community groups and tries to be a good local citizen.

We also work closely with local Country Fire Authority groups. During the summer’s fire season, we have provided tankers, drivers and water at short notice in several emergency situations. It’s something that we love to do whenever we can.

How do you protect the environment during the extraction process?

All of our water sources are specifically selected for their long-term sustainability and quality. We need to ensure that not only is our supply going to be reliable, but it must be environmentally sustainable. To ensure this, we conduct thorough hydrogeological studies on the aquifer, measuring recharge and water quality. All water sources must be sustainable for the long-term and it’s vitally important that we take care of the aquifer.

How does the ABWI Model Code help ensure water extraction is carried out in the most environmentally sustainable way?

The ABWI Model Code is a wonderful standard for how to do things properly. It requires documented processes for water quality, catchment protection, aquifer monitoring and best practice infrastructure design. It far exceeds the minimum requirements. All our sources are independently audited to ensure compliance with the ABWI Model Code, and it provides bottlers with added confidence that their water sources are protected.

What other environmentally sustainable measures have you implemented at sites across Australia?

We’ve worked with local Landcare groups over the years to plant thousands of native trees on the properties we own. We fence off large tracts of land to create the most natural and environmentally sustainable catchments that we can.

We responsibly farm the remainder of the land to ensure that not only does it remain productive, but that it becomes part of a long-term sustainable strategy for the property.

We also closely monitor the aquifer, with real-time, electronic data logging of water levels, temperature, and quality. This provides data that we can use to work out long-term sustainable rates of extraction and assist in the better understanding of groundwater in the area.

Dave Raj

Quality Assurance and Technical Manager, 100% Bottling Company

What’s your role at 100% Bottling?

I’m the Quality Assurance and Technical Manager.

What drew you to work at 100% Bottling?

My interest in food packaging and food manufacturing brought me into this industry.

What have been some of the highlights of your 20-year career at 100% Bottling?

I’ve benefitted from a great deal of learning over the years which has provided me with immense job satisfaction. I’ve also benefitted from the development and implementation of Quality Management and learning and complying with evolving and more rigid safety standards.

Critical Quality Controls has been one area of particular enjoyment. I’ve managed the technical support in this area across the entire bottling process to ensure a very high level of food safety compliance.

What are some of the major changes you’ve witnessed at 100% Bottling over the years?

There have been many changes to the way we do business in the years I’ve been working in this industry, including:

• High level of adaptation and compliance with evolving global food safety, particularly in the manufacture of a safe food product. Every year, this continues to deliver excellent customer satisfaction for our company.
• An effective shift from gravity filling mechanisms to volumetric filling for greater accuracy minimising wastage.
• Shift from pre-blown bottles to blow-fill technology delivering higher speed and efficiencies and effective use of warehousing.
• The above two developments demonstrate 100% Bottling Company’s commitment to continuous improvement and keeping up with innovative technology in a fast-paced, competitive bottling industry.
• Staff becoming responsible and effective contributors of food safety through greater understanding of food safety requirements and good manufacturing practices constantly improved over the years in the production of safe food product supported by effective training and regular refresher courses.
• 100% Bottling Company’s participation in Australian Sustainability programs, as a centrepiece of good social responsibility.

How do you feel about working for an Aussie owned company?

Fantastic! Having embraced Australian citizenship following my migration to this wonderful country, it is a great feeling to be working for an Aussie-owned and operated company with all the support I enjoy, provided to me by the owners.

What does 100% Bottling Company mean to you and the community?

This company means a lot to me. I have been with the company since 1999 and working here gives me a great sense of ownership of the manufacturing process.

Being the manufacturer of bottled water, which is consumed by almost everyone, I would say that our operations would also mean a lot to the communities we serve as well. The Company is recognised by Local Government for its contribution. By being actively engaged in sustainability initiatives, I would say, 100% Bottling Company continually demonstrates community consciousness by doing all it can in sustainability to support the community at large.

Joe Commisso

Founder & Chairman, Beloka Water

Joe Commisso was busy planting an olive grove ready for his retirement on his family’s property at the foot of the Snowy Mountains, outside Dalgety near the region of Beloka, when he discovered a large water aquifer. After investigation, Joe was told that the water was of exceptional quality. It was then that Beloka was born.

Today, Beloka, sourced near the unspoilt Kosciusko National Park, is stocked in restaurants, cafés and bars across Australia, and is enjoyed by discerning drinkers all over the world.

How do you run your business?

Beloka Water is a family-owned business overseen by myself, with non-family employees working in the bottling plant, warehouse and supply chain.

Why did you decide to get into the bottled water industry?

Back in 2008 I needed a water supply to irrigate a newly planted olive grove on my property at Beloka near the Snowy Mountains. There wasn’t a readily accessible source and one solution was to drill for water. In doing so, we discovered an aquifer containing high quality mineral water.

How did you know the water was of such high quality?

Initially I wasn’t aware of the quality of the water. After getting it tested by a hydrogeologist, however, the results indicated that we had discovered something very special. The water was too good to waste on olive trees, and so we decided to bottle and sell it to the public.

What challenges have you faced with Beloka?

It was very difficult getting into the competitive bottled water market, and we had to start from scratch. It took at least three years for the company to really gain momentum, and much of this was from word of mouth. We started supplying to a few friends’ restaurants, and over time our customer base began to steadily increase.

How has your company developed over the years?

The bottling plant at Beloka has continued to grow in terms of production equipment, and we have acquired more vehicles for the delivery of our product. Our customer base has continued to increase and we have begun to export our product to China and Hong Kong. We are now trying to establish a market in Dubai.

What has it meant to you to start a successful Australian company?

It makes me proud to be supplying an Australian product which is able to compete with the finest international bottled water in terms of taste and quality. It’s great to support local jobs through Australian suppliers who provide Beloka Water with caps, bottles and boxes, and to provide jobs for the local community.

Where exactly does the water come from?

The water in the aquifer from which we source our water comes from a protected single subterranean source at the foot of the Snowy Mountains.

Where is the water bottled?

We process and bottle our water at the source. Our water is bottled sustainably and Beloka only bottles as required, which means we don’t store any unused water – we leave it in the aquifer. We monitor the bore levels rigorously on the advice of geoscientists to ensure that it remains sustainable.

What other sustainability initiatives have you implemented?

We have installed a 30 kilowatt solar system on the roof of the bottling plant at Beloka to provide renewable energy to power our plant. A proportion of recycled glass is used by our supplier in Beloka Water’s glass bottles.

In order to reduce our environmental footprint, Beloka Water also uses the same trucks that deliver our product to the Sydney depot for interstate distribution, to also bring back the materials to the Bottling Plant used in the manufacturing of our product on their return trip.

We purchase materials such as caps, bottles and boxes to support local businesses.

What major award did Beloka win?

Beloka Water won a gold medal in 2017 in the ‘sparkling added carbonation’ category at the International Fine Water Tasting Competition held in Guangzhou, China. The event comprised of a 5-judge professional panel consisting of internationally renowned water judges. 104 entries participated in the various categories of competition. To achieve this title we were the leading standard for taste, purity of water and the abundance of nutrients and minerals in the water. Beloka Water also won the gold award at the 2019 Fine Water Society’s International Taste Awards held in Stockholm.

 

Kerrie-Anne Burbidge

Quality Coordinator, Coca-Cola Amatil

What’s your role at Amatil?

I am the Quality Coordinator for one of our Neverfail Bulk Water Production sites. I am responsible for the food safety, quality and compliance programs/activities that are required to produce the perfect beverage, first time, every time.

What drew you to work at Amatil?

I was drawn to work at Amatil due to the varied nature of the role as it covers not only quality but safety and environment. This variety has allowed me to gain experience and skills I wouldn’t have learned in a typical quality assurance role. Secondly, I was drawn to the iconic nature of the brands Amatil produces/distributes, most of which are household names.

What have been some of the highlights of your three year career at Amatil?

In the three years I have been with Amatil, I have had many highlights. One particular #onlyatamatil moment came after being asked to participate in the My Mentor: Courageous Women Program. This is a program designed specifically for women in the workplace and touched on topics such as personal style, measures of success, self-awareness and building your brand. I gained a great deal of knowledge and techniques that I am continuing to master and use every day.

What are some of the major changes you’ve witnessed at Amatil over the years?

One of the major changes that has come through in the last few years is focused improvement through the implementation of a national business excellence program. This program has given a national structure to processes such as Root Cause Analysis, Line Efficiencies and Visual Management to name a few.

How do you feel about working for an iconic Aussie manufacturer?

Very proud. It is amazing to work for a company that touches so many lives every day.

What does Amatil mean to you and the community?

Amatil to me is a business in which there are endless possibilities for you as an individual. Whether that be gaining experience in your current role or trying something new, Amatil is always open to developing and supporting their people to be the best they can.

In the community, Amatil is a great Aussie company, providing first class service/support through its many community initiatives. It is a trusted Australian brand that the community can rely on to cater to their needs with innovative solutions and high quality products.