Australia’s largest egg company, Sunny Queen Australia, has been inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame for its commitment to innovation and reputation as the leading Australian producer, marketer and distributor of egg products for over 50 years.
The Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame was established by QUT Business School, State Library of Queensland and the Queensland Library Foundation in 2009 to recognise the public contribution made by leaders of business to the reputation of Queensland and its economic and social development. This year marked its 100th inductee to the Hall of Fame.
The committee stated Sunny Queen was inducted in recognition of its sustained excellence and reputation as the leading Australian producer, marketer and distributor of egg products for over 50 years.
The company shared a statement online: “Egg-cited to share that Sunny Queen was last night inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame, in recognition of our outstanding economic and cultural contributions to the state.
“Thanks to everyone who has been a part of our Sunny Queen story. Collectively, we work to feed millions of people the best protein on the planet, every day!”
History and growth
What started with a few hundred chickens scratching around in rural Queensland is today Australia’s largest egg company, working to reimagine what an Australian food producer can be.
Sunny Queen Australia began life as the Queensland Egg Board in 1930, initially focused on the marketing and distribution of eggs, before the business eventually became privatised by the Hall and McLean families.
Australians currently consume an average of 266 eggs per person per year of which the Sunny Queen team supplies more than 1.5 billion. It is the leading supplier of eggs in Australia. To meet that demand, Sunny Queen has expanded far beyond the carton, now developing and selling more than 60 products across three product pillars: shell eggs; liquid eggs; and a ready-to-eat meal range that is redefining how consumers enjoy nutritious egg-based meals on the go.
Innovation has always been a key factor in the growth of the business, with Sunny Queen investing heavily in cage free and free-range production facilities and transparent practices. In 2009, the company launched Sunny Queen Cage Free eggs which quickly became a market leader.
Sunny Queen managing director and CEO, Julie Proctor, accepted the award on behalf of the company, stating the opportunity to work for and alongside Australian farming families who are so progressive and innovative is something that has been a real inspiration and a real privilege for her.
“There’s been a lot of change, a lot of innovation and a lot of disruption through the egg industry over the last few years as a number of major customers have been looking to transition out of caged eggs and into cage-free,” said Proctor.
“Having really close, long-term strategic customer partnerships is just critical for our business. It takes a lot of planning, it takes a great deal of investment. Building new infrastructure is very expensive but it’s a journey that we’ve been on for our customers.”
The company has since also become a leader in Free Range and Organic as demand for these eggs in Australia continues to grow. Sunny Queen’s biggest selling eggs now come from hens with access to pasture, and its online ‘Chook Tracker’ lets consumers watch hens roam live.
Like many in agriculture, Sunny Queen contends with droughts, fires, floods and the looming threat of bird flu.
Sunny Queen director and second-generation egg farmer, Simon Hall, whose family helped lay the foundations for what the company is today, said it was through hard work and investment that they were able to grow the business.
“We’re aware of the challenges and we structure our business around trying to limit those risks and challenges,” said Hall.
“Because we live near smaller rural towns, we’re major employers, which we’re proud of. We have a responsibility to the community around that, which we take seriously.”
Amidst these challenges, public trust remains a critical priority, and it’s here that the company appears to be onto a winning formula.
