Gympie Manufacturing & Engineering Forum

Suncoast Gold Macadamias was founded by a small group of Gympie farmers in 1985, forming a cooperative to process their macadamia nuts. The site on Drummond Drive, Gympie was purchased at the same time, where the business remains today with over 85 team members.

Suncoast Gold is the second largest macadamia processor in Australia, processing over 7,000t per annum. With some ambitious goals ahead, the business will double again over the next 6 years, with the expectation that 14,000 tonnes of macadamias (in shell) will be processed on the Gympie site, predominantly from the 115 growers who own and supply to the business.

80% of the product processed is exported to over 30 countries around the world. Of this, approximately 30% is sold as whole nut in shell, with the balance cracked on site in Gympie. The team then grades, and or value adds the nuts before sale. We produce a wide range of sizes, as well as flavoured and coated macadamia nuts, tailoring the operation to larger retail, ingredient and wholesale customers. Quality and continuous improvement play a large role in the operations, with numerous certifications held.

The Suncoast Gold presentation will focus on Ai (Artificial Intelligence). Ai is playing an increasingly significant role in Suncoast Gold’s operations on a day-to-day basis. New technology, based on Ai principles, is allowing far greater control and improved quality outcomes on the production floor. Ai is also creeping into the administration space, allowing far greater customisation of data presentations.