An anniversary event held last Friday, attended by Maltra Foods suppliers, staff and Federal MP for Chisholm Julie Banks, reflected on the success of one of the largest powdered-food manufacturers in Australia.
The celebration began with a factory tour, enjoying some Maltra-Foods products in the R&D lab, followed by speeches and birthday cake.
“A 100 per cent Australian business, Maltra Foods was founded by Greg and Anna Eydlish in Melbourne in 1997 and began with a drinking-chocolate focus,” Maltra Foods Vice President of Sales Jack Eydlish said.
“I remember in the early days, my father Greg juggled many roles – from master blender, to research and developer, to procurement officer, while my mother Anna was the packer and grew to become the office administrator.”
Maltra Foods started in St Kilda back in 1997 with six employees in a 300sqm factory. In 2001, it moved to a 900sqm factory spread over nine buildings in Morrabin. To meet the growing demand, the company moved to its current purpose-built 6,550sqm site in Clayton. The site packs 70 metric tonnes of powder every day and is claimed to have the fastest canning line in the southern hemisphere.
Maltra Foods has grown substantially, evolving from a hand-manufacturer to the operator of some of the most sophisticated packaging and blending equipment in Australia.
Maltra Foods manufactures its own branded products – including Arkadia Beverages and GreenSpoon Stevia Sweetener – as well as having comprehensive contract-manufacturing capabilities. Arkadia Beverages, crafted and blended in Melbourne, produces chai tea, drinking chocolate, frappes and soft serves, suited to both cafés and at-home experiences.
“Maltra Foods continues to support the local economy through recruitment of new staff, and with further engagement with local universities and business partners, we hope to continue growing the manufacturing industry,” Maltra Foods Operation Manager Roman Eydlish said.
Maltra Foods General Manager Henri Kalisse said: “We’ve taken Arkadia and Maltra to the world. We are here to serve our customers, and the fact that they support what we produce means the world to us. We are 20 years young, but our plans are for the future. Greg and Anna are investing in the future. This year, we plan to bring out new products and new innovation not yet seen in Australia.”