Celebrating Edgell’s and Cowra Export Packers Anniversaries

Cowra celebrates Two Significant Anniversaries This Year.

One goes back to 1943. It was the opening of Gordon Edgell & Sons Ltd., Vegetable Canning factory, which unfortunately passed through a number of owners and sadly was closed by Pacific Dunlop Ltd in 1992. A period of 79 years. The other was the formation of an organisation, Cowra Export Packers Ltd. in 1993. They successfully arranged a lease of the Cannery from Pacific Dunlop and reopened the factory to produce canned white asparagus for the Edgell brand.

The lease was for an initial two years with a two year option.

Cowra Export Packers, over the next seven years, successfully expanded their operation, during which time they processed many of the products which previously had been produced at the cannery for Edgell.

They ran a very successful canning operation that enabled them to purchase the cannery from Simplot Australia Pty Ltd, who had purchased the whole Edgell company from Pacific Dunlop in 1996.

A publication entitled; HOW TO HELP SAVE A COUNTRY TOWN ; covers the full story on how, in five years, they were turning over $15,000,000. This was achieved from an initial $78,500 in shareholder,s funds plus a $50,000 loan. COWRA EXPORT PACKERS LTD was purchased by Windsor Farm Foods Ltd in 2000 and continued operating until 2012/13.

The effort put in by Cowra Export Packers back in 1993, a period of 29 years. Helped save this country town.

A major part of Cowra's History, which will never be repeated.

By Alan Thompson