And just like that, FPE has hit another fantastic milestone – 40 years of supplying only the best food processing equipment in the industry. We’ve truly come a long way, from founding FPE on one line of Accles and Shelvoke captive bolt stunners to stocking a whole range of innovative machines to our customers. To celebrate 4 decades of success, we thought we would give you a rundown on the origins of FPE and where we are today. Read on.
Overview:
The origins of FPE
Brian Carey is sitting at the desk with Jodie Teurlings (nee Carey) and FPE’s first ever employee still with FPE today, Martin Harrison pictured second from the left.
Brian Carey’s dedication to the meat industry
While FPE celebrates its 40th year, the history goes all the way back to the 1960’s when Brian Carey got his first job in the Australian meat industry. He recalls:
“I first got into the meat industry because my father was in the industry. My first job was with SAMCOR abattoir and the job was on the brains table (which wasn’t a very nice job!)”.
Over the following years, he racked up some valuable experience in various jobs around abattoirs and butcher shops. He even landed a 5-year Sales Manager position at Masters Butchers, which certainly prepared him to become a master in all things meat processing.
The start of FPE
FPE’s former logo designed by Brian Carey
In 1983, Brian founded FPE (Food Processing Equipment) when he noticed there was a significant gap in the market for meat processing equipment. He only had a single product to offer – the CASH captive bolt stunners by Accles and Shevloke.
“I met Roger Hancock of Accles & Shelvoke by chance at a hotel in Frankfurt, Germany, on my first trip to IFFA. Roger expressed he was not happy with his current agent and so, on my return to Australia, I met with the Plant and Production Manager of the Government-owned abattoir in SA, where I was told that the CASH guns were the best in the business.”
Determined and persistent, Brian drove to every single meatworks in Australia. And after two years of negotiations, every abattoir was using the CASH captive bolt range!
Soon after, FPE became a household name within the meat industry in Australia. We even expanded our operation to New Zealand in 1998. Our success was entirely based on our commitment to supplying equipment from only the best agency lines in the industry.
Where FPE are now
With such a technology driven world, the meat industry has drastically changed since the 80’s.
“From one year to another, technology has changed. What I thought was good three years ago has often been replaced by something else. The biggest, most impressive change has been computers and how they’ve helped to develop the meat industry.”
And, although Brian’s original vision was to supply first-class machinery to meat processing businesses, the demand for general food processing equipment rapidly grew.
“I’m really proud to see FPE offering the broad range of food processing equipment it does now. The core of FPE will always be about meat. That’s evident in our relationships with world-leading manufacturers like Grasselli, Bettcher Industries, and Magurit. But it’s wonderful to have the likes of Eagle, SYSPAL, DC Norris, and BCH on board to meet those broader needs of our customers.”
A new era for FPE
Nowadays there are a diverse range of diets we need to cater for. From vegetarian and vegan to pescetarian, gluten-free, keto and so on. With the increased demand for vegetarian and exotic ready-made meals, we have extended our range of food processing equipment to include industrial cleaning, inspection and analysis, mechanical handling, cook and chill equipment, and even some specialised packaging machines!
To commemorate moving into our second generation, we have rolled out a refreshed brand identity, mission statement and website. Our updated logo combines a blend of the old and the new, still paying homage to the original founding logo. Yet, it also represents the change of leadership, with daughters Tania Carey and Jodie Carey now running the business. Tania Carey recalls:
“The idea behind the rebrand was to create a new identity for FPE. We aren’t the company we used to be. There is no question the meat industry is where we specialise, but the products that now make up our range are no longer just for meat. We have new and exciting products, we have new and exciting customers, it’s a new era for FPE, so this is exactly the right time for a new brand.”
Along with a fresh look come many new things and opportunities. So, thank you to all our wonderful customers for celebrating this amazing milestone. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for us!
