F&B precinct Turbine has appointed Andrew Eves-Brown as its inaugural CEO. The move comes as preparations are finalised for the multi-million dollar development of its Sunshine Coast-based manufacturing plant.
Eves-Brown has more than 20 years of FMCG experience across general management, supply chain and operations, and most recently, as head of economic development at the Sunshine Coast Council, where he supported the region through the Regional Economic Development Strategy review, its post-pandemic recovery, and championed the Unesco sustainability goals through the Sunshine Coast Biosphere.
Turbine director and Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN) chair Jacqui Price said it was important for the project to secure the talents of an experienced CEO who understood food and drinks manufacturing.
“Andrew fitted the bill perfectly,” said Price. “In his role as CEO at Coyo and before that as COO at Gourmet Garden, Andrew was instrumental in creating FAN, and probably no one understands our industry better.”
As CEO of Coyo, Price said Eves-Brown drove the strategy that established its products as a premium brand and saw the company quadruple in volume during his three-and-a-half-year tenure.
Before Coyo, he held the role of COO at Gourmet Garden for 11 years, where he helped grow the business from $20 million to $100 million before the company sold to McCormick.
“It is this business pedigree coupled with his commitment to collaboration that makes Andrew the perfect choice to lead Turbine into the next phase, and Turbine’s board are delighted Andrew will be leading the project,” added Price.
In 2021, Turbine was able to secure $8.78 million in Federal Government funding. When complete, the precinct will house manufacturing services, an R&D facility, warehousing and logistics, an expertise hub and a training facility aimed to help local F&B businesses scale and develop the capability to expand into larger markets locally, and worldwide.
“When complete, the Turbine Precinct will be instrumental in removing many of the barriers faced by our small and medium businesses, helping them to grow and scale through shared infrastructure and manufacturing,” said Eves-Brown.
“This project will create something truly innovative in Australia, and I am delighted to be able to use my extensive background in food innovation and manufacturing to lead this project through to completion over the next few years.”
